US Plays Its Last Card—and It’s a Loser (Myanmar crisis)

Why do we need to intervene in the business of other countries? BTW, millions of people died in the Congo War recently and no one cared...

Also, Pakistan also did a similar thing recently. We didn't do much other than some verbal condemnation.

 

Burma is once again descending into violence and chaos, because the military regime wants to hold on to power, regardless of who it has to arrest, beat up, or kill. I'm not calling it Myanmar any longer, considering that the name change (along with changing the name of Rangoon) was brought about by the military dictatorship several years ago. But what can we do? Predictably, Russia called it "an internal matter." What has been China's response? At least the countries of the West are condemning what's happening. If all countries put an embargo on the Burmese regime, perhaps it would have an impact. It would help if the surrounding countries closed their borders with Burma. Anything to get the message across that there will not be business as usual. The people of Burma are suffering already. They are suffering now. Taking away access to luxury goods for the Burmese officer corps and access to military equipment would be something.

ymc, why shouldn't we care about what happens to suffering people attempting to rid themselves of a dictatorship? I don't hear calls for military intervention, but the fact remains that we should do what we can short of that. What is China doing?



D&D. Impeach Bush, Cheney, and Mediocre Hip Hop.

 

India needs to be faulted along with China. After years of leading the charge against the Burma regime, India has been quietly underwriting it to grab natural resources, taking a page out of china's book. India and China apologists will call their subsidization of the junta " non-interventionism".

That's also what the swiss called it when they bankrolled the nazis. (China apologist to say Holocaust wasn't that bad in 3....2...1...)

 

Because when we do intervene, we intervene for our interests only. As a result, people over there suffer.

Also, don't we have lots of debts and people without health insurance? Why don't we help them first instead of "helping" people aboard?

 

I think your rolleyes key is stuck, or you are counterproductively obnoxious.

It's fair to ask why the US doesn't care about this atrocity and does care about others. Maybe it's a brand recognition problem -- they should have stuck with their former country name.

 

why should china do anything? it has nothing to do with us.

 

China is one of the largest players in Burma's oil production. China is also one of the largest economic partners with Burma.. one of the few.

China, if want to be taken seriously on the world stage as a leader, ought to promote stability in it's own backyard.

China, in other words, is propping up this regime with its political silence and deafening economic self-interest.

 

Does that mean we need to do something with Saudi Arabia also?

Just like us, China will act if doing so further its own interests.

 

The only time I would "intervene" if I were the leader of China is when JVG is ruining a friendly neighboring country's basketball program.

 

Embargoes are useless when it comes to resource rich countries.

 

China and India are pursuing their national interests? Oh the horror!

 

Im just waiting to see Bush on the National stage, using the work "Regime" 1 million times. Where is the "for the good of the people" crap he heaped on Americans when WMD's were a flop in Iraq?


This only goes to solidify that the Bush administration was in bed with the idea of Iraq from Day 1, just as O'neill said, and that this WH is in line with being one of the worst administrations ever. Supporters of this hack should have their voter registration cards revoked.

 

Yes, we do, with regards to our economic partners who have repressive policies.

Hopefully, consumer sentiments will incorporate some moral imperative as to allow China's self interest to align with human rights and the rule of law. Hopefully.

 

Lets see no oil, they're not Muslims, and Bush 41 didn't fight a war against them... Nope no reason to intervene militarily.

The sad thing is that even if we did want to militarily intervene we would be very hard pressed to do anything more than some aerial bombing considering how much our military resources are stretched out now.

 

And what good would aerial bombardment do? Besides disrupting the routine of the military junta, the odds are good that countless numbers of those we would want to help would be killed or wounded. We would hear no end of denunciations from China, Russia, and India for "interfering in the internal affairs of another country." As you point out, we have no divisions of troops sitting around with nothing to do, although some in Iraq might enjoy the change in scenery and opponent. If Burma's neighbors participated in an effective embargo, it might cause internal divisions within the Burmese military, leading to a coup against the junta, but we won't find that out. A great deal of Burma's income is from the heroin trade, controlled by the junta. Much of the import/export "trade" is unreported, because it is smuggled across the border. One could argue that a real embargo would be ineffective, but at least it would be an effort to do something.

Here's some interesting reading...

Although the ruling junta has maintained a tight grip on Myanmar since 1988, it has not been able to subdue an insurgency in the country's south that has gone on for decades. The ethnic Karen movement has sought an independent homeland along Myanmar's southern border with Thailand. In Jan. 2004, the military government and the insurgents from the Karen National Union agreed to end the fighting, but they stopped short of signing a cease-fire.

The economy has been in a state of collapse except for the junta-controlled heroin trade, the universities have remained closed, and the AIDS epidemic, unrecognized by the junta, has gripped the country.

On November 13, 2005, the military junta—in a massive and secretive move—relocated the seat of government from the capital Rangoon to a mountain compound called Pyinmanaa. The move perplexed many, and the junta was vague in its explanation, saying, “Due to changed circumstances, where Myanmar is trying to develop a modern nation, a more centrally located government seat has become a necessity.”

More than 1,000 delegates gathered in December to begin drafting a constitution, which the junta said was a step toward democracy. The convention adjourned in late January 2006 with little progress. In Sept. 2007, representatives to the convention, which has met on and off since 1993, released a draft constitution that ensures that the military will continue to control the ministries and legislature and have the right to declare a state of emergency. The document also limits the rights of political parties. Opposition parties were excluded from the convention.

Exports: $3.111 billion f.o.b. (2004); note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh: clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice. Imports: $3.454 billion f.o.b.; note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2004): fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products. Major trading partners: Thailand, India, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia (2004).

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107808.html


And some people wonder why the question is sometimes asked, "Why Saddam? Why not one or more of the many dictatorships in other parts of the world?" Burma is an example of one of "those other dictatorships."



D&D. Impeach Mr. Bankrupting America, Busy Passing on The War to The Next President.

 

China plays its card. Standing in solidarity with its brother comrades in the junta. (insert roll-eyes here)


In response to the violence, the United Nations Security Council called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, but China blocked a Council resolution, backed by the United States and European nations, to condemn the government crackdown.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/world/asia/27myanmar.html?ref=world



D&D. Impeach Mr. Bankrupting America, Busy Passing on The War to The Next President.

 

This is no difference from what we did for Israel or Russia did it for Belarus. From Israel, we get some excuses to mess with Middle East, plus keeping the Israel lobby here happy. On the other hand, the Chinese are building a pipeline from coast of Myanmar to Southwestern China and buying their timber and natural gas

 

You think a Chinese veto of a UN resolution condemning a junta deeply involved in the narcotics trade, for viciously assaulting its own citizens, is cool? Because China doesn't give a damn about that or the illegal narcotics trade and simply wants Burma's natural resources? That's cool? What does Burma have to do with Israel? What does Burma have to do with Belarus? Is either country on the Chinese border? With all due respect, your reasoning is sickening.




D&D. Impeach Bush and Cheney.

 

This whole affair is going to be a substantial loss of face for the Chinese government - and its stalwart defenders here on the BBS.