Burmese academic urges Netherlands to engage Burma

by Salai Pi Pi
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 20:28

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Netherlands Foreign Ministry has said Minister Verhagen on Monday talked to Burmese academic Thant Myint-U over the international community’s engagement for change in military-ruled Burma.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands in a statement on November 30, said, Verhagen during the meeting expressed concern over the human rights condition and lack of political development in Burma and the detention of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Thant Myint-U is the grandson of former General Secretary of the United Nations, U Thant and is author of the book titled ‘River of the lost Footstep’. He is also an advocate of international engagement with Burma and has criticised the US and European Union sanctions saying it hurts the people more than the ruling junta.

A Dutch Foreign Ministry statement said “Verhagen expressed concern about the lack of democratisation in Burma, the oppressive human rights situation, the treatment of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, in particular the extension of her house arrest, and military action against ethnic groups.”

During the meeting, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said, Verhagen and Thant Myint-U exchanged ideas on how the international community can influence developments in Burma more effectively.

“He [Thant Myint-U] believes that greater engagement with Burma would increase the likelihood of democratic development taking hold,” the ministry said.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry said Netherlands, which had strongly supported EU’s sanction against Burma, is also looking for alternative ways to make changes in Burma as years of sanction have failed to effect any change.

Mark Farmaner, Director of London-based Burma Campaign UK said the talks between Verhagen and Thant Myint-U could be the result of Thant Myint-U’s continuous approach to the Dutch government as part of his lobby to relax sanctions against Burma.

“What we do know is he is trying to undermine sanctions against dictatorship in Burma. He wants to relax the pressure on Burmese generals,” said Farmener, “He is trying to persuade Netherlands, which is the country that always supports the democracy movement in Burma, to stop supporting democracy and change the policy towards Burma.”

Farmaner, however, said sanctions imposed by EU have not been very effective and failed to bring the desired result, as the current sanctions are weak.

“I think EU’s sanctions are wrong sanctions. They have introduced very weak sanctions. They don’t have much impact,” he said, adding that the sanctions should be targeted to have the desired impact of changing the behaviour of the military junta.

Farmaner said Burma’s ruling generals have recently rejected the EU’s efforts to send a special envoy to the country to have talks with the military junta, similar to that of the United States’ Jim Webb visiting the Southeast Asian nation in August.

“That shows how weak and ineffective the sanctions of EU towards Burma are. If the sanctions are strong, there will be more impact on Burma,” he said.

Some of the EU member countries such as Italy and Germany, which are looking for stronger economic ties with Burma’s close ally China, have been seeking to ease sanctions against Burma as the current EU sanctions are not supported by China.

Thant Myint-U and Mark Farmaner on Wednesday night will be debating the success of economic sanctions against the Burmese military junta, to be hosted by United Kingdom-based debate forum, Intelligence squared, that will be live-streamed online.

The panel will include Thant Myint-U, former head of policy planning in the UN's Department of Political Affairs, Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign, Derek Tonkin, former British ambassador to both Vietnam and Thailand, and current chairman of Network Myanmar and Brad Adams, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division.