After 24 years of sanctions against the Burmese government, the United States announced that the two nations would be exchanging ambassadors. The move comes after Burma made some reforms that look to improve the state of human rights.
Burma, officially called the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, has been under the control of a military junta since 1962. Political and ethnic wars have left millions of Burmese people without a home, seeking asylum in countries such as Thailand and the United States. Fort Wayne is one of the largest recipients of these refugees in the US. The most recent census numbers are not in, so an accurate count is difficult to determine.
In December, Hillary Clinton became the first American Secretary of State to visit Burma in over 50 years.
“We are prepared to go further if the reforms maintain momentum. But history teaches us to be cautious,” said Clinton.
President Barack Obama and other members of the government expressed the need for caution when engaging in diplomacy with Burma. They have also stated that significant steps have to be taken in order to continue that type of relationship.
“If Burma fails to move down the path of reform, it will continue to face sanctions and isolation. But if it seizes this moment, the reconciliation can prevail … And that possibility is too important to ignore,” said Obama during a November address in Indonesia.
“We are prepared to go further if the reforms maintain momentum. But history teaches us to be cautious,” said Clinton during her December visit.
Among the changes Burma has seen in the past months was President Thein Sein’s decision to release hundreds of political prisoners who were being held indefinitely. In October, labor unions were also legalized for the first time since 1962. And well-know Burmese politician and proponent of Burmese democracy Aung Sun Suu Kyi announced she would run for a seat in the parliament.
But like the US government, some among the Burmese population in Fort Wayne are cautious in their approach of these changes. For example, the political prisoners who were released could be arrested again if they began protesting once more.
“Burma is changing, but it is not 100 percent on the path to a fully democratic nation,” said Nyein Chan, Resettlement Services Director at Catholic Charities in Fort Wayne.
“We’re behind 20 years compared with developing countries,” said Minn Myint Nan Tin, executive director of the Burmese Advocacy Center. “The opposition sides see that this [the reforms] has slightly opened the door for changes … but right now we have seen the door is not opened up. It is a long way to go.”
“We would like see the equality in between states and ethnic groups and also freedom of speech and free media,” Tin added.
Communication is vital for reform, Tin believes. Without it, real reform cannot take place, especially in an ethnically diverse nation like Burma.
“I don’t see there’s entirely an open discussion,” she said. “The government is supposed to provide services to the people, they have to listen to the people.”
Still, Chan said the reforms that have been put into place are “better than nothing … we’ve been waiting about 20 years to see change.”
In the US, the changes Burma is making aren’t entirely visible for refugees, even if they might spark a hope for a future of democracy and freedom.
“I don’t see immediate effect on the Burmese population in the United States,” said Chan.
Though a small amount of people may eventually return to Burma, there is still a large amount of work to be done before stability, safety and liberty are ensured.
“To rebuild the nation, I believed it will take longer and need lots of support, especially education and of course economically and financially from everywhere,” said Tin.
In Fort Wayne, a growth of knowledge about the Burmese culture has led to increased understanding.
“Compared to the last three years, the community has improved on both sides,” said Chan.
What is important for the community to remember is that Fort Wayne is officially and legally the home of the Burmese who have come here, said Chan.
“Refugees are immigrants, too … But refugees have no place to live before their resettlement,” he said. “Immigrant people, they can go home … Refugees cannot go home unless there are changes in their home country.”
