The despotism formerly known as Burma

By dispatching troops into the streets and imposing a curfew, Myanmar's cruel military junta has set the stage for a serious clash with pro-democracy activists. A firm and united international response along the lines outlined by President George W. Bush and the European Union at the United Nations Tuesday offers the best hope of encouraging peaceful change in a nation that has endured a 19-year reign of fear.

The question is whether the countries with the greatest influence on Myanmar's generals - China, Russia and India, which all sell weapons to the Myanmar army, as well the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that are Myanmar's immediate neighbors - have the good sense to condemn the repression and exert the pressures only they can wield with any hope of positive effect. It is essential that they step up to the plate, and fast, before blood is spilled.

Peaceful protests that began last month over dramatically increased fuel prices became seriously threatening to the junta when Myanmar's highly revered Buddhist monks joined in.

The growing crowds gave voice to pent-up grievances - and the junta responded in a predictable, entirely wrongheaded way. It sent troops into the streets. Aung San Suu Kyi, the iconic democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, was reported to have been moved to prison from house arrest.

The United States, which has long had sanctions on Myanmar, including an import ban, will now expand a visa ban against regime leaders and tighten financial penalties, Bush told the United Nations.
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Although not spelled out in further detail, the plan is believed to include going after the bank accounts of the Myanmar regime in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries, a tactic used by Washington with some effect against North Korea. The European Union also warned the junta that it faced tougher sanctions if it used force to crush the demonstrations.

These are good and necessary moves, but the greatest leverage to forestall disaster lies with China, Russia and India, who are making money off the junta and enabling it to stay in power. China, Myanmar's chief trade partner and the host of the 2008 Olympic Games, has beefed up arms sales to Yangon (formerly Rangoon), prompting Russia and India to do likewise as a way of offsetting Beijing's influence.

Moscow has discussed providing the junta with a nuclear research reactor, and India - the democracy on which the United States hopes to build a key security and economic relationship for the 21st century - had a senior minister in Myanmar for energy talks, even as the protests were under way.

There are some signs that China has urged restraint, but more must be done, including support for United Nations sanctions on Myanmar that Beijing and Moscow have so far blocked. The UN envoy dealing with Myanmar, Ibrahmim Gambari, must aggressively rally these major countries, as well as the Asean nations, to persuade the generals to stand down.

Myanmar junta, fearing monks' protests, demonstrates fealty to Buddhism

YANGON, Myanmar: Myanmar's military government, widely condemned for its heavy-handed crackdown on anti-government protests by Buddhist monks, has been making high-profile donations to monasteries, the state-controlled press reported Wednesday.

The junta's top officials in the central area around the city of Mandalay donated cooking oil to 102 monasteries, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on its front page, showing photos of kneeling officials offering gifts to senior monks. Making donations to temples is a traditional way of showing respect and making merit.

The move follows a security clampdown on monasteries in an attempt to keep young monks from joining weeks of protests that began Aug. 19 over high prices for fuel and consumer goods.

The protests are the most sustained challenge in a decade to the government. More than 100 people have been detained for taking part in demonstrations, many of which have been broken up by pro-government toughs.

In northern Myanmar last week, monks — angry at being beaten up for protesting economic conditions — temporarily took officials hostage and later smashed a shop and a house belonging to junta supporters.

A nervous government responded by tightening security around monasteries in major cities, including Yangon, Mandalay and Bago.

Monks in Myanmar, also known as Burma, have historically been at the forefront of protests — first against British colonialism and later military dictatorship. They also played a prominent part in the failed 1988 pro-democracy rebellion that sought an end to military rule, imposed since 1962. The uprising was brutally crushed by the military.

According to unconfirmed reports circulated in the Myanmar exile opposition press, monks have said they may refuse alms from the military and ignore junta officials and their supporters at official functions if the government fails to apologize by next week for the mistreatment of monks during a protest last week in the northern town of Pakokku.

The monks — said to have united in a new group called the National Front of Monks — are also demanding that authorities cut fuel prices, release all political prisoners and begin negotiations with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy leaders.

The New Light of Myanmar has made officials' activities at temples its top front page story two days in a row.

Its report Wednesday said donations of edible oil and cash were made to monasteries in the Mandalay area by the junta's commander for the central region, Maj. Gen. Khin Zaw, as well as Minister for Industry-1 Aung Thaung and other officials.

On Tuesday, the newspaper highlighted a visit by a top defense ministry official, Lt. Gen. Myint Swe, to a senior abbot at a temple in Yangon.

The respectful actions are likely to be appreciated by senior monks at the country's monasteries, to whom younger monks are supposed to be deferential.

Monks are highly respected by most people in the predominantly Buddhist nation, and using force to disperse them has upset the public.

On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the American government was concerned about the "well-being" of more than 150 citizens jailed since the Aug. 19 demonstrations began.

"Multiple reports indicate that many of these protesters have been brutally beaten and interrogated," McCormack said in a statement. "We call upon the Burmese regime to allow access to prisoners by international humanitarian organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, and renew our call for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Burma."

China’s Burma problem

International Herald Tribune: - Jeremy Woodrum
Tue 28 Aug 2007

Regarding the article “Hundreds march in Myanmar over prices” (Aug. 23): Human rights activists and citizens marched through the streets of Rangoon in opposition to a steep rise of fuel prices. Unfortunately, policymakers around the world have not shown the same fortitude as these protesters. The UN Security Council has remained shamefully paralyzed on Burma for the past 8 months since China vetoed a multilateral resolution that would have condemned the country’s military regime.

Thankfully, opposition to China’s position on Burma seems to be growing. Last week, a group of members of parliament from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations called on China to modify its unequivocal support for the junta.

This move may represent the first time in recent history that China’s own neighbors are balking at its perceived heavy-handedness in regional diplomacy. In particular, Southeast Asian lawmakers are unhappy that China refuses to endorse Ban Ki Moon and Asean’s call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

China could easily reverse the growing frustration with its policy on Burma by endorsing a multilateral approach to to the country, publicly supporting Ban Ki Moon and Asean’s calls for the release of Suu Kyi, ending attacks against ethnic minority civilians, and pressing Than Shwe, the military leader, to enter negotiations with Suu Kyi and Burma’s ethnic minorities.

Such moves would not only bring greater stability to Burma, they would in no way undermine China’s investments in the country. Those marching and bleeding in Rangoon - as well as those suffering and hiding in eastern Burma - hope for such an outcome.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/26/opinion/edletmon.php

Author: Jeremy Woodrum, Washington
Co-founder of the U.S. Campaign for Burma

China’s Burma problem

Regarding the article “Hundreds march in Myanmar over prices” (Aug. 23):
Human rights activists and citizens marched through the streets of Rangoon
in opposition to a steep rise of fuel prices. Unfortunately, policymakers
around the world have not shown the same fortitude as these protesters. The
UN Security Council has remained shamefully paralyzed on Burma for the past
8 months since China vetoed a multilateral resolution that would have
condemned the country’s military regime.

Thankfully, opposition to China’s position on Burma seems to be growing.
Last week, a group of members of parliament from the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations called on China to modify its unequivocal support
for the junta.

This move may represent the first time in recent history that China’s own
neighbors are balking at its perceived heavy-handedness in regional
diplomacy. In particular, Southeast Asian lawmakers are unhappy that China
refuses to endorse Ban Ki Moon and Asean’s call for the release of Aung San
Suu Kyi.

China could easily reverse the growing frustration with its policy on Burma
by endorsing a multilateral approach to to the country, publicly supporting
Ban Ki Moon and Asean’s calls for the release of Suu Kyi, ending attacks
against ethnic minority civilians, and pressing Than Shwe, the military
leader, to enter negotiations with Suu Kyi and Burma’s ethnic minorities.

Such moves would not only bring greater stability to Burma, they would in no
way undermine China’s investments in the country. Those marching and
bleeding in Rangoon - as well as those suffering and hiding in eastern
Burma - hope for such an outcome.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/26/opinion/edletmon.php

Author: Jeremy Woodrum, Washington
Co-founder of the U.S. Campaign for Burma