Men carry homemade weapons during the sectarian violence that has recently erupted in Burma's Rakhine state. Photograph: Reuters
Sunday 17 June 2012
As Aung San Suu Kyi is allowed to go to the UK ethnic violence threatens to undermine my country's transition to democracy
As a comedian, poet, film-maker and loudmouth, I often fell foul of the censors in Burma, where I was a political prisoner four times. Sometimes it was through deliberate provocation, such as my insistence on trying to include kidnap scenes in all of my films, where at some point the good guys would exclaim "we must free that lady!", a thinly veiled act of resistance which caught on in the industry and became obligatory for many film-makers during Aung San Suu Kyi's imprisonment.
My most recent sentence was for 35 years, imposed for criticism of the Burmese government's woeful response to Cyclone Nargis in 2008, and from which I was released last autumn as part of a mass amnesty. Yet I have also been imprisoned simply for using the internet. It might be interesting to learn that communications were policed by people who understood little about the technology they were patrolling. I don't think it takes a comedian to see the funny side of police confiscating my computer screen, but leaving the hard drive. Freedom of expression has been rigorously denied for a long time, but Burma is very definitely changing and, in this new world, new challenges are presenting themselves.
This week, Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Britain for the first time in 24 years. That she is now free to travel (as am I) is a hugely positive development. It reflects the changes taking place in Burma and there is much to be welcomed. Yet she and I are aware of an unwatched pot that is threatening to boil over at home – and may yet undermine the transition to democracy.
Last month sectarian violence erupted in Burma's Rakhine state on the Bangladesh border, where both Buddhist Rakhine (or Arakanese) and Muslim Rohingya minorities live. There is a history of inter-ethnic tension and violence dating back decades. The latest episode took place shortly after my arrival in London. I was sickened to read about the mob killing of 10 Rohingya men in retaliation for the alleged gang rape of a Rakhine teenage girl.
Now we are seeing a cycle of violence and reprisals, with homes and businesses burned to the ground and hundreds taking refuge in public buildings. A state of emergency has been declared in Rakhine state. There are reports of live ammunition being used to disperse crowds and curfews have been imposed.
The situation in the area is complex and dates back at least to our colonial history. There has been institutionalised discrimination against the Rohingya for decades. This is exacerbated by corruption among border enforcement officials, which has allowed illegal immigration and added to sectarian tensions.
The entire situation is a litmus test for reform in our country, including for improvements in freedom of expression. When I read some of the language being used on social media, both inside and outside the country, I am concerned that the Burmese people are using their new freedom to express views which incite racial hatred.
Distributing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights used to get you a jail sentence. Fortunately that is no longer the case. The declaration says all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. So the Burmese government needs to exercise its responsibility to protect the rights of all those in Burma, whatever their religion or ethnicity. We need legal action to be taken against those who have committed murder and violence and damaged property. The government must restore the rule of law and end corruption and immigration abuse, but not while trampling on human rights like before. And we Burmese must use freedom of expression to promote peace, not conflict.
Sunday 17 June 2012
As Aung San Suu Kyi is allowed to go to the UK ethnic violence threatens to undermine my country's transition to democracy
As a comedian, poet, film-maker and loudmouth, I often fell foul of the censors in Burma, where I was a political prisoner four times. Sometimes it was through deliberate provocation, such as my insistence on trying to include kidnap scenes in all of my films, where at some point the good guys would exclaim "we must free that lady!", a thinly veiled act of resistance which caught on in the industry and became obligatory for many film-makers during Aung San Suu Kyi's imprisonment.
My most recent sentence was for 35 years, imposed for criticism of the Burmese government's woeful response to Cyclone Nargis in 2008, and from which I was released last autumn as part of a mass amnesty. Yet I have also been imprisoned simply for using the internet. It might be interesting to learn that communications were policed by people who understood little about the technology they were patrolling. I don't think it takes a comedian to see the funny side of police confiscating my computer screen, but leaving the hard drive. Freedom of expression has been rigorously denied for a long time, but Burma is very definitely changing and, in this new world, new challenges are presenting themselves.
This week, Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Britain for the first time in 24 years. That she is now free to travel (as am I) is a hugely positive development. It reflects the changes taking place in Burma and there is much to be welcomed. Yet she and I are aware of an unwatched pot that is threatening to boil over at home – and may yet undermine the transition to democracy.
Last month sectarian violence erupted in Burma's Rakhine state on the Bangladesh border, where both Buddhist Rakhine (or Arakanese) and Muslim Rohingya minorities live. There is a history of inter-ethnic tension and violence dating back decades. The latest episode took place shortly after my arrival in London. I was sickened to read about the mob killing of 10 Rohingya men in retaliation for the alleged gang rape of a Rakhine teenage girl.
Now we are seeing a cycle of violence and reprisals, with homes and businesses burned to the ground and hundreds taking refuge in public buildings. A state of emergency has been declared in Rakhine state. There are reports of live ammunition being used to disperse crowds and curfews have been imposed.
The situation in the area is complex and dates back at least to our colonial history. There has been institutionalised discrimination against the Rohingya for decades. This is exacerbated by corruption among border enforcement officials, which has allowed illegal immigration and added to sectarian tensions.
The entire situation is a litmus test for reform in our country, including for improvements in freedom of expression. When I read some of the language being used on social media, both inside and outside the country, I am concerned that the Burmese people are using their new freedom to express views which incite racial hatred.
Distributing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights used to get you a jail sentence. Fortunately that is no longer the case. The declaration says all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. So the Burmese government needs to exercise its responsibility to protect the rights of all those in Burma, whatever their religion or ethnicity. We need legal action to be taken against those who have committed murder and violence and damaged property. The government must restore the rule of law and end corruption and immigration abuse, but not while trampling on human rights like before. And we Burmese must use freedom of expression to promote peace, not conflict.
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