Junta frees Win Htein and pursues arms race
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Yesterday, the Burmese military junta freed U Win Htein, 66, who worked for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The man spent 14 years in a prison in the north of the country and will now be entrusted to the care of relatives. The democracy activist has served every year of his conviction.
The leaders of the dictatorship are less interested in elections, in which their victory seems obvious, focusing instead on armaments and economic and trade relations with Asian powers.
At this particular crossroads in the life of Myanmar, AsiaNews has solicited the opinion of Tint Swe, a member of the Council of Ministers of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), consisting of refugees from Myanmar after the 1990 elections won by the National League for democracy and never acknowledged by the junta. Having fled to India in 1990 he has lived in New Delhi since 21 December 1991.
The highly publicized and exceedingly expected election has reached a dead end and there are no other elements of relief. Those who are so eager to find sign of positive move by the junta may think of the release of Bogyi (Captain) Win Htein from prison on Thursday. In fact, he spent all his years of imprisonment to which he was convicted. He remained in custody, although he had every right to be released, when in September 2008 9002 prisoners were released following a general amnesty. Maybe because U Win Htein was a close aide to Aung San Suu Kyi, all eyes were wide open.
The news coincides with more pressures from outside world. The US House of Representative has renewed the "Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003". As economic sanctions continued and Chinese investment tailed off, foreign investment in Burma dropped more than two thirds in the last fiscal year. Although rice exports reached a value of just over 27 thousand tons in the first half of 2010, recording a given far lower than previous years.
Meanwhile, the son of Tay Za, one of the key businessmen of the Burmese junta and fundraiser, has lost a legal battle against European Union sanctions. David Miliband, the next leader of the Labour Party, received in person Pwint Thon Hin Wai, the daughter of a Burmese political prisoner and has promised full support for democracy in Myanmar.
However, the Burmese military regime is not focusing on the elections but the construction of a battery of strategic missiles with the assistance of North Korea.
At the same time the "Pyi Khaing-Phyoe”, the wealthy and notorious so-called "social organization" sponsored by General Than Shwe, is being officially transformed into a political party. The enormous quantity of possessions that form the association will now belong to the party, which will contest the next election. The Prime Minister in charge is the chairman of the party. In this way, those who want a safe bet, will follow the Union Solidarity Party. But it can be like pre-World Cup expectation of Brazil.
The people of Burma show no interest in the election. They know that everything will return to the old order, a style already seen. People are occupied by problems that have been dragging on over time, such as child soldiers, girls sold into prostitution, intimidation and abuse.
Burma’s chief general will visit, India 25 to 29 July for a pilgrimage, not long after the surprising visit - scheduled for July 23 – of Myanmar's foreign minister to North Korean. This shows the military regime is perfectly at its ease in front of the largest democracy in the world and the worst tyrant.
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