US dismisses 'cosmetic' moves by Burma
The White House has poured scorn on the Burma junta’s move to ease restrictions after its violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
“The actions of the regime are cosmetic. What we need are signs of serious intent to move towards a democratic transition,” presidential press secretary Dana Perino said.
Burma’s ruling junta said yesterday it was lifting a curfew and ending a ban on assembly, a day after President George Bush announced new penalties against the military-run government,
“The lifting of the curfew is not a good sign, but a bad sign that the regime now feels confident that it has cleared the monasteries of dissidents by either jailing them or sending them to their home villages, and arrested all the major players in the demonstrations and sent into hiding or exile those they have not captured,” Perino said.
Burma’s rulers also issued an unusual plea in state media for detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to compromise and hold talks with the government.
Bush says Burma needs to provide the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations access to political prisoners, allow Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained leaders to communicate with one another and permit United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to enter the country immediately.
“If the regime is serious about talking to Aung San Suu Kyi why have they not sent the special envoy to meet with her?” Perino said.
“Why have they not invited Gambari to come back? Why have they not invited the ICRC to visit?”
Expanding on punishments announced last month, Bush ordered the US Treasury Department to freeze the American assets of additional members of the Burma leadership. He also acted to tighten controls on US exports to Burma. In addition, he urged China and India to do more to pressure the government of the south-east Asian nation.
Last month, tens of thousands of people turned out for rallies, which started as protests against fuel price increases and then grew into the largest show of dissent in decades.
The junta claims 10 people were killed when troops opened fire on demonstrators to disperse them, but diplomats and dissidents say the death toll is much higher.
