Burma Update: January 5, 2008

First Address of U Nu, Burma's First Prime Minister, to the Nation on January 4, 1948

Protected by the sea and by mighty mountain ranges, we in Burma had pursued our own way of life till the all-pervading West intruded on our history, but on this auspicious day, on which we regain our independence, we need harbor no resentment. We could not for ever develop our own culture and maintain our old way of life without reference to the outside world, a world which was even then growing smaller by the development of the steamship and the railway. The clash with the West was bound to come and if in that clash we lost for a time our independence, we have gained in knowledge of the world and have had time and opportunity to align our civilization and our way of life to what the world demands though we have been careful not to lose in that process our national individuality and the principles that we hold dear.

Perhaps the main disadvantage of our loss of independence was that the natural process by which the several races of Burma were integrating into a nation was retarded and, until recently, we were divided administratively from our brethren of the Frontier Areas.

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Statement by Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady of the US, on January 4, 2008

Today, January 4, is the 60th anniversary of Burma's independence. Instead of celebrating their freedom, the Burmese people live in fear, poverty, and oppression under General Than Shwe and his military regime. These generals have plundered Burma's economy and rich natural resources, and a once-prosperous nation now has the lowest GDP per person among ASEAN countries. Hundreds of innocent people remain in jail - and more continue to be arrested - for exercising their rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. An untold number of Buddhist monks have been banished from their monasteries. Reports suggest that the Burmese army is now massing in eastern Burma, preparing for a renewed military onslaught against Burma's ethnic minorities. Past offensives have resulted in killings and rapes of civilians, forced labor, crop burnings, and mass relocations.

President Bush and I ask all nations to join in condemning the military junta for its shameful abuses of basic human rights. We urge the regime to fulfill its promises to the United Nations Security Council, and to take more than token steps toward meaningful dialogue with Burma's opposition. General Than Shwe must release Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic leaders, so they can begin the process of national reconciliation. Meanwhile, the United States stands with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all those working to make sure that by the next January 4, the people of Burma will celebrate real independence.

SHAN's Weekly Diary (29 December 2007 - 4 January 2008)

- Burma: From Freedom to Bondage!
- Regime Clamps Down on Foreign Media!
- License Fee for Sat TV up 166 Times!
- New Memoirs from Another Shan Princess!

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