Burma: Violence, protests against military junta. (1 Viewer)

[Wooz]

Im suprised no ones said anything about it, i guess no one really gives a shit about Burma.

If anyone's following this closely the BBC have quiet a few reports from inside Burma where media and journalists are banned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7011884.stm

What do you guys think about the current situation, is the world doing enough?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2550369.ece

 

[PrinceHarry]

What is more frustrating is no other countries are willing to act unless United States lead the way.

 

[Iron]

It's a mess, but I dont know enough about possible solutions. China's in an awkward position because theyve essentially done the same thing to Tibet. I could imagine them being willing to help out in order to raise their humanitarian profile for the Olympics, but theyd just be begging for a whack on hypocrisy, as well as rubbing India, Taiwan, Japan etc up the wrong way.

 

[Schmeag]

Im suprised no ones said anything about it, i guess no one really gives a shit about Burma.

If anyone's following this closely the BBC have quiet a few reports from inside Burma where media and journalists are banned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7011884.stm

What do you guys think about the current situation, is the world doing enough?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2550369.ece

I've been following it pretty closely, and I'm more interested in its progression than I am in the progression of the troubles in the Middle-East. The reports, however, seem anything but quiet. There are several reports on Burma from the BBC, and Dateline had a rather lengthy report on it on TV a few days ago. If you've been reading all the articles in the BBC, you'll find that journalists and even the general populace are finding ways of leaking information to the outside world (the junta, predictably, labels it as false information). Some also say that the US's sanctions aren't helping at all, and that the Burmese do not support such sanctions. If you have a look at the statements from the foreign ministries, they seem to be adopting the same approach: "We are monitoring the situation closely; would both sides keep hostilities to a minimum while we do this." Japan seems to have changed its tone after Nagai's alleged death, although it still seems cautious. However, it's not the US that are portrayed as the pivotal power to the resolution of the conflict in Burma/Myanmar--it's China. So far, both China and Russia have been stalling UN sanctions. Most people that I've heard seem to be agreeing that it is China, Russia and India that have the most influence over Burma/Myanmar. But I haven't answered your question. Is the world doing enough? What can the world do, if what they want is a peaceful resolution to the conflict? Clearly, sending in troops is not going to result in a 'peaceful resolution'. Right now, they're trying to impose sanctions on Burma/Myanmar, but is this helping? China and Russia argue that they aren't, hence their blocking of the UN sanctions. I think that there is a conflict of ideals. The junta steadfastly does not want a democratic (by our standards) nation, but if the other countries want to do something about the troubles in Burma/Myanmar, then they must (according to their ideals of freedom) push for democracy, thus directly opposing the junta's fundamental basis of rule. Unless both sides are willing to make a compromise, a 'peaceful resolution' is not possible. It's up to Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese government to make a compromise, or someone's going to lose out--and when someone loses, they aren't going to go down with a fight. I guess that this is the issue that the other countries are wrestling with.

 

[gsfjgnslkjgbsdl]

Hey guys if your interested there is a really good doco about the goings on in Burma (its a bit old though not too much) and is good background for anyone really interested in the issue

heres a link it http://youtube.com/watch?v=l-YVdpQHdqo (someone uploaded it)

 

[jimmayyy]

shit is so fucked i wish the international community could do more to help

 

[sam04u]

Hey guys if your interested there is a really good doco about the goings on in Burma (its a bit old though not too much) and is good background for anyone really interested in the issue

heres a link it http://youtube.com/watch?v=l-YVdpQHdqo (someone uploaded it)

As soon as I heard "Dispatches", I knew it was the same biased and moronic channel 4 (UK) TV series that has been exposed more times than Britney Spears' crotch.

Honestly, you'll have to do better than that. They've been on the side of the War mongerers since the first recent U.N resolution came into effect (Nov. 2006), so you can expect that documentary to be as biased and misleading as they come.

On the topic of Burma though, it's a complicated one and I doubt anything will be done about it. Considering France has a vested interest in Burma's resources. Ofcourse it would also be contradictory to China's tibet, and America's war mongering in the Middle-East.

To be perfectly Honest I was surprised that the government hadn't killed Aung San Suu Kyi.

I know it sounds stupid, but right now I would give my right testicle to be a journalist in Burma, it would be absolutely insane.

There would have been a coup if that were the case. She won with an overwhelming majority in one of the only democratic elections the country ever had.

 

[sam04u]

What is more frustrating is no other countries are willing to act unless United States lead the way.

Your ignorance is really annoying. The U.S has it's own track record of Human rights violations, taking people of the streets of France and sending them to torture camps in Egypt, Guantanamo Bay or to Abu Ghraib is an example of this. Haven't you heard what happens in Abu Ghraib and the other CIA foreign torture complexes? How about the military bases that are scattered throughout the world? Like for instance in Okinawa, where the Japanese are subjected to human rights abuses by virulent soldiers who think they're God's gift to the humanity.

The U.S led the way into Iraq all right, and they brang them democracy. Whether they wanted it or not. Killing over a million Iraqis in the process. If you knew anything this is nothing but an attack on China. (They know as well as I do that U.S economy will crash, and then China will replace it as the global super power.) Only with less foreign military bases, and less intervention into other peoples governments. Less proping up of tyrants and dictators too.

What do you think would happen if China led a campaign against the treatment of Palestinians in America's Israel? Exactly, nothing. The difference is China doesn't support the goings on in Myanmar quite the same way as America does its Israel.


Learn Moar.

 

[Aplus]

To be perfectly Honest I was surprised that the government hadn't killed Aung San Suu Kyi.

The only reason she hasn't been killed is because the Junta fears an uprising from the people, similar to that which was sparked by the death of Steve Biko in South Africa at the time of the apartheid. Also as a Nobel Peace Prize Winner and an internationally acknowledged person, this would only lead to more action by the international community and off course they don't want to be lectured by foreigners about democracy, a topic which they obviously continue to avoid and to show ignorance of the kind which no one never even thought was possible since the death of Hitler.

 

[RTTTYTR]

Why is it that the majority of the media is intent on calling Myanmar, Burma, when Burma hasn't existed since 1989?

 

[Wooz]

Most people prefer to call Myanmar as Burma as the military Junta changed the countries name. This decision has, however, not received legislative approval in Burma. The official name of the country in the Burmese language, Myanma, was never changed. Within the Burmese language, Myanma is the written, literary name of the country, while Bama or Bamar (from which “Burma” derives) is the oral, colloquial name. Burmese opposition groups continue to use the name “Burma,” since they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country.

 

[RTTTYTR]

Most people prefer to call Myanmar as Burma as the military Junta changed the countries name. This decision has, however, not received legislative approval in Burma. The official name of the country in the Burmese language, Myanma, was never changed. Within the Burmese language, Myanma is the written, literary name of the country, while Bama or Bamar (from which “Burma” derives) is the oral, colloquial name. Burmese opposition groups continue to use the name “Burma,” since they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country.

Yet, the UN accept the name as Myanmar

 

[Aplus]

Yet, the UN accept the name as Myanmar

Although several countries do not accept this name. Britain especially is strong against it.

 

[chicky_pie]

Although several countries do not accept this name. Britain especially is strong against it.

and Britain should invade Burma, cmon if it happened to Iraq, let the Burmese Army get bombed + the people desperately wants a democratic government.