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Security Council

Honorable Delegates,
We, Alisa Jardena Priess, Kuno v. Gizycki and Marcel Starfinger would like to welcome you to the Security Council at BERMUN 2008. Alisa attends the Evangelische Schule Frohnau in Berlin and Kuno and Marcel are students at the John F. Kennedy School (JFKS). We’re looking forward to meeting you and are writing this letter to facilitate the research process. Research is vital for your participation in the conference. The better you are versed on the topics, the more fun you will have during the debate. Therefore, we have prepared further links to help you with your research on all the topics we will be discussing in the Security Council.

You, as delegates, need not have a resolution for each topic, but you should be able to contribute to other resolutions during both lobbying and debate. So be aware of your country’s policy on all of the topics. It sounds rather strict, but one must acknowledge that being informed is the only way you can fully enjoy the conference. We have developed a forum to initiate communication among all the participants. Here, you can exchange useful research links and can get to know each other beforehand. We, as student officers will use this platform for the same purposes. You can reach this forum through the BERMUN website and will find a section specially designated to the Security Council. If you do have any questions regarding your research, the conference, or just want to get to know us feel free to contact us through the BERMUN e-mail account (bermun[at]googlemail.com).

Let us briefly introduce the topics we will be discussing in the Security Council this year:

The Situation in Myanmar

Myanmar’s government has been criticised by numerous organisations and governments during the last years due to the violations of Human Rights, especially the violent crackdown of government forces on the pro-democratic demonstrations lead by the Buddhist monks in 2007. The Human Rights situation is also marked by a complete lack of democratic values, as the freedom of press and speech are being restricted, political enemies persecuted and imprisoned. Further issues include the use of child soldiers, sexual exploitation on an international level, insufficient education, and food scarcity. One the third of Myanmar’s children are suffering from mal-nutrition.

However, the Human Rights violations are only part of the problem in Myanmar. The instable political and social situation is equally severe. Many ethnic groups have been fighting among each other and against governmental troops since Myanmar’s independence from the British in 1948. These conflicts also took place on Thai territory and therefore became an international issue. In March 1998 Myanmar’s governmental troops attacked a camp in Thailand of the Burmese Karen National Union (KNU), a militant separatist organisation that consists of 4000-6000 fighters. The attack resulted in two deaths and dozens of wounded. The illegal businesses the different tribes practice contribute to further instability. These include timber, diamond and drug trade and results in further fighting among the different ethnicities. The third major cause for the country’s instability is its economic and social decline. Since the socialist government came to power in 1962 through a coup led by Ne Win, disproportionally large funds were set aside for the recapitalisation of the military. The economic decline was sealed at that point, as there were no longer enough financial means for innovative techniques that were and are needed in the agricultural and industrial sector. The situation in Myanmar remains instable.

Point to consider when researching this topic:

• Who/What are the different factors contributing to the conflict? (Also on an international and social level)
• How can we as the UN urge the democratic development in Myanmar without disrespecting the integrity of Myanmar?
• The Humanitarian Situation (not only after the cyclone).
• Which other countries are involved in the conflict for what reasons? Pay special attention to economic interest\relations.
• How and if the international community should aid Myanmar to stabilize its economy on a long term basis.
• How to deal with the present socialist government and their objectives.
• PLEASE BE AWARE WHILE RESEARCHING: The UN has recognized the new name Myanmar. However, the United States and several other nations have called and still call this nation Burma.

Useful research links:

• http://www.un.org/ - The UN website has a special section dedicated to the crisis in Myanmar.
• http://www.globalsecurity.org/ - This website contains information about the crisis in general and especially about the different parties involved.
• http://www.hrw.org/ - The Human Rights Watch site.
• http://www.transparency.org/
• http://www.asean.org/ - This organisation is also playing an important role in the conflict as they are contributing to the progress being made in Myanmar.
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html

The Situation in North Korea

After Korea was granted independence in 1948, and free and fair elections for the country as a whole had failed, both the northern and the southern part of the peninsula had separate elections. The Republic of Korea was proclaimed on August 15, 1948 and the establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic (DPR) of Korea followed in September. The first major conflict this instable area underwent was in June 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the line of demarcation thereby threatening not only the sovereignty of South Korea but also international peace and security. In pursuit, the United Nations formulated resolutions 82 – 85 in order to send troops to restore the old standings.

With the collapse of communism in Europe and especially Russia, North Korea lost many important trading ties, furthering distancing itself from the development taking place in these Nations and the rest of the world. Thereafter, a series of droughts and floods along with the old centralized economy triggered severe food shortages that led to a widespread famine. Kim Il-sung died in 1994 and his son Kim Jong-Il, head of the armed forces, assumed control but missed the chance to reform the structures of country and especially economy. Since coming to power he has continued his father's Juche doctrine of self-sufficiency, leading North Korea to continued threats of famine and food shortages.

Ever since its establishment during the late 1980s, North Korea’s nuclear program has often been a major issue for the international community. This eminent danger has grown since DPR Korea has withdrawn from the nuclear Non-proliferation act in 2003 and has continued to build nuclear sites. In August 2003 it agreed to six-party talks between itself, the United States, South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan.

Today, the possible completion of a nuclear test site as well as nuclear warheads and the terrible implementation of Human Rights in North Korea have been the main discussion points. Political expression is still strictly forbidden and enforced by harsh regulations and laws. North Korea’s army is considered to be the world's fifth largest. The before mentioned secret missile test sites can launch long range missiles and satellites. Furthermore there has been serious discussion about the further leadership of North Korea, since its reclusive leader Kim Jong Il is ill and may have suffered a stroke. The DPR of Korea denies this vehemently. Still, government sources as well as official observers remain that his death would probably not lead to the collapse of the North Korean regime. For now, Kim and his generals and advisors agree on their policy towards international affairs: North Korea's nuclear weapons!

Useful research links:

• http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/nkorea.reactor/index.html
• http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/08/koreas.nuclear.warhead.ap/index.html
• http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions.html
• http://www.koreascope.com/index/e_index.php

The Situation in Lebanon

The last war on Lebanese territories ended two years ago and the formation of a unity government in the summer of 2008 ended the political conflict that paralyzed the country, but the situation in the small Middle Eastern country remains fragile. The new government has to restore confidence in political institutions and tackle the sectarianism that caused the fighting in May 2008. Another issue that still causes turmoil is Lebanon’s delicate relationship with its neighbour Syria. Nonetheless, the future of the radical Hezbollah is the most contentious issue.

Since July 2008 the Hezbollah, which is regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel, is part of the unity government’s opposition and therefore has the power to veto major governmental decisions. The UN Security Council resolution 1701 called for disarmament of Hezbollah, but this has not yet been implemented. The Hezbollah has become the most powerful military force in Lebanon and is believed to have 500-600 full time, highly trained and motivated fighters. Some estimates put the number as high as 1,200, with the ability to call on several thousand less experienced "reserves". The group calls for the destruction of the state of Israel. It regards the whole of Palestine as occupied Muslim land and it argues that Israel has no right to exist. It furthermore demands the release of prisoners from Lebanon who are being held in Israeli jails and is strongly anti-Western and anti-Israeli. The Hezbollah is believed to receive military training, weapons and explosives, as well as diplomatic and financial support, from Iran. Syria provides diplomatic, political, and logistical support. It is reasonable to fear that the Hezbollah has used the past two years to rearm and reorganize.

The Security Council will discuss means of stopping weapon use and procurement of the Hezbollah and will reconsider the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Useful research links:

• http://www.globalsecurity.org/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/default.stm
• http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/mandate.html
• http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions.html
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.html

We look forward to meeting you in November and hope that you will profit from this experience as much as possible. Good luck with your research!

Kuno von Gizycki, Marcel Starfinger, and Alisa Priess
Your Presidents of the BERMUN Security Council 2008!