Waiting for me in my inbox on Monday morning were two press releases. One from the US State Department. ?The other from two prominent dissident groups in Burma: the 88 Generation Students and the?All Burma Federation of Student Unions. The juxtaposition of these two emails side-by-side struck me.On occasion of the US government assuming a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, Esther Brimmer (US?Assistant Secretary,?Bureau of International Organization Affairs) stated that the United States
will not look the other way in the face of serious human rights abuses. The truth must be told, the facts brought to light and the consequences faced. While we will aim for common ground, we will call things as we see them and we will stand our ground when the truth is at stake.
Half a world away in Burma, the two Burmese organizations?reminded the world that two years ago this month, the Saffron Revolution took place representing
the worst brutality committed by the Burmese military regime.
Over the past two years nothing has improved in Burma. Rape as a weapon of war, slavery, forced labor, summary executions, looting and pillaging all continue unabated.Perhaps the Obama Administration will indeed embark on a new quest for truth and accountability. It would do well to start with Burma.