Interviews with Charm Tong

Burma joined ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] in 1997, and ASEAN thought that it could bring change, you know, by bringing Burma into the association. But however, it is more than 10 years that Burma joined the association, and ASEAN doesn’t give any change, you know, for the life of the people of Burma. And in fact, Burma has become the troubles and also making shame, like for ASEAN.

So this is something that we still have to work on. And we want to see the regional grouping, you know, supporting the calls for the people of Burma, not only for the interests of the economy and the benefit of the military regime. We have always been calling for no investment in Burma at the moment because all the investments have to be dealt with the military, and people are not consulted. There’s no process to study of the environmental or social impact assessment before any of the investments or projects, especially mining, natural gas, building the hydro power projects that will generate electricity for the military to sell to the neighboring countries to make more income.

All these projects are located in the indigenous people, in the ethnic people areas mainly. And the people lost their land, lost their livelihood. And because the regime wants to protect and secure these so-called projects and investments, therefore they increased the military in the area. And more military means more rape. More human rights abuse. More forced labor. More killing for the people in the area. That’s why we would like to urge all the investors, you know, to stop their investment while especially in the conflict and in the war zones inside Burma.

I believe that the international targeted economic sanction is working very well against the Burmese military regime. We want more actors, you know, and more countries to join this effort. If we look at how the Burmese military regime can continue in their power, it’s because it’s still able to provide, you know, all the natural resources and all these minings, natural gas, natural resources, timber, and everything – they’re selling off all these natural resources.

And the targeted economic sanction against the military regime has an impact, you know, on these people: the military regime and their cronies of the military regime who are holding and involved in these investments. So we appreciate the sanction policy, and we would like to see even stronger sanctions. For example, the financial sanction. And we hope that more and more countries will join this effort to bring more effective and also stronger sanctions against the military regime.

Interviewed August 2010

Charm Tong co-founded the Shan Women’s Action Network, when she was only 17. The organization is dedicated to stopping the exploitation of and violence against women and children in 1999.

Three years later, recognizing that their lack of education leaves the Shan young people more vulnerable to being trafficked or lured into other forms of exploitation, Tong founded the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth. The school works to empower and build the capacity of students to become leaders in their communities. It is regarded as a model for human rights education and training of young people from Burma and elsewhere.

Tong has also been instrumental in launching a campaign to bring attention to the systematic use of rape of Shan women by the Burmese military. The campaign, based on a report called “License to Rape,” has received considerable international attention.

Tong has received several international awards, including the Marie Claire Women of the Year Award and the Reebok Human Rights Award. In October 2005, she met at the White House with President George W. Bush.