Myanmar: Crushing dissent

The military, known domestically as the Tatmadaw, has maintained an iron grip on Myanmar (Burma) since staving off a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 and continues to hold the reins of power through the 12-member State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), which has made little progress towards its stated aim of restoring democratic rule to the country.

Dozens of protesters were arrested after a series of demonstrations in various towns and cities throughout the country in August over a hike in fuel prices of around 500 percent by the SPDC. Several protests in Yangon (Rangoon) were broken up by club-wielding, pro-government activists allegedly directed by SPDC officials. In all, there are over 1,000 political prisoners in Myanmar jails.

The AP reports that US President George W Bush decried the Myanmar crackdown in a Wednesday press conference, telling reporters, "It's inexcusable that people who have marched for freedom are then mistreated by a repressive state." Bush promised to raise the issue of human rights violations in Myanmar at the current APEC meeting in Sydney.

While New Zealand, Australia and Singapore have joined the US in past denunciations of Tatmadaw excesses, and an APEC committee has been established to discuss the issue, there is little political will on the part of South-East Asian countries for censure of the junta, which they see as a potential threat to their own future freedom of action.

The Myanmar economy remains extremely underdeveloped with the lowest growth rate in the sub-region. Development has been retarded through military control of cross-border trade and key economic sectors, including heavy industry and rice exports. SPDC rule has been further blighted by alleged widespread corruption and inefficiency.

Spiraling inflation has made it increasingly difficult for impoverished citizens to afford basic commodities - a situation confirmed by a recent International Red Cross report, which provided rare direct criticism of a national government in excoriating the Myanmar authorities for failing to prevent "immense suffering for thousands of people."

The sharp rise in fuel prices appeared to be the straw that broke the camel's back, driving demonstrators onto the streets despite their fear of the security forces and pro-government vigilantes in the first major public outpouring of popular discontent in years.

The return-to-democracy illusion

The protests appeared to spur the SPDC to action, with the ruling junta bringing to a conclusion a 14-year national convention on constitutional reform, whose stated aim is to prepare the foundations for a national referendum on a new constitution and a return to democracy.

According to reports, the convention's final document secures military control of the state through recommending the establishment of a political system in which the Tatmadaw controls key ministries, holds large blocs of seats in legislative assemblies and has the constitutionally mandated right to retake power at any time.

The draft constitution also reportedly fails to deal with the fraught question of autonomy for minorities and appears to establish such a limited basis for poltical participation that the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), would be effectively sidelined.

The military has ruled Myanmar since a 1962 coup d'etat, crushing a 1988 pro-democracy rising and annulling the results of a 1990 poll, which gave a landslide 60 percent victory for the NLD under Aung San Suu Kyi.

The NLD leader has spent much of the intervening years under house arrest in Yangon, while many members reportedly left the party last year, citing a renewed military crackdown on political activities, following a brief easing of official restrictions from 2001-2004.

In a move apparently designed to secure its control of the organs of state, the SPDC moved the capita