21.01.2007
Deceived expectations
By Raluca Enescu
If you had asked me, a few days ago before the UNSC casting its vote with concern to Burma’s case, for a prognosis of the outcome, I would have definitely anticipated that China and Russia would vote against the resolution, going even at the length of using their right to veto. What I would never have anticipated, though, is that South Africa (country of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, co-author of the report which drew UNSC’s attention to Burma!!!) would ever vote against the resolution. I believed that, having gone trough mostly the same struggles (it is almost a cliché already to compare the worldwide campaigners for freedom in Burma to the anti-apartheid activists from the 80’s, mostly because of the methods they used and of the social and public impact they tried o obtain.
I believed…just like everyone else who, seeing the sad era of the apartheid coming to an end, has put full trust into South Africa becoming a true and non-discriminative democracy; just like everyone who reads Beverly Naidoo’s stories and listens to U2’s and Little Steven’s”Sun City”; ultimately, just like everyone who believes in the values of tolerance, co-operation freedom and democracy, expecting everyone else to share a little common sense. That’s why I have been deeply shocked by the attitude of South African politicians and diplomats, voting against a UNSC intervention in Burma.
Back in the 80’s, throughout the world, a huge number of university students, rock singers, flower-power hippies and respectable politicians have been reunited by one big cause: bringing an end to apartheid in South Africa. Their global movement has been a success.
Now, basically the same idealist group is involved in campaigns for freedom in Burma. The same aim to start a global movement, the same values, very much also the same strategies of campaigning; yet how come that the present South African government, having been helped to arise through such similar means, does not seem to empathize in any way?
If you just take a look at articles concerning the movement for democracy in Burma, just check and see how many times Aung San Suu Kyi is compared to Nelson Mandela. After South Africa voting against UNSC acting on Burma’s case, I deeply felt this is one thing we will never be able to say wholeheartedly again.
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