March 31, BBC News
Burma voices: Six months later
Six months after protests in Burma ended in a military crackdown, people
describe the atmosphere in the country and their fears for the future.
Life has been hard as ever. No change or hope has come yet to us.
People no longer talk about politics for fear of arrest, accusations,
safety and other frightening things.
But everybody desires to know something more and to talk freely about
these issues. Some day we hope to have our freedom or right to speak. Ha
ha. What a joke!
Everything has been over for nearly six months now. But some of us still
recall it.
Here, a referendum on a new constitution is drawing near. People are
talking about it and no-one really knows what it is going to look like.
But almost everybody accepts that the government will win it whether the
constitution is ratified or not by the people in May.
Even now almost everybody has little understanding of what the referendum
is and what has to happen.
I have been in the capital Nay Pyi Taw for a few months now. More
construction sites are still being built as more NGOs and private
companies have to move here somehow.
They say Nay Pyi Taw is the capital and its future lies with the new
democratic government body. There is no sign yet of how the military will
stand after the results are out.
ANONYMOUS BURMESE MAN, RANGOON
I tell people not to even think about voting 'No' or 'Yes' [in the
forthcoming referendum on a new constitution]. It means that you consider
and accept it.
Actually, the junta does not have the right to do anything for the
country. It is an illegal government.
Even if the work done is good, and the result or outcome is exceptional
progress as in China, it is unacceptable because it is a military
dictator****p and the junta is unconstitutional - having no law, rules and
regulations.
Now the country suffers complete loss and ruin.
Its people are totally destroyed both physically and mentally - the
majority are living in a mess, eating junk food, leading a hand-to-mouth
lifestyle.
There is no guarantee for healthcare. If a man does not have enough money,
in case one needs to go to hospital or a private clinic for serious cases,
he should prepare to die. The cost is sky high.
People now become mad and irrational as a result of poverty and a lack of
education.
Night is dark without electricity. Water is scarce. How is it like a
modern and developed country to which, they say, they are marching?
DAVID, RANGOON
In recent times, we have not been able to use the internet because the
government decreased the internet bandwidth during the visit of UN envoy
Mr Gambari.
Nothing has changed after six months in Burma. The military junta has
arrested our leaders and many activists. Now they've spread many soldiers
across Rangoon to break down any movements.
They will have a constitutional referendum in May. They don't care for the
UN and the international community.
What would the UN do to get the true result from referendum?
YI, RANGOON
The internet connection was at its worst during the September revolution.
There has been little improvement.
Sending information to foreign media can be indicted by the junta and we
will be jailed. But we the people of Burma take this risk by sending mails
to foreign media because we have to let the people of the world know our
situation in our country.
The junta is putting heavy guards around Rangoon and monitoring the mails
and the internet because they are going to hold a fake referendum in May.
They haven't [at the time of writing] published the constitution we are to
vote on. They dare not let the people of Burma study the constitution
thoroughly and freely.
Now the junta is showing its strength by patrolling around the town with
trucks fully loaded with policemen and soldiers carrying guns. It is a
warning to the people who go against the junta that they will be shot.
Now the junta is arresting and putting into jail without giving reasonable
explanation for the people who go against the junta.
|
