Burma: background

An overview of Burma's military junta since the rejection of the democratically elected government.

Politics

Senior General Than Shwe and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) have governed Myanmar - or Burma to those who do not recognise the military junta - since 1992.

The Burmese Armed Forces seized power in August 1988, following mass student demonstrations where thousands were killed.

They abolished the constitution, got rid of the Burmese Socialist Program Party, and established the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC - which would become the SPDC in 1997).

The SLORC ruled by martial law until 1990, when they lost the election in a landslide victory to opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize for her "non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights" in 1991, but has been forbidden from governing, placed under house arrest by the military for most of the last 16 years.

In September 2006, 10 of the UN Security Council's 15 members voted to place Burma on the formal agenda.

On 11 December 2006, the Conservative Human Rights Commission reported Burma as having the worst human rights record in the world. William Hague called for a more "proactive" approach from democratic governments.

Human rights abuses


NGO Freedom House has said of Burma: "The junta rules by decree, controls the judiciary, suppresses nearly all basic rights, and commits human rights abuses with impunity."

Burma has the world's largest population of child soldiers and torture, execution and forced labour are commonly employed to instil control and intimidation.

The army is thought to use villagers as "porters" to test an area for landmines. The Shan Women's Action Network records frequent incidents of rape and sexual violence.

Over 1,100 political prisoners taken last year, according to Amnesty International, and neighbouring Thailand absorbed some 100,000 Burmese refugees. Over a million citizens are believed to be internally displaced.

In November 2006, the Red Cross was ordered to close five field offices in the country, limiting its humanitarian work. It said the government would not allow prison visits, which have been suspended since December 2005, to be resumed.

Key players

Senior General Than Shwe: Head of State. He took over from Saw Maung in 1992 and holds all the key powers.

Aung San Suu Kyi: She remains a symbol of resistance to the locals against the despotic governing regime. During her early years of imprisonment she was often in solitary confinement, forbidden from seeing her husband or her two sons.

Kin Nyunt: Former Burmese prime minister ousted in 2004 and replaced by Soe Win, a more conservative junta member. Nyunt's position as chief of military intelligence brought him into conflict with Shwe who ultimately controls the army. It is widely believed his "permission to retire" was the result of a power struggle.

Karen National Union: Led by Colonel Ner Dah Mya, this is the primary ethnic movement fighting the government. They are involved in on/off discussions to end hostilities in the world's longest ongoing civil war.