By Bruce Lim
BANGKOK, Mar 30 (Asia Media Forum) - Six months may have passed since the the Burmese regime’s crackdown on the monk-led protests in Burma last year, but the photos taken by citizen journalists continue to tell the story of this South-east Asian country under military rule.

The photos they took to inform the world about the protests, thereby going around the usual restrictions on tightly controlled media in Burma, included those of the last moments of 50-year-old Japanese photographer Kenji Nagai, who was shot on Sep. 27 when authorities opened fire on protesters on the streets of Rangoon, Burma’s capital. He later died from gunshot wounds in the chest.

These photographs are on exhibit at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand until the end of March.

For Yuki Akimoto, who directs the Burma Information Network (BIN), news of the fellow journalist’s death came as a shock. Akimoto said, ‘‘I'm also appalled at how the Burmese military regime has not shown sincerity in investigating the murder, returning Nagai-san's equipment including his video camera, and has generally tried to play down the incident by calling it an accident.’’

The exhibition consists of two parts – ‘Burma 2007 - Uprising, Crackdown, and Now’, which has been co-organised by the BIN and Human Rights Watch, and ‘Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now!’ sponsored by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB).

The aim of the exhibit is simple – to inform and honour. Akimoto says that it hopes to examine and pay tribute to ‘‘the Burmese people's bravery and willingness to confront Burma's military regime armed only with their commitment to non-violence and fierce desire for freedom and democracy’’.

AAPP director Bo Kyi said, ‘‘I want the people to know about what’s happening in prisons in Burma, that tortures are being carried out in these prisons. I feel that the Thai people, who are largely of Buddhist faith, should know that Buddhist monks are being tortured as well.’’

With a referendum on the ruling junta’s draft constitution set at an unconfirmed date in May, along with the fact that details of it have yet to be disclosed to the public, the situation in Burma continues to fester.

Akimoto said, ‘‘We are already seeing an increase in the arrests and harassment of activists whom the military regime perceives as disruptive factors for the referendum, and this will continue, if not worsen, at least through the referendum. The regime will do anything to make sure their constitution is ‘approved’, and for them, that is not going to happen by releasing activists or giving the opposition more freedom.’

Bo Kyi said that he does not expect much from the referendum, believing that it will most likely be one-sided. He cited 1974 as the year when “a one-sided constitution contributed more trouble to Burma, leading to its economic decline from being one of the richest countries in the region”.

In order to end political unrest in Burma, Akimoto said that ‘‘the military regime must begin to include the pro-democracy opposition in the process of genuine political reform’’.

“The Burmese people will have to continue their demonstrations, and therefore we need people from the other countries to continue putting pressure on the Burmese junta regime,” Byo Ki said. He added that political prisoners must be released.

According to the AAPP, there are currently 1,860 political prisoners in Burma as of March 28, 2008, but the government denies this. Bo Kyi expressed his respect for the people who are involved in the struggle. ‘‘These people know about the possibilities of being arrested and tortured, yet they continue in their cause.’’
‘Burma 2007 - Uprising, Crackdown, and Now’ is currently touring in Japan and other countries. ‘Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now!’ goes to Malaysia in mid-April. (END/IPSAP/AMF/BL/LC/JS/08)