Prayer For Burma
Kanbawza Win
An old saying goes "It is far better to attempt and fail than not to
attempt at all," and this is exactly what the democratic countries
of the world are doing of putting up Burma 's case in the UN Security
Council. Those, countries that doesn't believe in democracy, or just
paying lip service are indirectly encouraging dictators so that
authoritarian, and totalitarian will triumph. They usually did this by
giving lame excuses. For the moment we can do nothing but let us pray
for it to our various religion what ever we profess.
U.S.
Ambassador John Bolton has submitted a formal request to the Greek
ambassador Adamantios Vassislakis of the Security Council, to place
Burma on its permanent agenda as a threat to international peace and
security. Twice before in the past year, Bolton has brought the
Council's attention to Burma 's human rights violation and internal
repression. But each time, have been rebuffed by opposition from Russia
, China , and Japan .
This
time, the peace loving democratic peoples of the world has attempted
again thinking that it will have sufficient support to force a formal
vote on the matter. But it is still possible that they could lose.
Looking at the Burmese government's involvement in international drug
trafficking, the refugee flows out of Burma and in the region that it's
activities have caused, it's violations of human rights, and the
consequences that have had international implications, and a range of
other activities because of its military policies, it is high time to
put it on the agenda.
President Bush last month signed a law renewing economic sanctions
against the Burmese government for three more years. Washington halted
investments to Burma in 1997, and banned financial transactions and
imports in 2003. International human rights groups have repeatedly
called on the Security Council to act in response to Burma 's
deteriorating rights conditions. The United Nations operates a
resettlement program for thousands of ethnic Karen in eastern Burma who
have fled the country's military dictatorship.
We
are praying that we will have the necessary nine votes, among the 15
council members, to add Burma to the agenda. China in particular has
opposed the move -- and could veto any potential resolution -- but U.S.
diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, have worked
relentlessly in recent months to line up the votes. Opponents of
Security Council action have argued that the venue is appropriate only
for threats to international peace and security and not human rights
violations.
After
the Burmese Junta extended Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's detention for another
year, NLD Chairman U Aung Shwe and Secretary U Lwin wrote U.N. Secretary
General Kofi Annan a letter dated 1st June saying "we
believe that there is no alternative except some actions of the Security
Council." Spreading of AIDS epidemic and severe repression of
ethnic groups who spill over into neighboring countries have threatened
the stability of the region.
Many
of Burma 's neighbors -- which in the past have strongly opposed adding
a Southeast Asian nation to the Security Council docket -- have
increasingly soured on the Junta. Indonesia Foreign Minister Hassan
Wirayuda said last week that the other nine members of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations have made it known that they will no longer
defend Burma if brought before the Security Council. The much trumpeted
``Constructive Engagement Policy`` of the ASEAN countries has been
buried long ago.
Our
gracious thanks goes to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel
Peace laureate, who met with Secretary Rice in May to press for a
binding U.N. Security Council resolution calling on the Burmese military
Junta to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners and
halt a counterinsurgency campaign that is targeting civilians. Tutu has
campaigned around the world for Security Council action, likening the
struggle in Burma to the fight against apartheid.
Fiery Dragon
Let
us examine the Paukphaw (brothers from the same mother) relations
of Burma with China . Will China used the veto power in the case of
Burma?
Once there was a chorus of disapproval by the international community,
the people on the dragon throne are wise enough to go along with the
civilized community e.g. when North Korea tested the ballistic missiles
against the wishes of the international community, the veto powers of
China including Russia goes along with the Security Council Resolutions,
last July. Yet North Korea is much more closer to China and Russia if
compared to Burma as both of them have helped North Korea during the
Korean War? How much Burma has clout over China when her narco products
are finding their way to China resulting over one million addicts in
that country alone. The Chinese leaders knew it very well that narco
epidemics must be stop at its sources and to prevent the Burmese ethnic
tribe (Wa) from growing opium, is by persuasion, winning the hearts and
this can be done only through a representative government and not by
dictatorial degree alone.
It was also the Burmese Army that initiated the anti Chinese riots in
the 60s when thousands of Burmese of the Chinese decent lose their life
and limb, if they don't manage to escape. A brief border skirmishes
follow and China openly help the Burma Communist Party. Since then the
party to party between the Burmese and Chinese are on ice. Of late the
Chinese had made overtures to the pro democracy activists in the
peripherals of Burma and more than a dozen secret trips, has been made
by the latter. In short China will decide if it suits its gains and will
not defend the pariah regime all the time no matter what the geopolitics
may be.
Evil Empire
The
legacy of the Cold War may be over but Valdimor Putin has rolled back
the democratic reforms, centralized authority, muzzled independent media
and stifled dissent. Just like the Burmese regime with a faltering
economy, scaring the neighbors and accusing espionage to the NGOs trying
to build a democratic society is bent to reconstruct the evil empire.
But this new Tzars that inherit Josef Stalin's mentality also knew how
to handle the pariah case at the UN Security Council, even though it had
help the Junta with a 10 megawatt Nuclear reactor and trained thousands
of Burmese soldiers, it is pragmatic as seen in the case of Iran, when
both Russia and China agreed to the action of the Security Council to
handle this latest nuclear threat. If both these dictatorial regimes
have abandoned their long time friend or if not their protégé
will they defend the pungent Burmese Junta at the UN?
Indeed Russia still maintain its Asian Intelligence Headquarters on
Prome Road, at Rangoon dropping eves on the Israeli Embassy opposite the
road and often open vodka bottle with the Burmese Generals weary that
Burma is still in the obit of China.
Sons of the Sun
No
Burmese soldier will deny that the Burmese army was born under the
shadow of the Japanese Sun when the thirty comrades were trained by the
Imperial Japanese army in the second World War. The Shogun and the
Bushido spirit are still imbued in the Japanese people and obviously,
these sons of the sun did not want to witness the demise of their
offspring, knowing full well that once it is in the agenda of the
Security Council, the Junta is finished. Hence they give a lame excuse
that the Burmese problem does not tantamount to be put in the Council.
Will
the veto powers join hands and opposed the Western initiative and left
the fifty two million plus Burmese people continues their suffering or
not, will soon be known. In the meantime, we would request to all the
democracy loving people of the world to pray, for prayer is the greatest
weapon and
the Omnipotent is the Lord of History and the Lord of Science.
Tampa
Florida
(The views expressed here are solely the opinion of the author. Kao-Wao
Editor)
