BURMA. DREAMING IN METAPHORS.

Since 1962, Burma has been ruled by a succession of highly authoritarian military regimes dominated by the majority Burman ethnic group. The current controlling military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), led by Senior General Than Shwe, is the country's de facto government, with subordinate Peace and Development Councils ruling by decree at the division, state, city, township, ward, and village levels. On 30 August 2003 the government announced a 7-step road map to build a ‘modern, democratic, prosperous state’. The National Convention, the first step of the road map, was reconvened in 2004, after a recess of 8 years, to draw up the basic principles for a new constitution for Burma. The National League for Democracy (NLD) decided not to participate because the SPDC refused to meet their conditions. The roadmap has come under criticism for being un-inclusive and lacking credibility.

Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned again in May 2003.

The government's human rights record worsened during 2006 and the government continued to commit numerous serious abuses including extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, disappearances, rape, torture, abuse of prisoners and detainees, arbitrary arrest without appeal, politically motivated arrests and detentions, restriction of freedom of speech, press, assembly, association and movement, restriction of freedom of religion and forced labour (including against children). The military government totally controlled the country's armed forces, excluding a few active insurgent groups.

The situation in Burma dramatically worsened at the end of 2007 when huge protests took place in the cities of Rangoon and Mandalay after the government raised fuel prices by nearly 500% in mid-August. The protests evolved into anti-government, pro-democracy demonstrations with terrifying consequences. Led by Buddhist monks, it is estimated that at least 10,000 people took to the streets demanding democracy for Burma in what is know as “Saffron Revolution”. The Burmese government arrested and detained more than 150 peaceful civilian protestors and nearly 3,000 monks and accused them of involvement in terrorism.

On November 7th 2010 the first elections in two decades were held in Burma but sadly they were a long way from being free and fair. The ruling Junta ensured that their proxy party, the USDP would be declared the winner by making it extremely expensive and difficult for opposition parties to field candidates. In addition more than 2,200 political prisoners, many of whom should have played a significant role in the opposition movement, were kept behind bars, which further underlined the invalidity of the poll.

A few days after the election was over the junta decided to finally release Aung San Suu Kyi from her years of house arrest. Her release was met with huge celebrations in Burma and around the world and it brought a renewed sense of optimism to the democratic movement. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed.

This reportage is an overview of the climate of repression and tension seemingly invisible and imperceptible that Burmese people live permanently silenced and oppressed by the military junta inside the country.