Debate over justice for 1988

Debate over justice for 1988

By Bill O'Toole   |   Sunday, 11 August 2013

As activists and members of the public came together last week to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1988 uprising, a number of human rights groups and individuals also raised the prospect of justice for the estimated 3000 people killed.

On August 6, Human Rights Watch issued a statement calling on President U Thein Sein to begin a formal investigation into the crackdown, which it described as "an unaddressed open wound that challenges the government's rhetoric of reform".

"The government should shed itself of 50 years of denial about military abuses by showing that it stands with the Burmese people and not with the killers of the past," said Brad Adams, the group's Asia director.

However, many politicians have distanced themselves from calls for a justice mechanism seemingly over concerns it could damage relations with serving and former members of the military.

At a BBC panel during the World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Taw, moderator Nik Gowing repeatedly brought up the example of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation commission, asking parliamentarian and democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi if she favoured such a model.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader avoided responding either way.

The idea, however, seems to have gained momentum among MPs, who on July 31 even watched a movie about the South African commission in parliament.

In an interview with The Myanmar Times last week, NLD representative U Zaw Myint Maung voiced his support for such a commission, saying it could contribute to "peaceful change".

Some activists have also looked to Cambodia, where several members of the inner circle of dictator Pol Pot's regime have been put on trial in recent years.

On 27 July, the Cambodian branch of the advocacy group Documentation Center-Cambodia partnered with the Myanmar branch of Network for Human Rights Documentation for a workshop entitled "Human Rights Documentation as a Tool for Dealing with the Past and Moving on to the Future".

The meeting, held at Yangon's Royal Rose restaurant, "aimed to introduce the basic concept of a Truth Commission ... [and] how Burma could implement a Truth Commission like Cambodia's during this period of political transition".

However, David Mathieson, a Yangon-based spokesperson for Human Rights Watch, said Myanmar should not simply copy another country's example of transitional justice.

"The context [in Myanmar] is quite unique," he said. "You can't simply adopt the model from a different country."

Mr Mathieson said the South African commission's structure, where criminals of the Apartheid era were granted a reprieve if they admitted their crimes, could actually damage people's faith in the peace process. "There has to be clear justice and accountability," he said.

He said the process should start with a dialogue between "communities, the government and the military" to shed a clearer light on the events of 1988.

He pointed out that in addition to the well-known cases of police and army personnel firing on protesters, there were many lesser known instances of civilians attacking the homes and families of police and others they suspected of being informants. "The events were much more complicated than people think," he said.

Mr Mathieson said the commemoration events in Yangon last week made him hopeful that the process could begin now. "The three days of celebrations were very peaceful.There was no anti-government rhetoric. It was quite optimistic and uplifting ... It indicates that it's possible to openly discuss these issues."

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/08/13/debate-over-justice-for-1988/