"My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons..."
Posted on 09/28/2007 2:14:53 PM PDT by knighthawk
Of all the islands of repression that survive in the world, Myanmar is one of the strangest. Unlike the nations of the Arab world, Myanmar's political culture is not crippled by the corrupting influence of easy oil and the anti-modern influence of fundamentalist Islam. Unlike the nations of sub-Saharan Africa, Burma is not riven by murderous tribalism and widespread destitution. And unlike Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela, the country does not justify dictatorship in the name of creating a communist workers' paradise. Instead, Myanmar stands alongside such oddball dictatorships as Belarus and Turkmenistan -- isolated bastions of misery where quixotic tyrants have somehow managed to resist the worldwide trend toward freedom and democracy.
Myanmar -- known to many as Burma -- has been under military rule for the last 45 years. The current ruling clique, which operates under the Orwellian title of "The State Peace and Development Council," has been in power since 1988. Its leader is an eccentric former psychological-warfare specialist named Than Shwe. In 2005, the junta abruptly decided to move the country's capital from Rangoon to a remote jungle location 200 miles inland. Like comic-book villains, Myanmar's rulers now have ensconced themselves in their isolated, fortress-like leadership compound, nervously guarding their power.
Until recently, the junta's grip on power looked unbreakable. But that has changed in recent months. As in many parts of the world under the thumb of dictators, popular demonstrations began in response to massive government price hikes on basic necessities: Nothing makes ordinary people feel more frustrated at their government than overnight impoverishment. This week saw massive demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in Rangoon and other cities. Exact numbers aren't known. (Because Soldiers reportedly have emptied whole monasteries of able-bodied monks to prevent them from organizing more protests.
We do not pretend to know whether the protesters will meet with success: Grassroots revolutions against dictatorships are unpredictable creatures. And as the example of Tiananmen Square shows, ruthless dictatorial regimes can sometimes nip such popular movements in the bud with one single, bloody pogrom. What we do know is that Burma's fledgling revolutionaries deserve the unanimous support of the world community. And so far, that isn't forthcoming.
The United States already applies extensive economic sanctions on Myanmar. And this week, President George W. Bush announced new ones. For his part, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called on French companies to freeze investment in Myanmar. But these efforts to isolate Myanmar are being undercut by Russia and China. Both veto-wielding members of the Security Council are refusing to endorse a UN resolution condemning the Myanmar government's crackdown.
We are under no illusions that a mere piece of paper emanating from Turtle Bay will bring down Burma's dictatorship. But it certainly might help if General Than Shwe knew that the world was sitting in collective judgment of his actions. Instead, both Russia and China are putting their financial interests in Myanmar ahead of human rights principles.
This is getting to be a habit, isn't it? In Darfur, North Korea, Iran and now Myanmar, it is always the same two nations that protect the world's worst tyrants from censure and isolation. The soldiers killing protesters in Rangoon may wear Burmese army uniforms. But, indirectly at least, they are being aided and abetted by amoral cynics in Beijing and Moscow.
there is no free press in Myanmar, even basic news from the country is hard to come by.) But some reports put the largest crowd tallies as high as 100,000.
At first, the junta leaders had little response to the sudden outpouring of popular discontent. (The country hasn't seen such street protests since similar demonstrations were violently broken up in 1988 -- with the loss of several thousand lives.) Then, on Wednesday, government troops began shooting at protesters and arresting their leaders. At least nine people are believed dead. Thegovernment clearly is worried.
"My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons..."
Ping
Bump.
No help drom China?
How does that old song go?
Ah, yes — “I’m your puppet, do anything that you want to do, I’m your puppet...” Ya, that’s the ticket.
These poor protestors are waiting for the US to come in and save them. We are so hamstrung by the liberals in this country we can’t even do what’s right any more.
Oh, but there was no credence to the old domino theory. Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma are all free countries. And Thailand is in no danger either. /sarc
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