QUESTIONS ABOUT BURMA
Why are people in Burma being persecuted?
The clearest answer is that the Burma Army dictatorship wants complete control over the population of Burma. The people in Burma want to live in peace and build lives for themselves, their families and their communities. This has inevitably brought conflict between the people of Burma (of all ethnicities) and the State Peace and Development Committee (SPDC).
Where is Burma?
Burma is bordered by the China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Andaman Sea to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the southwest.
Are there other organizations that serve the internally displaced people inside Burma?
There are other groups and community based organizations that do an immense job of serving the internally displaced people inside Burma. Along with others you can visit www.partnersworld.org and www.freeburmarangers.org to learn about their work.
Why is Burma also called Myanmar?
The Burma Army dictatorship on its own accord changed the name of Burma to Myanmar. Many pro democracy groups including minority ethnic groups and individuals like Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, continue to call the country Burma. Out of respect for their cause of freedom, Farthest Corners continues to call the country Burma.
Why does the Burma Army oppress their own people?
A Kachin man from Burma once answered this question best. “None of the people like the Burma Army. However, once you become a Burma Army soldier your heart changes with a gun in your hand. You like the power it gives you.”
Is the Burma Army committing genocide?
According to the UN in the Genocide Convention of 1948, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
By this definition the Burma Army is committing genocide. However, the term genocide is usually attributed to mass killings (i.e. The Holocaust, Yugoslavia, Rawanda and Sudan). The acts that are occurring in Burma are a slow and methodical oppression of the people with an aim of complete dominance.
What is an IDP?
IDP is an acronym for “Internally Displaced Person/people.”
The United Nations defines an IDP as a person who has been forced to flee or leave their home as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of:
- Armed conflict.
- Generalized violence, violations of human rights.
- Natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized border.
In Burma there are over one million IDP’s whom have either been forcibly removed, fled to an area where they do not wish to live or are currently on the run and in hiding.