Lately, I feel sad watching the news and seeing all the trouble in Myanmar. This is because I can recognize some of the places where the violence is being enacted.
As some of you are aware, I spent 2 weeks in that beautiful country in September 2005. The hotel I stayed in was midway between the two pagodas shown so frequently on tv; the Sule and Shwedagon (hope I got the names right).
But I am hopeful that some good will come out of this tragedy. The people of Myanmar need our prayers.
For those who did not read my article about my Myanmar visit, you can read it here.
8 comments:
Myanmar is a buddhist country and most people there under the buddhist law of cause and effect, meaning that those who plant the seeds of a bitter fruit would eventually have to eat the bitter fruits themselves. We need not wait too long to see the outcome to this misrule.
Chun See
thanks, it was good to read your former article. Here is the UK Burma has been at the top of the news all week (the name Myanmar is known but I think is seen as as aspect of the regime and so not used) . the big argument is about whether people should visit and firms should trade. Singapore is often quoted as one of the countries 'supporting' the regime or the country, with talk of China as the main 'culprit' and talk of an Olympic Games boycott. But what do the people of Burma think? Certainly a lot of the voices here are raised in favour of boycotts.
Tom said...
Ihave just been reading
the sunday news paper, there is a article in it said , Burma is not
alone in being run by military rule, I myself dont beleave in
military dictators,I hope the people of Burma will get a new gov.
and live in peace, and freedom.
I got the same spam on this post.
Western govts seem to be very fond of using sanctions in dealing with dictators and despots. But I don't think they are effective at all. But of course it's still better than 'regime change' under the guise of finding weapons of mass destruction.
As for Asean .. it's an embarrassment.
I agree with Chun See's view that using economic sanction against the military regime of Myanmar has very little effect on the govt, because basically this country is rich in natural resources (including oil & gas) and agriculturally self sufficient. The problem lies in its misgovernment (since 1947). Large neighours like India and China need this country to counter- balance each other, not forgetting that these two Asian giants need Myanmar supply of energy to support their ever glowing industries. Furthermore, this country is strategically located, controlling ship movements across the Indian Ocean. We should not forget that Myanmar was the stumbling block to the Japanese invasion of India via Imphal, and the famous Burma road enable supplies lines remained open to wartime China. These two giants would do a lot of talking internationally and would just persuade the military regime to loosen their grip on its people.
I completely agree with your views..I think the Burmese people are doing a great job on their own as of now... It's only a matter of time before someone within the military stages a coup. After that happens the UN should step in as a peace keeping force and help to get elections going asap.
It is not uncommon to have military coups in an unstablised country, but can they be like those in Thailand - bloodless? Peaceful means are better and who knows the Gandhi ways of passive resistance may work. When Gandhi started such a movement against the British administration which eventually yielded and granted independence to India. Of course there were other contributary factors beside such a movement. The problem is that there must be an charimastic and forceful leader to lead the people. This explains why ms Aung San Su Kyii is still under house arrest, but surely there are many others able to take up this challenge.
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