Dignity and justice for us all

For two important reasons, December 10 was an important day to stop and think.

As a Burmese student, after the political unrest in my country this September, it was not a day for me to celebrate but rather to pay tribute to my people and my country.

Since September's Saffron Revolution, many defenders of human rights have been forced into hiding; others have disappeared and many more are in custody.

Dignity and justice for all will never be achieved if international human rights obligations are not met for everyone in all the corners of the world. Many countries, including my own, have ratified some of the human rights instruments. However, this doesn't change people's lives unless the respect for human rights becomes truly universal in practice.

Although, as a human rights defender I recognise the role played by the UN, we still need to find out how to truly improve the situation in oppressive countries. Besides, we need to supplement the role of the UN in making human rights a reality for people. Only then can the UN ensure that "all" means "all the people" and "everywhere", and can find ways of dealing with countries that have been violating the UN recommendations.

In many countries, people who simply express their need for justice are persecuted. The world shouldn't just sit back and watch these human rights violations take place.

For me as a student, dignity and justice can't be achieved without having total respect for the freedom of expression, which is one of the key rights in the Universal Declaration for Human Rights that will turn 60 soon. Sixty years is a long time, so it is about time the declaration is fully achieved.

Man's freedom of expression is a basic right, and no one should be subjected to torture or imprisonment for it. In this time of globalisation, the lack of respect for human rights in one country should be the cause of shame for its neighbours.

In conclusion, since the society's respect for human rights is still poor, we the people of Burma, lose our dignity and justice not just in our own country but also around the world. In my case, I dare not speak out for fear of being judged by my background and not by who I really am. There are many Burmese people undergoing serious discrimination, not only in their own country but everywhere they go. There is almost no justice for them both inside and outside Burma.

For me, I simply want to be treated as an equal wherever I am. I believe you should treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. That shows your dignity, your value of human rights as well as justice. In my opinion, human rights don't mean demanding and defending your individual rights, it also mean "balancing your society by using your rights". So, we need self-actualised rights defenders in all walks of lives for the sake of keeping our society in good shape.

Nai Nai

Note: Ms Nai Nai, a Burmese student, is currently pursuing a master's at the Faculty of Education, Assumption University, Bangkok.