Max Baucus: “Nelson Mandela once said, ``There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.'' The walk to freedom for the Burmese people has…”

“Nelson Mandela once said, ``There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.'' The walk to freedom for the Burmese people has certainly not been easy, and it is far from complete. The military-controlled government that rules Burma continues to maintain its tight grip over the Burmese people through fear, intimidation, and violence. According to the State Department, over the last year the Burmese regime has ``severely restricted and frequently violated freedoms of assembly, expression, association, movement, and religion.'' And in furthering its hold over Burmese society, the regime has committed crimes of murder, abduction, rape, torture, recruitment of child soldiers, and forced labor--all with impunity. In recent months however, we have seen some encouraging steps. Last November, the Burmese regime released Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, after a long and unjustified incarceration. And the regime has made some modest movement towards dialogue with the opposition. But it is far too soon to think that the walk to freedom has succeeded. Just 2 months after releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, the regime dissolved the National League for Democracy, which has sought to bring democracy to Burma for more than 20 years. And the regime keeps more than 2,000 political prisoners in detention. As Aung San Suu Kyi herself has said, ``If my people are not free, how can you say I'm free?…”