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Happy New Year from Burma Partnership

By Burma Partnership  •  January 3, 2012

Burma Partnership would like to wish you all a very happy new year. Looking back on 2011 and some of the initial steps taken towards progress in the country, the dawn of 2012 brings the hope that real change that will benefit the people of Burma may soon be on its way.

In 2011, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has played a pivotal role, meeting with regime officials including President Thein Sein, encouraging them to take further steps towards democracy and a respect for human rights. After the National Parliament voted to change some parts of the restrictive election laws, Daw Suu and the NLD decided to participate in the upcoming by-elections, which have been called for April 1st.

People in Rangoon and Naypyidaw may be feeling initial shifts with Daw Suu’s increasing political role, the release of some political prisoners and some lifting of restrictions on the media and freedom of expression. However, those in ethnic areas continue to face brutal attacks on their villages and widespread human rights violations, as armed conflict rages despite President Thein Sein’s announcement for the Burma Army to cease attacks.

The new year presents an opportunity for Thein Sein and the reformers within the regime to show their resolve and commitment to genuine progress, by successfully ceasing armed conflict and making concerted efforts towards resolving the underlying political concerns of all ethnic people, and by releasing all political prisoners rather than continuing last year’s token gestures of a handful of releases. It is a year for the regime to show how committed it is to protecting and promoting human rights by taking steps to ensure the independence and effectiveness of the newly-formed National Human Rights Commission. It is also a year to start to prove to ASEAN that Burma will be a successful chair of ASEAN, that the regional body did not make a mistake in prematurely awarding the country with the 2014 chairmanship.

2012 also presents us with an opportunity to strengthen our collective efforts to pressure the regime to take meaningful steps towards democracy. We want 2012 to be the year that the window dressings finally come down.

Thank you for your unwavering support over this past year. We sincerely look forward to continuing our partnership and working together to make sure this is a fruitful year for the achievement of democracy and human rights for all the people of Burma.

Tags: Burma Partnership

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