Japan gets tough on Myanmar junta

The Irish pop group U2 is known for its politically correct standing whenever the focus of attention is on the issue of human rights or sufferings of the people of the Third World. While most of the pop stars are celebrities keeping a safe distance from the realities of our relentless struggle to ensure some form of a decent living, Bono, the lead singer and the main figure behind U2's unique elevation as a pop group with commitment, has always been in the forefront of struggle of the oppressed and the neglected. His strong support fort debt relief measures to ease the burden of loans that is multiplying the sufferings of world's most indebted nations had an impact on those who decide if any such measure is needed at all. No wonder, a few years back when the dissident politician of Myanmar and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, was under house arrest, he composed a song dedicated to her that has these beautiful lines:

What you've got they can't steal it
No they can't even feel it
Walk on, Walk on...
Stay safe tonight

Back then the world was yet to go upside down and the leading donor nation of the day, Japan, was still pursuing a policy of appeasement towards the governments of the developing countries, the main clients of its generous aid. As a result, the appealing voice of Bono failed to penetrate the thick walls of Kasumigaseki, where the policy makers in Japan usually keep themselves busy in deciding the course the country is to follow. But a lot has been changed since then, particularly after the September 2001 incident in the United States. The superficial claim of democratising the world by invading a few undemocratic pockets and leaving most others totally intact has somehow put a moral pressure on those supporting the initiative. And as a result, at least in some policy arena they too are now virtually compelled to make a shift from their earlier position. Japan's changing attitude towards the military junta of Myanmar can fall well in the line.

Japan last week announced its decision to freeze development aid to Myanmar in response to military junta's move to curtail the freedom of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She was arrested on May 30 after supporters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), clashed with the supporters of the regime at a rally in the north of the country. During a visit to Tokyo in late June by the United Nations special envoy to Myanmar, Razali Ismail, Japanese officials announced the freezing of all further aid to Myanmar unless Suu Kyi is released.

Tokyo's assertiveness, first time in many years, comes on top of the ASEAN foreign ministers' joint statement in mid-June calling for her release and a resumption of dialogue with her NLD. ASEAN until then had kept a distance form taking any clear stand on affairs of its member states. But commenting on this shift in ASEAN policy, Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia's Foreign Minister, later said separately that the junta's prolonged detention of Ms Suu Kyi was harming the reputation of the block that admitted Myanmar in its rank in 1997. The ASEAN move also might have prompted Tokyo to come to a conclusion that it is time now to come out of the policy of so called constructive engagement and take a firm standing before it turns out to be too late.

Japan earlier had suspended the flow of aid to Myanmar in 1990, when the military refused to honour the results of the general elections won out rightly by the democratic opposition. But Tokyo's resolve didn't last long. Japanese business interest as well as junta's firm grip on power compelled policy makers in Japan to rethink the strategy of total ban on aid to Myanmar. For Japan, as a result, the release of Suu Kyi from house arrest in 1995 came as a relief and Tokyo seized the excuse to resume aid.

But the decision to resume aid to Myanmar still under military rule was strongly criticised by country's pro-democracy activists and Ms. Suu Kyi herself. Accusing Japan for being impatient, she claimed that nothing in the country had changed except her release and the regime had yet to prove it was sincere in its commitment to democratise the political process.

She seemed to be prophetic at that time as a few years later the democratically elected leader of Myanmar once again found herself under house arrest. It was during this second term of her detention that Bono composed the wonderful song encouraging her to hold on to the wonderful idea of freedom despite losing her own one. She was released in 2002 after nearly 20 months of house arrest and once again Japan jumped in to reward the government with a $4.9 million loan for the renovation of a hydroelectric plant. As Tokyo's stance of patronising the military junta came under strong criticism both at home and abroad, Japanese government officials had claimed that their aid money would encourage democracy in Myanmar. But as Ms. Suu Kyi has now been detained again, it seems last year's 'encouragement' aid amounting to $17 million failed to have any impact in giving lessons of democracy to a military junta.

But some critics believe that Japan's strong stand this time might change the outlook significantly. Despite country's failure to improve human rights situation and implement democratic reform, Myanmar had always been among the most consistent recipients of Japanese foreign aid. As the latest Japanese move is a well-coordinated one with that of leading ASEAN member states, it must have been carefully noted in Yangon. Moreover, the country's closest ally, China, is also increasingly showing signs of impatience about the chronic instability across the border. Losing an important source of funding in such a difficult time would no doubt put the junta doubly in trouble.

The only option that remains open to the military rulers, therefore, is to release the pro-democracy leader without much delay. But the new question that would legitimately arise at that point is, should Japan and ASEAN stop putting further pressure on the junta, or should they move a step forward to ensure that Suu Kyi is not only released but also guaranteed a leading role in moving the country towards democracy? Unless Japan opts for the second choice, the tough standing of the time might eventually result in giving the way to another cycle of arrest and release, and thus, most likely prompting Bono again to come out with yet more blunt of a political statement in his songs.