Burma: Victory Through Diplomacy

The video above broadcast by Fuji television network in Japan shows quite clearly a young Burmese soldier pointing his rifle at Japanese photojournalist Kenji Nagai and deliberately shooting him from close range. Kenji Nagai armed with nothing more than a camera, didn't stand a chance.

In a meeting at UN headquarters in New York, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told his Burmese counterpart Friday that the death of Nagai was "extremely regrettable and we will lodge a stern protest."

Regrettable.

No, Mr. Komura, the murder of Kenji Nagai is not regrettable. It is an abject outrage. It is an outrage that craven impotent diplomats find themselves powerless to do anything more than issue "stern protests".

One of the most shocking and frightening aspects of the world today is that our nation's leaders continue to find themselves incapable of recognizing totalitarianism and tyranny. It is an outrage that diplomats, leaders and nations today have failed to learn from history and that they continue to find themselves impervious in owning up to the reality that there can never be any negotiation with tyranny. It is this epitome of denial and self delusion that leads to cognitive dissonance.

Even more disturbing is the propensity of those to resolve this cognitive dissonance through acts of diplomacy. It's anyone's guess what Japan hopes to achieve by dispatching a senior official to Burma. But by urging Burma to resolve this situation by punishing the perpetrator Japan and the West, for that matter, only succeed in deluding themselves into thinking that justice in this case can ultimately be achieved through diplomacy. As long as they can remain in power, the military junta of Burma will be all to happy to feed the collective psychosis that hopelessly enslaves Japan and the rest of the world by simply putting a bullet in the head of the young Burmese soldier who shot and killed Kenji Nagai. And as such, the "diplomatic crisis" with Burma ends. Japanese diplomats can return home waving the death certificate of a Burmese soldier and proclaiming à la Neville Chamberlain that justice and victory has been achieved.

How many more Kenji Nagai's and Burmese citizens will have to die before the world musters the courage and resolve to remove this tyrannical totalitarian regime from power?

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Burma: Epitomizing ASEAN's Insignificance

Singapore, one of Burma's biggest foreign investors, urged the country's military rulers on Thursday to exercise restraint in dealing with anti-government protests and to seek United Nations mediation.

Singapore's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was "deeply troubled" by the violent suppression of demonstrations in Yangon and called on the junta that has run the country for 45 years to seek a peaceful resolution through the world body.

"We hope that the Myanmar authorities and all other parties in Myanmar will appreciate the broader implications of their actions on the region as a whole and act accordingly," the ministry said.

As Burma's military junta once again attempts to brutally suppress the peaceful calls for democracy, these lofty proclamations eminating from Singapore the current chair of ASEAN would seem to substantiate the accusations not only of ASEAN's insignificance, but of ASEAN's inability to live up to their own charter. As a geopolitical and economic organization who's aims and objectives supposedly include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, and the promotion of regional peace, it would be expected that ASEAN currently led by Singapore would be willing to lead the initiative to help resolve the crisis in Burma rather than contributing 'lip service' to the crisis and expecting the United Nations to intervene in the matter. Considering that Singapore is one of Burma's largest trading partners and a beneficiary of ill-gotten gains by way of the monthly shopping trips and medical visits of Burma's military elites it's anyone's wonder how Singapore thinks that Malawi and Norway might lend a hand in helping to mediate the crisis.

After ten years it should have become painfully clear to ASEAN that the policy of non-intervention with Burma's recalcitrant regime has failed miserably. The events of the last several days have made it clear that Burma's military junta has no intention to loosen its grip on power and move the country towards democracy. The time for "constructive engagement" with General Than Shwe has long since passed. If ASEAN fails to act immediately and decisively in the matter then a "coalition of the willing" will be forced to handle the crisis.

Now that blood has been spilled, it is not just Burma who's international reputation will suffer, but the entire region of Southeast Asia.

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Burma's Barefoot Rebellion

More than 100,000 demonstrators have now taken to the streets in Burma for another day of protests. Approximately 30,000 red-robed monks protected by a human chain of over 70,000 supporters who prayed and chanted as they walked around Rangoon's city hall.

From late last night and throughout today trucks full of soldiers have been arriving in the capitol, sources have said that the hospitals have been put on alert to prepare for casualties as violence broke out today near the city's famed Shwedagon Pagoda, with security forces firing warning shots and tear gas canisters into the crowd of anti-government protestors. About 300 monks and activists have now been arrested across Rangoon, with reports of monks being being with batons and dragged into trucks.

Burma's military junta has banned all public gatherings of more than five people and imposed a nighttime curfew following eight days of anti-government marches led by monks in Rangoon and other areas of the country.

Both Australia and Malaysia have wisely refrained from imposing economic sanctions at this time for the fear that they will not affect the targeted group and will impose additional hardship on the Burmese citizens. The rash decision by the United States and Britain to impose economic sanctions at this juncture is an unwise move that might result in forcing the hand of Burma's military junta. The Burmese have a right to self-determination without undue interference and it is hoped that others will refrain from moves which might potentially have unintended effects.

There are also unconfirmed reports this evening that family members of Burma's head of State Than Shwe and other top members of the military have departed Burma for Thailand. Hopefully more information on this tomorrow.

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Burma's Belligerency

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, one of the world's most prominent political prisoners, turned 62 on Tuesday, her fifth consecutive birthday spent under house arrest, as supporters rallied at her party's headquarters to call for her freedom. Earlier, First Lady Laura Bush told the Wall Street Journal that Suu Kyi's name is "synonymous with courage the world over".

While the flames of Democracy and freedom fade from Burma, the candles are being lit elsewhere around the world with calls going out to Myanmar's generals to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her imprisonment, little ire if any however seems to focused on the three countries who vetoed a U.S. sponsored UN security council resolution calling for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest.

Earlier this year in January, both China and Russia would use their veto power in the UN Security Council to stop a United States sponsored resolution that called for Burma’s military junta to release all political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Ironically, of all countries, South Africa would join China and Russia in their opposition to release Aun Aung San Kyi who is often referred to as the "Nelson Mandela of Southeast Asia".

Just last month Russia's interest in Myanmar became painfully clear with Myanmar now following the lead of other belligerent nations such as Iran and North Korea by announcing that they were now proceeding with the development of a nuclear reactor and research center (for peaceful purposes of course) with the full support of Russians. Our sources informed us that the nuclear reactor is being built near to Magwe. According to Burmese officials, the nuclear reactor and research center is needed for "medical purposes" and possibly to generate nuclear power.

It is almost as if Burma's military junta has not quite thought this through when in fact they have. North Korea's relentless manipulation of the West and their ongoing extortion have not gone unnoticed by Burma's military junta and a nuclear reactor in Burma will give the generals the same bargaining power that the North Koreans have used so effectively.

Following North Korea's lead, as Burma's military junta spends their money to develop nuclear technology, the people are left to starve.

By now you are probally wondering what you can do -- well for only US5 dollars a months you can join the U.S. Campaign for Burma and "Give the gift of freedom". Not that anyone is going to actually freed mind you, but it might just give you that warm fuzzy feeling none the less knowing that you have done your part. The U.S. Campaign for Burma now hopes to use "celebrity power" to press for reform. Eric Szmanda from CSI recently spent three days visiting refugees on the Thai-Burmese border, the US Campaign for Burma sponsored Szmanda's trip. (I guess he couldn't be convinced to use his own money.) Eric Szmanda said that there is a lot that can be done. "The UN can do a lot on Burma, countries in this region can do a lot on Burma, the United States and Europe can do a lot on Burma, but they need to start to speak out, regularly and quickly and with urgency," he said. "I think that’s the most important thing that we can do."

But maybe Mr. Szmanda and the U.S. Campaign for Burma would find more success focusing their efforts on the countries who voted against the United States sponsored UN resolution. Namely China and Russia, the two countries who are snapping up Myanmar's natural resources in return for nuclear technology.

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