Students and Youth Congress of Burma, Thai/Burma Border Trip, Winter 2007-2008, 1-8-2008

By Lauren

Throughout our time in Thailand, we have been continually reminded of the divisions and infighting between the many ethnic groups in Burma. While no one has openly admitted to prejudices against other peoples, today’s meeting was a welcome contradiction to the assumption that those differences are the primary factor holding the democracy movement back

The Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB), established in 1996, is comprised of young people from many backgrounds, all representing specific youth organizations. The 15 member organizations span from youth arms of political parties to those based on ethnicity. Despite the wide range of ethnicity, geography, religion, and political affiliation, the more than a dozen people we met sat together at one end of the table, obviously close and friendly.

As they put it, “With understanding, cooperation, and mutual trust among various nationalities of youth, we are going to pave a bright foundation for the future democratic federal union in Burma.” SYCB, structured based on democratic principles, brings young people from all over Burma together and works to create a common vision for their home. Their two main areas of focus are their women’s internship program, where representatives from all of the organizations intern for six months with SYCB- while also studying human rights, political science, and history, among other topics - and an HIV/AIDS program. While the women's program is derived from a strong emphasis on creating gender equality, the HIV/AIDS program is run in side Burma, impacting a key issue while getting around SPDC's policies against political activism.

SYCB is an ambitious organization committed to developing youth leadership and democratic priniciple. As an umbrella organization for groups focusing on a variety of issues, the common thread is that they all are building the foundation for a peaceful and democratic Burma. They produce a monthly bulletin with student perspectives on Burmese and Thai news and every two years they have a conference with representatives from all their organizations (which are based on the Thai and Indian borders).

While SYCB is growing with more organizations requesting to join, there are dangers and uncertainties. It is not uncommon for members in the Mae Sot office to get arrested by Thai authorities and have to pay an expensive bribe to get off free. They also fear SPDC informers in the marketplaces. Additionally, when invited to the World Youth Conference, they were unable to attend because there was no way they could renew their passports. There are also logistical difficulties of communication between their offices in India and Thailand.

The students we met with, despite the obstacles, have a positive outlook on the future. They have a vision of a Burma where human rights and the rule of law are respected, civil society flourishes, and the youth voice can be freely heard and listened to. They are truly inspirational.

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