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Myanmar support group formed

Vice President Annette Lu takes a picture with a camera given to her by Japanese journalist Nagai Kenji, who was killed in the crackdown against protesters in Yangon, Myanmar, last month. PHOTO: CNA

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday established an action alliance in support of Myanmar's democratization, urging China to get involved in the process of ending Myanmar's human rights abuses rather than simply using the excuse that they should not interfere in the internal affairs of another country.

"We do not believe China's excuse that they should not interfere in another country's internal affairs," she said. "There are five communist countries in the world and four are in Asia. Beijing's support is why communism still persists in Asia and Myanmar is a good example."

Lu said that the formerly authoritarian Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime used the same tactic and told the international community that Taiwan's democratic movement was an internal affair and rejected international interference.

However, Taiwan's success story is a living example of what is possible with international "interference" in a country's democratic movement, she said.

Lu made the remark in response to a question from the press on Beijing's comment on Friday regarding Myanmar's ruling junta. China said it would support further international efforts to promote dialogue between the junta and the opposition, but insisted the matter was fundamentally an internal affair.

The comments were Beijing's first reaction to a statement on Thursday from the 15 members of the UN Security Council, which "strongly deplored" Myanmar's violent suppression of protests.

In a bid to help Myanmar, Lu yesterday launched the Support Myanmar's Democratization Action Alliance under the Democratic Pacific Union (DPU) framework, with the hope of sharing Taiwan's democratization experience with the southeastern Asian country and other countries under military rule.

Founded by Lu in August 2005, the DPU consists of 33 democratic countries in the Asia-Pacific region and aims to promote democracy, peace and prosperity worldwide.

Lu said they would offer a study program in Taiwan to offer Asian students a better understanding of Asia's democratic development. The program is scheduled to begin on international Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, she said.

Lu also lamented the loss of Japanese journalist, Nagai Kenji, who was killed in the crackdown against protesters in Yangon.

Lu said Kenji had given her a camera as a lucky charm 15 years ago when she was in Tokyo before departing for Beijing.

In light of the violent riots against the military junta, a group of Burmese students gathered in Taipei last night to pray for the safety of loved ones back home.

Additional reporting by Jenny W. Hsu
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