President Obama in his remarks today at the University of Yangon” Myanmar” called ordinary people's right to own the title of the land they work on and live” as “the most fundamental of possessions.” That the President has specifically called out the importance of secure land rights during a historic visit to a nation undergoing a key transition” is thrilling for land rights activists in Asia and across the world.
An excerpt of President Obama's remarks is below. You can read the full remarks here.
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Rangoon” Burma
2:39 P.M. MMT
Courtesy: http://www.whitehouse.gov
In the United States” for more than two centuries” we have worked to keep this promise for all of our citizens — to win freedom for those who were enslaved; to extend the right to vote for women and African Americans; to protect the rights of workers to organize.
And we recognize no two nations achieve these rights in exactly the same way” but there is no question that your country will be stronger if it draws on the strength of all of its people. That’s what allows nations to succeed. That’s what reform has begun to do.
Instead of being repressed” the right of people to assemble together must now be fully respected. Instead of being stifled” the veil of media censorship must continue to be lifted. And as you take these steps” you can draw on your progress. Instead of being ignored” citizens who protested the construction of the Myitsone dam were heard. Instead of being outlawed” political parties have been allowed to participate. You can see progress being made. As one voter said during the parliamentary elections here” “Our parents and grandparents waited for this” but never saw it.” And now you can see it. You can taste freedom.
And to protect the freedom of all the voters” those in power must accept constraints. That's what our American system is designed to do. Now” America may have the strongest military in the world” but it must submit to civilian control. I” as the President of the United States” make determinations that the military then carries out” not the other way around. As President and Commander-In-Chief” I have that responsibility because I'm accountable to the people.
Now” on other hand” as President” I cannot just impose my will on Congress — the Congress of the United States — even though sometimes I wish I could. The legislative branch has its own powers and its own prerogatives” and so they check my power and balance my power. I appoint some of our judges” but I cannot tell them how to rule” because every person in America — from a child living in poverty to me” the President of the United States — is equal under the law. And a judge can make a determination as to whether or not I am upholding the law or breaking the law. And I am fully accountable to that law.
And I describe our system in the United States because that's how you must reach for the future that you deserve — a future where a single prisoner of conscience is one too many. You need to reach for a future where the law is stronger than any single leader” because it's accountable to the people. You need to reach for a future where no child is made to be a soldier and no woman is exploited” and where the laws protect them even if they're vulnerable” even if they're weak; a future where national security is strengthened by a military that serves under civilians and a Constitution that guarantees that only those who are elected by the people may govern.
On that journey” America will support you every step of the way — by using our assistance to empower civil society; by engaging your military to promote professionalism and human rights; and by partnering with you as you connect your progress towards democracy with economic development. So advancing that journey will help you pursue a second freedom — the belief that all people should be free from want.
It's not enough to trade a prison of powerlessness for the pain of an empty stomach. But history shows that governments of the people and by the people and for the people are far more powerful in delivering prosperity. And that's the partnership we seek with you.
When ordinary people have a say in their own future” then your land can’t just be taken away from you. And that's why reforms must ensure that the people of this nation can have that most fundamental of possessions — the right to own the title to the land on which you live and on which you work.