I sat in
Westminster Hall on Thursday, waiting to hear Aung San Suu Kyi speak to
both houses of Parliament, friends and many advocates who have supported the
fight for freedom and democracy in Burma.
An
extraordinary event in itself, in that she is the first woman from abroad, the
first person from an Asian nation and the first person who is not a head of
state to address both houses of Parliament.
But as I
sat and waited for her to arrive, my thoughts went back to the very darkest
days in Burma when she was first released from house arrest, re-arrested,
incarcerated, survived a brutal and violent attempt on her life, and was placed
under house arrest again. Many of my friends and even people I met and
worked with during those days – some I have still yet to meet up with – were
some of the bravest and most courageous people I have ever worked with in my 25
years as an activist. I remember those days and they are not ones I wish to
be attached as it is the future for Burma and all of its people on which we
must focus our time.
It was a
wonderful moment when she appeared at the top of the stairs of Westminster Hall
and was greeted with a resounding long ovation and applause. Around me were
many Burmese and ethnic nationalities, some who have had to live in exile, have
lost their homes and livelihoods, who have fought hard so far away from their
homes to get their country back. It felt unreal to me and, as Suu Kyi was
introduced and took to the podium, her voice resounding through the great hall,
a moment of disbelief took over.
And yet
here it was, a moment so many people had spent so long fighting for, believed
in no matter how long it took. A free Suu Kyi, speaking freely, travelling
freely and without a thought in anyone’s mind that she would not be allowed
back. As ever, she spoke with humour and conviction as she made a call for
support for the people of Burma from Britain as a “friend and an equal”.
But it was
her call to British business to be part of the reform process in Burma through
“democracy-friendly investment” that made me start thinking of how – through
our work in the Asia region and Europe with our many civil society partners,
networks and individuals – businesses engaged in natural resource extraction
in Burma need to take note. And not just British businesses; this falls on
Europe too. The deforestation, illegal logging and illegal trade in timber
have helped to sustain the military regime for over 60 years; millionaires have
embarked on their exclusive lifestyles and connections to corrupt
decision-makers by logging Burma’s forests. The military itself has also relied
on revenues from the forests. Through a corrupt, opaque and military-led
system, Burma’s forests and the people who rely on them have been living in
crisis – and this is still the case.
But here
is an opportunity. While
sanctions against the direct trade of timber have been lifted, nothing within
Burma and the timber trade has changed, from how materials are extracted to who
actually received the profits. The myth that the British practice of
extraction is still employed throughout the country is just that, a myth.
EIA has
for the past 10 years fought a campaign to force transparency within the
international timber trade, and this has been recognised with the new European
Timber Trade Regulation taking effect in March 2013. Here is the opportunity to
work with the different stakeholders who rely on the forests, an opportunity
for reform within the forestry sector. We need to ensure that investment is
directed towards those who work with and live from the forest, the many
foresters who really know how the forest works, know how to sustain and ensure
that this resource is around for a long, long time. We must invest in the
people whose entire livelihoods rely on the forest.
Burma’s
neighbours bear a major responsibility for the state of Burma’s forests today,
but they are also part of the solution. Businesses that rely on supply from those
countries know that their days of just ordering what they want, no matter the
consequences, are limited. They are being watched – and we will expose, name
and shame them, as we have done for the past decade.
My friends
in Burma have the best opportunity ever to campaign with other networks and
activists from the region who have also faced military regimes. Visiting the
country this month, I met with and discussed activities we hope will make those
who have lived with crushing oppression, and faced it with such energy and
determination, a part of the decision-making process for Burma. They must have
a seat at the table.
Of all its
abundant but threatened natural resources, it is the Burmese people that
business needs to invest in. Civil society in Indonesia is now formally part of
third party independent monitoring of the forests – if they can do it, so can
Burma.
Faith
Doherty
Head of Forests Campaign
