by Nirmala Carvalho

A minister in the Burmese government-in-exile speaks to AsiaNews about the dramatic situation of the population, forced into exile. Religions are persecuted to avoid any alternative sources of power to the ruling junta.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Dr Tint Swe, a minister in the Burmese government-in-exile, spoke in an exclusive interview with AsiaNews about the situation in his country and the recent crackdown by the ruling military junta against ethnic minorities. In Yangon a court announced that the appeal by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s against her conviction will be heard on 18 September. She was recently sentenced to 18 months under house arrest, this in addition to 14 of the last 20 years already spent under the same circumstances, a situation criticised by the international community as an attempt to keep her out of next year’s elections.

“Since the coup in 1988 the Burmese regime has pushed a large number of people out of the country. First the revolutionary council led by General Ne Win forced thousands of supporters of Prime Minister U Nu to flee to Thailand,” Tint said. “Then tens of thousands of students, political leaders, parliamentarians, and monks have had to leave their beloved homeland for neighbouring India, Thailand or Bangladesh. China has not officially admitted any Burmese refugees. At home tens of thousands of people are in hiding to escape the authorities. One day they too will have to go somewhere.”

“Not counting refugees, in Thailand there are three million Burmese migrant workers, who receive a work permit each year. In India, refugees number in the tens of thousands. In Bangladesh many refugees are ethnic Araken and their presence has increased the danger of ethnic clashes.”

Dr Tint was born in the village of Min-Ywa, not far from the city of Pearl. He arrived in the Indian State of Mizoran in 1990 and has lived in New Delhi since 1991.

“China has been spared the refugee problem so far,” he said. “But among the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the Kokang areas across the Chinese border, many are ethnic Chinese.”

“In Myanmar 90 per cent of the population is Theravada Buddhist. Christians are 4 per cent, Muslims too; Hindu are 1 per cent and Mahayana Buddhists and animists are 1 per cent.”

“Christians are being persecuted; their churches, destroyed, especially in remote areas. Anti-Muslim protests have also taken place, and many believe them to be the work of the secret services. But Buddhist monks are especially targeted for persecution and murder. Monasteries have been searched and pillaged. The regime discriminates against religions, every religion, to stay in power.”

• myanmar
• tint
• swe
• exile
• refugees
• migrants
• workers
• military
• junta
• regime
• discrimination
• emigration