US First Lady Again Calls for UN Condemnation of Burma

The situation in Burma is deteriorating and the UN Security Council should demand an end to the junta's crackdown on pro-democracy groups, Laura Bush, the US first lady, said on Wednesday.
"I would like a resolution, another chance for the Security Council to vote on a resolution on Burma and to give the countries who voted against it another opportunity to join us as we see a situation that we think is deteriorating," Bush told a small group of reporters at the White House.

Bush said she was speaking out because she was deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Burma. Newspapers noted that the Burma issue is one of her first forays into international politics.
Khin Ohmar, the chairperson for the Network for Democracy and Development (NDD) based in Thailand, said supportive comments from Laura Bush are good for Burma. If other women leaders across the world joined Bush’s stance, it would be even more effective, she said.

It was the third time in less than a week that Bush has publicly raised the issue of unrest in Burma. The ruling junta has detained scores of activists and used gangs to breakup protests that began August 19 over higher fuel and consumer goods prices.

Demanding that the crackdown should end, Bush told reporters: “I want them (the Burmese junta) to know that the rest of the world does condemn the actions of the Burmese government, the harassment and jailing of peaceful demonstrators.”

Bush was optimistic that China, which vetoed a US-sponsored Security Council resolution against Burma early this year, might change its position.

She said economic sanctions have not yielded the desired result, but they are important symbolic actions.

"As far as we can tell, they thumb their nose at the rest of the world, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world shouldn't continue to speak out about the issue,” she said.

Speaking about Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Bush said: “She represents to me really the hopes of everyone in Burma, of all the Burmese who long for a day of democracy there, a day without an oppressive regime." Suu Kyi remains under house arrest in Rangoon.