The past couple of weeks have brought an unusual bout of coverage of politics in Myanmar. But now the killing has started publicly. Unfortunately we will do nothing. Myanmar has suffered under a brutal military regime that has been propped up by oil deals with western companies and countries while it enslaves and tortures peaceful civilians. The shootings of monks and other unarmed civilians over the past couple of days is simply a reflection of how the junta does business. If western powers cared for democracy more than propaganda they would have redressed the situation long ago.
The public coverage of popular dissatisfaction and brutal clampdowns is an excuse to do something more. Claims of doing something by Bush and others at the UN general assembly ring hollow in light of the apathy to do anything over the past 20 years. At least Russian and Chinese statements that it is an internal affair are truer to their own policy. The UN is the legitimate forum and the legitimate force for assisting the large majority of Myanmar’s people to govern themselves, rather than be reduced to poverty while a junta is enriched. Proposing “economic sanctions” is pathetic propaganda; we all know that little if anything will be done. But it is made so much worse in light of the action taken in the middle east by America and allies. The blood of Burmese will be off our TV screens soon, Bush and friends will have earned their propaganda points and more innocents will be tortured and killed for voicing a desire for democracy.
(This linked NYT article outlines the charter conventions of the Myanmar constitutional convention released in early September that dictate the continuation of military rule and catalysed the demonstrations.)
One thought on “Watching Myanmar atrocities”