By K.Govindan Aung San Suu Kyi's unconditional release from house arrest on July 12 by the military junta has raised the spirits of Burmese opIn 1988 a brief "pro-democracy" spring swept through Burma demanding an end to military rule, human led mainly by students and young Buddhist monks. Nevertheless Suu Kyi. daughter of the national hero Aung San, soon became a symbol and spokesperson for the frustrations and hopes of the Buntiese peopic.
The regime which had isolated Burma from the rest of the world and pursued autarkic economic policies reacco with typical brutaly. killing 1,000 demonstrators in one month and up to 3,000 •Husdreds of dousedi Hundreds of thousands fled to the border regions for and supported by ethnic minority armies who have been fighting separatist struggles for decades. The two forces formod a National Coalition enemies into friends. Government for the Union of Burma with Karens. Mons the National League for De. Facing a mocracy (NLD), rode to vicnew junta tory winning 392 of the 485 offen- contested seats. sive: The State Law and Order Restoration Karen National (SLORC) comprising senior Army military figures took power. ignoring the results and step. The Nobel Peace Prize winner's release may be indicative of the regime's self-confidence rather than weakness. A number of the armies of the seven ethnic minority groups have concluded with the regime, relieving some of the pressure on its forces in the strategically important border regions. inher book Freedom From Fear (Penguin 1991) Aung San Suu Kyi spells out her political programme. It is one of western liberal democ. recy, lounuca on buounist ethics and sensibilities. The regime had succeeded For the national minorities in masking is two diskies of the dictatorship would reDespite Suu Kyi's arrest solve their grievances. multi-party elections were Much of the political inneid In asy wnere ner party itiative in recent years has bore in he beats of the su dents living on the border and in Thailand, through the All Burma Students Democratic Front. Council The NLD by comparison has heen weak and divided Some of its members have been participating in the SLORC's National Convention.
Most of the opposition movement called for a boycott of the process, knowing chat it is simply a sham to legitimise military involvement in politics. Now many will be watching to see how Suu Kyi responds SLORC recently began an offensive against the Karen National Army. While the US goverument makes reguran protests about the production and sale of drugs it nevertheless maintains its contact with opium warlord Khun Sa The Rangoon government is also involved in the drugs trade. Generals who serve in the border regions and in the ruby-rush Mong Su area are enriching themselves.
The timing of Suu Kyi's release may be in response to a possible US trade ban. The regime has began opening up Ine country to foreign myce tors. particularly in the oil and The US's Total and Unolocal are two of the largest.
The Japanese government WORLD NEWS has been a large aid donor. pledging Y 1 billion (USSI1.5 millions in march and wring off Y4 billion of debt in May this year. South-cast Asian countries have been investing in Burma while protesting concern about its human rights record.
A Channel 4 documentary kept in chains and used as slave labour in infrastructure The army pressgangs people to carry ammuanion and goods for soldiers Where a family cannot provide a member for these prolects it has to pay a hupe fine Further investment will only keep these tyrants in A caged bird has been set free. Will it now be allowed to sing, and if so. whose tune
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 88, August 1995, Page 14 OVER one million pean Commission meeting. So that side of it is really important.
There are also support groups around the country which organise homeworkers together, particularly Asian women. Although they're not trade unions, they're developing a spinit of collective acThey have to be run completely differently to how trade unions are traditionally organised.
In Rochdale the local talking about health and safety at a meeting I went to. They were talking about damp and the problems of trying to deal with that.
The main issue for homeworkers is employment status. It's a really complicated issue. The vast majority ployers think that they are self-employed. Because they cover that saying people are