Because of the divisions amongst the various clans, it is easy for the military to stay in power. The leaders obviously make hay, while the common man lives day by day, like a prisoner.
The sad part is other countries have joined the junta in the loot. Because China has entrenched itself, Asean and even India has to back the junta, though indirectly. The country is being raped by all. It pays for the richness of natural resources like gas, timber, gems etc. It does not hurt the junta to close an eye on the activities of the drug lords. The system seems to perpetuate itself and the outside world generally blame the poor Myanmarese. The monks have been put away, defrocked and keys thrown away. Plenty of time for them to contemplate about facts of life. The poor find heaven outsde their country and go to any lenghth to escape. They swim against all odds and even the sea currents to land even in Singapore. Many are repatriated with tell tale signs to show for their adventures. The rich leave with loot and are welcomed for their money and contacts back home.
Let us learn the lessons. We should stir out of out cinematic themes of politics. We seem to get used to our festival of democracy. Elections, promises, reality in the face, theatrics and drama. The old bandicoots who should normally be biding time to leave, play out perpetually.
I shudder to think of the Myanmar type reality check, others raping us bone dry!
RE:Lesson for all
by Sahadevan KK on Oct 04, 2007 11:57 AM Permalink
Look at how prosperous China has become. That is the right path. Who cares about freedom? It is food on the table that matters.
different players have different interests. first off usa (ie the bush administration) lacks credibility hugely. usa loves dictators and rogue regimes around the world as long as they do usa's bidding. saudi arabia and pakistan dictators are ready examples. myanmar has done no wrong to usa. so, what's driving usa into this? simple. usa wants to checkmate china which is expanding its access to all seas and oceans - here usa's and india's interest mesh well. second, the wall street journal has already reported that the one of the prominent forces in usa behind this move are the evangelists who want to proslytize burma just like they have doing it in india and sri lanka and nepal - here india's and usa's interests don't mesh. the evangelists know that they can't touch muslim countries or israel, and hence they focus on hindu and buddhist countries. china, to its enormous credit, have kept the missionaires out with a swift kick on their rear, and burma is similarly inclined too. that "democratic leader" of burma, that lady with a very long neck, is a xtian - so you know. pushing democracy in the eastern countries is merely a tool for needling by the west. the west has a super allergy to swastika but pushes the cross in east.
Even mass-based protests will not make any difference as the Burmese military junta know they have nothing to fear- they have China, a veto-weilding, permanent member of the UNS and an even more oppressive totalitarian regime than they, in their corner - a China with 1.4 trillion dollars in forex, a China greedy for Burma's natural resources, a China which is right next-door. Nothing anyone, not even Uncle Sam, says or does will make a heck of a difference, unless China gives the nod. China is the ultimate rogue nation - they have clout and are using it to their own advantage.
Mr.Bush where are you?Send some 25,000 troops to Burma and try to establish democracy in that country.EU where are you?send the enfircements to bring in the democratic govt in Burma.but pls note there are no oil wells there and no gold n diamond mines there.Neither Russians are keen on Burma.But remember the neighbour is China do you guys have guts to touch this part of the world? And the whole world knows US n EU are the big looters of the worlds wealth and killers of innocent people across the world.
