Get Tough on Rangoon

OpinionJournal ^ | 06/12/03 | COLIN L. POWELL

[bedolido]

United Nations Special Envoy Razali Ismail has just visited Burma and was able to bring us news that Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the leader of a peaceful democratic party known as the National League for Democracy, is well and unharmed. The thoughts and prayers of free people everywhere have been with her these past two weeks. Our fears for her current state of health are now somewhat lessened.

[tdadams]

I often get the impression that many conservatives consider cases like this too "trendy", as if the struggle for human rights in Burma is a little too much like a pet cause of the Hollywood liberals.

The story of Aung San Suu Kyi is one that I've followed over the last year or so and it's one that Freepers should really read up on. It's inconceivable that Suu Kyi was popularly elected in 1990 but never allowed to assume power due to the repression of the ruling miltary.

[Guillermo]

Whatever happened to those young twin boys, who were supposed rebel leaders?

[tdadams]

I think they were actually Thai and were leading a fight for independence on the Thai/Myanmar border. They were captured by Thai authorities a couple of years ago. They were taken into custody, but most of their army faced an impromptu execution.

[Tauzero]

Hard to get tough on a country you can't locate.

[ko_kyi]

Well said, tdadams.

My wife came from Burma in 1989, now she is a proud, conservative US citizen.

Unfortunately, Burma has little to interest the US. It is a sad story, and the situation there is much worse than most people in the US know.

At the beginning of the 20th century, even as a British colony, Burma was the 20th wealthiest nation in the world. Now it is one of the poorest.

[tdadams]

I've become more interested in the situation in Burma since I have a trip to SE Asia coming up later this year.

From what I've seen and heard it's a beautiful country. I'd like to visit, but I'm a bit conflicted about it now. I'd rather not put any money into the hands of that government, but if I could get around that and help out the citizens there, I'd still like to go.

[ko_kyi]

When you go, bring lots of US news magazines - Time, US News, whatever. Take one to a cafe, have a tea or coffee, then forget to take it with you. It will get snatched up and photocopied by people that want actual news, as their media is tightly controlled.

Don't discuss politics with anyone, they could get a month in prison for it, or worse.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

It's inconceivable that Suu Kyi was popularly elected in 1990 but never allowed to assume power due to the repression of the ruling military.

According to a story by Rena Peterson (an editor for the Dallas Morning News) in the latest issue of the Weekly Standard, she and her party received 80% of the vote. Before they could take office, those elected to the Parliament were jailed, she was put under house arrest for 10 years and the junta went on as if no election had taken place.

[tdadams]

That's exactly right. There is a movie called Beyond Rangoon, based in Burma just as the NLD was growing in grass roots support. It has shockingly graphic scenes showing how the military government used extreme violence to quell the oppostion. It's a fictionalized account of a true event, where the government engaged in about a two week campaign of rooting out and killing supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi.

[Ryle]

There is a movie called Beyond Rangoon,

Remarkable film - thanks for mentioning it here.

[ko_kyi]

A few policemen ended up in the lion cage at the zoo, too. My wife saw a lady axed to death in the street for supporting the SLORC.

Burma is headed for another bloodbath. The army is now divided about 50-50 pro and anti government.

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

He wants to get tough on Rangoon? But not Palestinian terror organizations?

Unbelievable.... it seems there are some slightly more pressing issues on the world stage right now than Rangoon....

[jriemer]

Early to bed
Early to rise
Was meant for those
Third-world dictators
Who didn't use
Burma-Shave