Burma

ICG Burma Report Blasted by Global Justice Center

By SAW YAN NAING Thursday, September 29, 2011

In this Aug. 19, 2011 photo, Shan schoolchildren chant prayers after a morning flag hoisting at a school in the Shan State Army headquarters of Loi Tai Leng in Burma's Shan state. The boys and girls, most of them orphans, study the Shan language which is banned at schools elsewhere in Burma. (Photo: AP)

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The Global Justice Center, an international human rights legal organization, has issued a strong condemnation of the reports on Burma issued by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

In an open letter released on Sept. 20, the Global Justice Center called on the ICG to stop supporting unconditional engagement with Burma’s military rulers.

“This policy, encouraging ‘the West to robustly engage the new Burmese government at the highest levels,’ ignores both ‘on the ground facts’ and peremptory norms of international law,” the letter read. (See: http://www.globaljusticecenter.net/news-events/news/2011/ICGLetter.pdf)

The ICG fails to acknowledge that “the new Burmese government” is illegal because it is based on a constitution mandating a bifurcated sovereignty, a fundamental breach of the law of nations, said the letter.

Shortly after Global Justice released its open letter, the ICG issued another report on Burma, which was titled “Myanmar: Major Reform Underway.” This ICG report, released on Sept. 22, calls on the outside world to actively support efforts by Burma’s President Thein Sein to implement political and economic reforms. The report says that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank must support Burma's tentative reforms, adding that failure to do so would be to “the lasting detriment” of the Burmese people.

In its 21-page report, the ICG said that recent positive developments have emerged in Burma, including a meeting between President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which could be the beginning of historical change in the country.

In its letter to the ICG, the Global Justice Center also called on the Board of the ICG to revisit and change its policy on Burma.

The Global Justice Center said that Burma’s new Constitution guarantees the military impunity from prosecution, encouraging the military’s continuing crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes.

In addition, the sham election held in November 2010 has escalated the risk Burma poses to global peace and security to an all-time high, as armed conflicts broke out between government troops and ethnic armed groups in the wake of the election, according to the letter.

Burma’s civil war continues and is marked by heinous crimes of genocide by the military against the Kachin, Karen, Shan and other ethnic groups. The military’s war crimes, in particular the use of child soldiers and rape as a weapon of war, remain unabated, in spite of the UN Security Council’s denouncement thereof, said the Global Justice Center.

The letter stated that the post-election landscape in Burma is one of escalated military crimes, including genocide and war crimes, which present a threat to peace and security.

Editor's Note: As originally posted, this article inaccurately stated that the open letter issued by the Global Justice Center condemned the Sept. 22 ICG report titled “Myanmar: Major Reform Underway.” In fact, the Global Justice Center's open letter was in reference to previous ICG reports, and this article has been updated to reflect the correct information.

COMMENTS (7)

Moe Aung Wrote:

04/10/2011

aggadassivin,

Both options are open and not mutually exclusive. We must get the generals and members of govt who are less selfish and power mad on side.

People Power must not drop their guard, on the contrary make every effort to build up networks and resources for the next phase of the popular struggle. Use this window of opportunity gainfully. Even the Wa have done it successfully so they can't be written off as they've grown stronger over the last two 'permissive' decades and more importantly stuck to their guns literally.

Moe Aung Wrote:

04/10/2011

The ICG's prescription is tantamount to letting these men off scot free with a license to continue business as usual in so many areas of their repressive and inhumane practices. And for what? A superficial makeover with some tentative relaxation, rhetorical only in part.

Freedom of association (the anomalous and ludicrous NLD recognition question still hanging in the air), freedom of speech (not even in parliament) that are directly relevant to political dissent and prisoners of conscience, the plight of the minorities with civil war raging in their homelands,a whole raft of issues that indicates business as usual Burmese ruling Prussians style.

This ruling class will get richer and more powerful than ever at the expense of all the myriad peoples of Burma if the international community follows the advice and exhortation of the ICG. It will be watering the proverbial poison plant.

DAVID SHELLENBERGER Wrote:

01/10/2011

My article on the subject: "Burma: Remain Wary of the Junta," http://bit.ly/olcGRS.

David Arnott Wrote:

01/10/2011

The Global Justice Center's open letter of September 20th does not address the International Crisis Group's latest report, "Myanmar, Major Reforms Underway", dated 22 September, but the ICG's Burma policy in general, with particular reference to its March 7 2011 Briefing, "Myanmar’s Post-Election Landscape".

Wallace Hla Wrote:

01/10/2011

UN's Ban Ki Moon should be given the boots and whoever's heading The Global Justice Center should take-over instead.

Bravo " GJC " for having the galls to place some people and the organizations they belong to in their proper place and status including the self-imposed dictators under the guise of a fairly elected government of Burma.

aggadassivin Wrote:

30/09/2011

Some people need to decide whether they want to bolster the moderates who want to take Myanmar forward or provide ammunition (pun intended, or maybe not) to the hardliners who want to take the country back to the dark ages. As far as I’m concerned, those who opt for the latter are on the same side as those with monks’ blood on their hands and I hold them in utter contempt.

kerry Wrote:

30/09/2011

The current 'government' in Burma is not the one the people want. It forced itself on the country, and abused the nation for decades. The Constitution (and circumstances of the referendum) are a disgrace.

Positive steps have been made. A positive result is not even remotely possible with over 2000 political prisoners. The basic starting point for change has occurred, thanks to Aung San Su Kyi, but this is not an outcome.

The Global Justice Centre is correct. There is no point in whitewashing crimes in Burma, or even that true changes have occurred. There is potential for steps towards change, that must be made, whether the military likes it or not.