Kachin students and women stand alone in opposing constitution

By Shyamal Sarkar
Kachin News

In Kachin State, Myitkyina University students are in the forefront in opposing the Burmese military junta's referendum to approve the constitution. The students movement, which has been on for a long time on various issues like demanding a halt to dams among other things, gained momentum over the referendum issue from the end of March this year.

The activists have launched a vigorous poster campaign to make people aware of the terrible effects of approving the draft constitution, which seeks to legitimize and perpetuate military rule in Burma where the Tatmadaw will continue to rule the roost in a different garb.

Starting end of March Myitkyina University students have been pasting hundreds of posters exhorting people to vote "No" in Burma's referendum to approve the constitution on May 10, in major townships of Kachin State in Northern Burma.

A-4 sized anti-constitution referendum posters have come into play against the powerful junta. Students operating under the cover of darkness pasted the first of a series of posters in crowded areas in Myitkyina and Waingmaw Townships. People came across the posters in the morning.

In the first phase in March more than 500 posters were pasted in different areas of Myitkyina. Another 100 odd posters were put up in six major quarters in Waingmaw. Markets, office complexes and areas adjacent to police stations were the prime targets. Posters were pasted in areas where people could not miss it. Behind the poster movement is the All Kachin Students Union (AKSU) operating inside Burma. The organization was formed just before the September Saffron Revolution in 2007.

The junta authorities responded to the poster movement by posting soldiers and policemen inside and outside the Myitkyina University campus.

It's a see saw battle that has been on between largely the student community and the junta authorities. Even before the posters began to appear early in March, Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, Minister of Communication, Post and Telegraph visited Myitkyina and mobilised several Kachin Christian churches in his referendum campaign.

After a gap of 10 days or so, several posters encouraging people to "Vote No" in the referendum once again surfaced on April 5 in Myitkyina the capital of Kachin State.

Again A-4 size posters were in use. This time 'The attitude of Kachins' was written on the posters in bold letters. Along with the referendum clause the five-point charter of demands on the posters said (1) No more military government; (2) Vote 'No' in the constitutional referendum; (3) No Myitsone and Chibwe dams; (4) Immediately release all political prisoners and (5) Begin 'Tripartite dialogue'.

The posters appeared at the Kachin State Peace and Development Council office, Township Immigration Office, Township Court Office, City Hall, Township Telecommunication Office, Township Government Hospital, Kachin Baptist Convention office, in some Christian churches downtown, Basic State High Schools No.(1), (2) and (3) and Basic Middle Schools No.(4) and (6).

The posters were a mixed bag with some reading 'Just Say No'. They were seen in the markets, traffic police offices, railway station and some Buddhist monasteries in the township.

Ironically, after a 10-day gap 'Vote No' posters and handouts started reappearing in the three major townships in Kachin State. This time again about 500 of A-4 size posters and handouts were pasted and distributed in Myitkyina Township, Waingmaw Township and Bhamo Township. In Myitkyina entrance walls of the government hospital, the Kachin Traditional Manau Park in Shatapru Quarter and road side walls and high schools in Du Mare, Tatkone and Manhkring Quarters were splattered with posters.

With the campaign snowballing, five days later, the student activists were back again sticking vote 'No' posters in more towns in Northern Burma. Exhorting people to reject the draft constitution the posters and handouts this time around were pasted and distributed in Myitkyina Township, Bhamo Township, N'mawk town, Waingmaw Township, Shwego town, Mogaung Township and Phakant Township.

The Kachin Women's Association Thailand (KWAT) have thrown in their lot with the students and have urged people to cast the "No" vote in the ensuing referendum. The women have explained why the constitution should be rejected. It has pointed out the constitution had been drafted with handpicked people of the junta and did not reflect the people's desire. Neither did it represent the opinions and attitudes of the 1990 election winning parties and ethnic leaders.

In a campaign letter the KWAT said the constitution is merely designed to legitimise and perpetuate military rule in Burma. From the point of view of Burmese women, they will continue to suffer from injustices, discrimination and violence including sexual violence if the constitution is approved.

The KWAT also pointed out that Kachin people have suffered for over 45 years under a ruthless military dictatorship. The suffering will only be prolonged if the junta has the constitution in place by hoodwinking the people of the country. The women's organisation has urged people to go the polling booths and resoundingly cast a "No" vote for the sake of democracy sometime in the future.

The junta on the other hand is continuing with its vigorous campaign to garner "Yes" votes. It is using a ploy to mislead people and trying to tell people that if they wished for democracy they should go to the polling booths and cast their votes in favour of the constitution. "If you and I do not vote, democracy will move further and further away from us," is their campaign line. If people do not support the referendum, democracy will be a distant dream, pro junta groups have been going around saying. To ensure victory the junta has not been above taking recourse to unfair means. It has included thousands of underage people in Northern Burma in the voters' list it has prepared.

Surprising as it may seem, the AKSU and the KWAT are getting no support from the ceasefire Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) which still continues to toe the junta's line. As for the people, they are unable to come out in the open in support of the students and the women's organization, scared as they are of incurring the wrath of the military junta. No dissidence is overt in Burma, repressed as the population is. So opposition to the junta on any issue has to be covert in nature such as that of the AKSU and the KWAT.

(The author is a veteran journalist from India and has been in major newspapers as a Reporter, Deputy Chief of Bureau, News Coordinator, Op-ed and Edit writer.)