Burmese PM toes familiar line in UN speech

by Mizzima News
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 01:24

Mizzima News - In a much anticipated speech in front of the United Nations General Assembly, Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein delivered a short address largely rehashing the regime’s long held political vision for Burma and echoing standard junta ideology.

“The transition to democracy is proceeding,” Thein Sein informed delegates. “Our focus is not on the narrow interest of individuals, organizations or parties but on the larger interest of the entire people of the nation” – a line of thinking consistent with the regime’s conflation of the interests of the military with that of the nation, in constant vigilance against national disintegration.

Reaffirming the validity of the May 2008 constitutional referendum, in which a dubious 92.48 percent of voters are claimed to have supported the draft, the Burmese representative left no doubt that the military regime intends to continue apace with its self-styled “roadmap to democracy” – despite persistent criticism from the Burma’s democratic opposition, activists and members of the international community.

“Democracy cannot be imposed from the outside and a system suitable for Myanmar [Burma] can only be born out of Myanmar [Burmese] society,” iterated Thein Sein.

The Burmese Prime Minister further lashed out the perceived unjustness and violence of employing sanctions, a hallmark of United States and European Union foreign policy vis-à-vis Burma.

“As sanctions are indiscriminate and of themselves a form of violence, they cannot legitimately be regarded as a tool to promote human rights and democracy,” thundered the Prime Minister, claiming sanctions are employed to influence political and economic development without consideration of historical and cultural background.

In substitute of sanctions, the Burmese delegate prospered that more developed countries should increase levels of Official Direct Assistance (ODA) to lesser-privileged states. Such an approach has been central to China’s foreign policy in recent years – a formula opponents’ claim often ignores human rights issues.

Joining ranks with a myriad of countries represented in the General Assembly but not in the Security Council, Thein Sein urged the prioritization of United Nations reform with an aim to fomenting a more democratic decision-making process.

However, the Burmese representative also tentatively reached out to U.S. President Barack Obama, congratulating the recently completed Summit Meeting of the Security Council, chaired by Obama, in which emphasis was given to the elimination of nuclear weapons.

“We consider that pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons we should pursue efforts towards the conclusion of a universal, unconditional and legally binding instrument on security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States,” said Thein Sein, adding that all states should have the right to enjoy the peaceful benefits of nuclear energy.

Touching on the world’s present economic plight, the Prime Minister blamed the current global financial crisis for such domestic social maladies as rising food and energy prices – two issues which helped to ignite the most recent spate of mass protests in Burma, the Saffron Revolution of 2007.

Prior to ceding the podium, Thein Sein – praising the work of the Tripartite Core Group in the wake of last year’s devastating Cyclone Nargis – appealed to the international community to meet the projected costs of Nargis-related recovery and rehabilitation, stating that donors have thus far only pledged to cover half the projected 691 million dollar price tag of the Post Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP).