Testimony by experts at US-Burma relations hearing

by Mungpi
Thursday, 01 October 2009 20:45

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The fall out of US-Burma relations will not be judged by the number of meetings but by the progress made in terms of human rights and democracy, and sanctions will not be lifted unless progress is made in these areas, a top US official said on Wednesday.

Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State, in his testimony at a Congressional hearing on Burma hosted by Senator James Webb, said engagement with the Burmese junta will supplement rather than replace sanctions.

“Lifting or easing sanctions at the outset of a dialogue without meaningful progress on our concerns would be a mistake,” Campbell explained to the committee of the new US policy on Burma.

The policy review, which started seven months ago, concluded that through dialogue the US would be able to test the intentions of the Burmese junta and the sincerity of their expressed interest in a more positive relationship with the US, said Campbell.

“The way forward will be clearly tied to concrete actions on the part of the Burmese leadership addressing our core concerns, particularly in the areas of democracy and human rights,” he added.

He said the relationship with the US will only improve in a step-by-step process if the Burmese junta takes meaningful actions in addressing human rights and democracy.

But Campbell said, “We will reserve the option of tightening sanctions on the regime and its supporters to respond to events in Burma.”

With regard to Burma’s planned 2010 elections, Campbell said the US is still assessing the conditions under which the elections will be held and determine whether the opposition and ethnic groups will be allowed to participate fully.

The US will continue to stress to the Burmese junta the conditions that are necessary for any credible electoral process such as the release of political prisoners, participation of all stakeholders, eliminate restrictions on the media and ensuring free and open campaign.

Supporting the new US policy on Burma, Professor David I. Steinberg, School of Foreign Services, George Town University in his testimony said, “Step-by-step negotiations are a reasonable way to proceed, perhaps the only way.”

Steinberg said, in order to yield results in the relationship, the US should avoid rhetoric naming and shaming the junta but use ‘quiet diplomacy’, which the Burmese can respond to in the need for progress and change.

Steinberg said, in order to begin the dialogue both countries should assign ambassadors by carefully choosing the right persons to be ambassadors.

“The choice of that person is important if there is to be credible dialogue with the government, since it calls for direct talks with the Burmese,” he said.

“If the Burmese junta responds to this step-by-step process, and if the 2010 elections are conducted in some manner with widespread campaigning and participation regarded as in a responsible manner then the U.S. could withdraw is opposition to multilateral assistance from the World Bank or Asian Development Bank if that government were to adhere to the bank’s new requirements for transparency and good governance,” he said.

But unlike Steinberg and Campbell, Professor David C Williams of the Center for Constitutional Democracy, Indiana University Maurer School of Law said in order to engage the Burmese junta, the US must demand that the regime first stop attacking ethnic minorities otherwise the US would be directly dealing with “murderers still in the midst of a killing spree.”

He said, the problem in Burma is not mere democracy versus dictatorship represented by Aung San Suu Kyi and the military junta respectively but is of an ethnic conflict going on for decades.

“Even if democracy comes to Burma, the troubles will not end until the minorities are committed to the settlement. The resistance groups are not strong enough to overthrow the regime, but the regime is not strong enough to eliminate the resistance,” he argued.

Prof. Williams said, the US must increase humanitarian assistance not through Rangoon but also across the borders to the ethnic minority areas, as the programmes in central Burma cannot get out into the hills, and as a result, the people who are suffering the most are receiving the least.

He also emphasised that the US must push for a trilateral dialogue that includes the regime, the opposition represented by the National League for Democracy and ethnic groups, without which there can never be lasting peace in the Southeast Asian nation.

“If we are going to move closer to the regime, we must insist that they engage not just with the NLD but also with the minorities,” Prof. Williams said.

With regards to the junta’s planned 2010 elections, Prof. Williams said, unless the 2008 constitution is changed the elections will not bring a solution to Burma’s problems as the constitution has already made sure that the military will be invincible.

“Our focus should not be on ensuring that the elections are free and fair. Instead, the focus should be on securing constitutional change, so that someday Burma might witness civilian rule,” Williams said.

He said, an in-depth study of the constitution, which junta claimed was approved by over 90 per cent of voters in May 2008, reveals much bigger problems that are reported. Under the constitution, the Tatmadaw or the military would not be subject to civilian government, and it would write its own portfolio.

The constitution also provides for the military to seize power anytime it feels it is suited and it would be legally sanctioned, he added.

On sanctions, Professor Williams said it should only be lifted in response to real progress made by the Burmese regime and should be a reward for the progress. And if sanctions are lifted as a competition with China to influence, the US will only be at a disadvantage.

“We win only if we can shift the game, only if through multilateral diplomacy we can get the regime to stop killing its people and to allow civilian rule,” Williams said, “Making premature concessions won’t shift the game; it will only give the game away, along with our own sense of honour.”

As the first step of engagement, Kurt Campbell on Tuesday met Burmese Minister for Science and Technology in New York, and held wide-range discussions on issues including political prisoners, ethnic conflicts, and Burma’s relationship with North Korea.