BURMA: Protests continue despite security build-up
Updated
Hundreds of monks and their supporters apparently ignored the security build up in Rangoon to continue their campaign today.
CANNING: Well if you listen to what the government is saying it's a sort of foreign-inspired plot and by some troublesome and subversive monks. Of course that's nonsense. What's driving these demonstrations are two factors. The first is deep seated economic hardship. The people of this country are suffering very, very seriously from deprivation. They can barely feed their families. That's one of the interesting differences, the economic pressures are now much worse. The second factor is of course frustration at the failure of the government's so-called road map or political process to deliver genuine national reconciliation, to really listen to what the Opposition has got to say and to listen to what the ethnic nationalities have got to say. And if you go back and you listen to what the National League for Democracy and San Suu Kyi herself in recent times have said, they've demonstrated very clearly a willingness to work with the military, a willingness to be flexible, and a willingness to join forces for the betterment of society as a whole. So what we're saying to the government here is they really need to understand what these demonstrations are about and do something quickly to fix it. And the way to do that of course is to get the United Nations involved and Ibrahim Gambari I think is already in the region waiting to come here if they will let him.
LAM: Do you think that the people might also be frustrated in that Burma is not that poor a country and that it does have natural resources, it does have huge energy reserves that it's tapping into, but that the military regime has chosen to squander the funds by, for instance, building a new capital 250 miles from Rangoon?
CANNING: Well, it's often said that when Burma got its independence from Britain, it was sort of a golden land, which of course anyone that knows Burma's history knows it's not entirely true. There were a lot of difficulties that were inherited, not least the destruction of the war and the various problems among the ethnic nationalities. But having said that, it is quite clearly the case that this country is blessed with significant energy and other resources. It is strategically placed in terms of trade with its partners. It has some important trading partners, India, China, Thailand and the rest of ASEAN. And as you say quite correctly, it should be a prosperous economy, but it is not. It's an economy that's on its knees, I'm afraid and what economic activity there is is driven by a handful of well connected businessmen should we say.
LAM: We've also seen footage of the demonstrations on television, unprecedented footage actually. Do you think that might help temper the military response, avoid any potential violence, more violence, given that the military might be aware that they are in the world's spotlight?
CANNING: We don't know for sure, but I think it's a reasonable supposition that the fact that the eyes of the world are on them in a way that was not technologically possible in 1988 must be a factor I hope in deterring them from further violence or graduating the violence at least. I think it's extraordinary how all these pictures are coming out, given the steps that have been taken to shutdown mobile phone networks and to restrict access to places where this material could be got out. But it is getting out. What we're doing from here, and why I'm speaking to you today is we believe that it is very important to get the story out in an accurate and we hope objective way so that people know what is going on here and hopefully that the government of this country is deterred from further violence.
LAM: And finally Ambassador Mark Canning, do you think the international community has again failed the people of Burma. Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader has been under house arrest for the best part of the past 18 years, and yet nothing has been done about it?
CANNING: Well, I can't really speak for the wider picture. All I can say is that we have worked hard to bring positive times to this country, as indeed has Australia and the fact that 10,000 demonstrators two days ago stopped outside this embassy turned and applauded the flag, suggest to me that they realise that whatever the wider factors, we certainly have been doing our best.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Ambassador Mark Canning, the British representative in Burma
