Paul Copeland [Advisory Council, Canadian Friends of Burma]: “Although I practice law in the city of Toronto, for the last 22 years I have been involved with the democracy movement in Burma (also known as Myanmar). I have visited three times and plan to go back soon.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is an amazing woman and the most important figure in the democracy movement in Burma.

Since her release she has attempted to reinstate her political party. The court applications that have been brought on behalf of the National League for Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi have political value outside of Burma, but the reality in Burma is that the courts are totally corrupt and work hand in glove with the military dictatorship.

I point to this example: When Aung San Suu Kyi was tried for allowing the American John Yettaw to stay over at her house, the two judges in the case imposed a sentence of three years in jail. General Than Shwe, at the same time as the court sentence was imposed, announced that his government had commuted the sentence to 18 months of house arrest. Clearly Than Shwe knew what the decision was before the court released it. That is hardly the sign of judicial independence.

The release of The Lady (as Daw Suu is known) is a very important step, but it is a very small step in the long journey to democracy in Burma. There are 2200 political prisoners in Burma, many serving extremely long sentences in abysmal conditions.

Getting China, the largest and strongest supporter of the State Peace and Development Council, to change its position on Burma is unlikely. One area worthy of international pressure is the terrible position that the democratic government of India has taken in its dealings with the military dictatorship in Burma. Also, the generals in Burma have for years played the West, occasionally doing things that look like progress. The Roadmap to Democracy certainly fits into that pattern. The release of The Lady is in my view another cynical, manipulative move by the generals.

The West and the U.N. should not be fooled. It is not time to relax the pressure; it is time to ramp it up. A new U.N Special Envoy on Burma should be appointed. The Special Envoy should not waste time meeting the generals or the so-called democratic government of Myanmar. The Special Envoy should concentrate on the ASEAN countries and special attention should be paid to India.”