As someone who routinely follows the news in and about Burma, I was encouraged to read two articles in today’s The Independent. In this article, Forgotten and locked in the shadow of the past, Peter Popham recounts the student uprising of August 1988, SLORC’s (now renamed) refusal to give up power, and the ongoing popularity on Aung San Suu Kyi, who was placed under house arrest.

That was 17 years ago, and Burma has been living in the deep shadow of those events ever since. The ruling junta have consolidated their power: by keeping Suu Kyi locked away (she has been given her freedom several times since, but every time she proves to be as popular as ever, she is isolated again); by handing out ferocious jail sentences to her supporters and anyone else who defies the regime; and by conducting unending, brutal wars against the ethnic minorities on the country’s borders. Burma’s wealth of resources have encouraged companies such as Total, the French oil giant, to do deals with the regime.

Suu Kyi remains locked in her home, more isolated than ever. And the spasmodic, mostly symobolic pressure from the West has yet to precipitate anything in the way of democratic reform.

In the second article, Conservative MP John Bercow, reflects on a recent visit to Burma with a number of other MP’s from different parties. His article is entitled Burma: A plight we can ignore no longer ignore. The piece is well worth reading, especially for those unfamiliar with the situation. He asks, ‘The people of Burma endure human rights abuses on an unimaginable scale. Rape, torture and forced labour are facts of their lives. So why does the world refuse to act?’