Democratic Burmese Youths

(Bangkok Post) Burma's regime getting worse.

Even for a regime that hardly ever treats its people with respect, the action against Burmese demonstrators last week was beyond the pale. It speaks volumes that the generals who mismanage Burma could not tolerate a tiny, peaceful protest against unacceptable economic hardships. But it was totally unacceptable that the dictators could not even treat the demonstrations with a show of legality. By turning loose gangs of its own Burmese thugs against the Rangoon protest, the once again demonstrated that promises to bring democracy to the country are as empty as ever.

Credit where credit is due, however, and for once its Southeast Asian neighbours are not sitting on their hands. Two days after the junta recommenced beating, jailing and intimidating the Burmese opposition, the main parliamentary group in the region took a small step forward. The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, known as Aipa, an official arm of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), said it may award the main Burmese opposition party a place at its table. The Aipa reasoning: Since the National League for Democracy won the futile 1990 Burmese elections, it is the official parliamentary group in Burma.

This is a small step, but credit the Asean arm with doing something. Compare that with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. After two days of government attacks on peaceful protesters, Mr Ban called on the Rangoon government to exercise restraint. He even called for ''constructive dialogue towards national reconciliation' '. The futility of such a timid call from the new UN chief was so evident that neither the Burmese regime nor the beleaguered and unbowed opposition bothered replying to it.

Democracy remains the goal of the small Burmese opposition groups. They clearly have the support of much of Burma, although as always it is difficult to know just how much. When the opposition met last week to stage peaceful street marches against huge and unaffordable price increases on basic commodities, Rangoon residents along their route shouted or showed encouragement. The savage attacks by thuggish gangs in the pay of the generals was totally uncalled for, as were the arrests of protesters who either resisted the attacks of goons or tried to continue their peaceful demonstration. The Rangoon regime, which did not even have the fortitude to use its law enforcement agencies, also allowed no mention of the protests in the mouthpiece media it controls.

It should be no surprise that the protests began after the generals announced they were doubling the cost of diesel and increasing the price of compressed gas used for cooking and driving cars by 500%. Buses could not run and people could not get to work. As always, the incompetent and arrogant junta members saw no reason to justify the new, heavy burdens on the heavily troubled working men and women. They also gave no warning of the huge and _ for many _ unbearable price increases.

This totally anti-democratic attitude is as ingrained in the Burmese military regime as its incompetence at ruling the country. In a vote, the military would be thrown out in a flash. Indeed, it was tossed out in free and fair elections 17 years ago. Brutality and intimidation keep the generals in power. Virtually everything they have touched has turned to ashes, tragedy or both. Last week, as they drove the economy even further down than ever, it became clear they are mismanaging even a fairly simple programme designed to provide substitute legal crops for farmers now forbidden from growing opium. Instead of consulting the farmers and following the advice of anti-drug experts in Thailand and the United Nations, the generals have actually lowered farmers' income. Chinese merchants are buying up huge farm areas from the impoverished Burmese in the region.

The Burmese regime has truly lost credibility. There is strong evidence the junta also has lost both local and international legitimacy despite the kid-gloves treatment it still gets from the UN chief, from individual neighbours including Thailand, and from Asean. No one believes the generals will slowly switch the country to a democratic system, as they claim. We can only wish the Burmese good luck and offer moral support as they try to peacefully change a corrupt and brutal regime.