Despite the disappearances of monks and the deadly mayhem that had befell Rangoon, something slightly good has come out of Myanmar, due mainly to the intensified international pressure on the military junta over there led by Senior General Than Shwe. With China’s earlier rebuke of the crackdown in Myanmar and now India’s threat to disengage entirely with the leadership over there (where China and India remains the only avid ally of the military junta), General Than Shwe backs-off in a very huge way and had called for a talk with the U.S diplomats concerning the crisis over there. And just minutes ago, General Than Shwe had even agreed to have a talk with apprehended Burmese freedom icon Aung San Suu Kyi, probably on the possible direction that Myanmar had to take, away and distinct from what it is right now.
This is a major major development if you ask me and I feel some relief over this. The military leadership in Rangoon is not that hard-as-stone afterall and may be open to malleable compromises.
Actually---in fairness to the military junta over there---a Myanmar parliament had always been in the making but what had always happened is that it had always come-up suspect of military cookery, like that of Marcosian Batasan Pambansa where every member where allegedly hand-picked and the whole parliamentary body were just a farce. And because of the bloody military crackdown, fairness is not an apt word to use at this time.
But now, I surmise that nothing sort of that would happen again. I expect that part of the talks would include the holding of a genuine consultation with the people, through a valid election and then the formation of a truly popular electorate and government. This is the only way Myanmar could escape the intensified embargoes against it or else, it would wither like a plant without water and sunlight. Iraq was like that---despite that it was an oil producing countries, misery and poverty had encumbered upon it that it's citizens were suffering on daily rations for a long time. I do not mean that the Myanmar populace would suffer like that (And I wish Iraqis were not disturbed by such) but sanctions really work that way.
Whatever comes out of the talks. I wish the best of luck for Myanmar and I wish their people very well.
The key player in this talk is really China. She has the military leaders there by the leash, very much like that of the N. Koreans...
Comment by snglguy — October 5, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
To sngl: Yun nga siguro ang turning point sa lahat despite na it's grossly ironic that China has to criticize Myanmar's conduct when it had it's won Tiananmen episode. Ironic but it was just the way.
Comment by Major Tom — October 5, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
If nothing fruitful comes of the talks, then I wonder if there's anything an average global citizen can do. The only thing I can think of that one can do is to boycott Myanmar. Maybe boycott their products, if I knew what they were.
Comment by Wil — October 6, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
China don't want any image problems especially since they are hosting the Olympics.
Still, I don't think much will change. Those people who have the power are not thinking like you and me.
Comment by Sidney — October 6, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
To Wil: That is already being done, and local protesters have even called for the ASEAN membership cancellation of Myanmar. While some say that suspending it or completely isolating might make the situation all the worse, yet at least, these would give them enough warning and notice that abuse of power and brutality by government are never tolerated in this age and time. We have gone pass over that stage.
Comment by Major Tom — October 6, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
To Sidney: While I hope that China could make such a dent in the talks in a very big way. These few coming days would be too crucial for Myanmar; if nothing happens metrially and no substantial compromise comes out, like the holding of an election as soon as possible, then one could say the recent protestations in Yangon have gone to nothing and died down. It's back to zero for them.
Comment by Major Tom — October 6, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
I still think this will not be solved yet. Well, the junta will be listening that's all they do. But many have disappeared and atrocities continue in the silence. This will all be talks. Silence. Talks. Until it resumes to their normal routine. The monks will eventually go back to the monastery. Myanmar has been this way far too long. The audience with Aung San Suu Kyii is but formality. To show that they are listening to international community. But it will be the same Burma. Unless the junta will be ousted, i keep my fingers crossed.
China at the moment is silent. They are trying to make a good face/reputation especially for the coming Olympics. They don't want to start on anything that would tarnish them at the moment. India and China both have vested interest in Myanmar's oil and gas production. They are on a tiptoe here.
My $0.02 though.
Comment by ipanema — October 8, 2007 @ 3:44 am