Wolfman
Chief Solipsistic, Autosycophant
I've been following the news about developments in Myanmar (formerly Burma) quite closely; I've visited there twice, and have several good friends there. Outside of China, it is one of my favorite places on the planet. It also, sadly, is governed by a military dictatorship that makes China look downright democratic by comparison.
Myanmar is, in my opinion, is an inspiring story of human persistence in the face of oppression. It is also an incredibly depressing story of inaction and ignorance from the rest of the world. Everyone knows the story of how Nelson Mandela suffered in prison for many years while seeking equality for his people; yet almost nobody even knows the name of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar woman (the daughter of the man who negotiated Myanmar's independence, and the main symbol of freedom for the people of Myanmar) who has spent 17 years detained by the government.
Everyone knows about the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989; yet I'll bet that almost nobody on this board, even those who consider themselves to be fairly well politically informed, are aware of the massacre that took place one year before that, in Myanmar. Same situation -- citizens protesting peacefully. Result -- a massacre that killed considerably more people than were killed in Tiananmen Square.
Today, on the streets of Myanmar, history is being re-enacted. In the face of threats from the government, and the full knowledge that they could be imprisoned/killed for their actions, more than 100,000 people are on the streets, holding a peaceful protest calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, and for greater freedom. They are led by Buddhist monks, who are acting literally as human shields (Myanmar is a devoutly Buddhist country, and the authorities will be less likely to shoot at them).
In the West, this is being virtually ignored. The media mentions it occasionally, but I see little or no public discussion, much less expressions of outrage or moral indignation. If something like this were to happen in China on a much smaller scale, it would garner international attention, and huge political pressure. But Myanmar?
Who cares?
Ironically, one of the main reasons that the government has not yet acted against these protesters is because of political pressure from -- guess who -- China. Myanmar is an important Chinese trading partner, particularly in regards to oil, and they don't want to see their supplies threatened by a civil war, or other such political instability.
Which leads to one of the most ironic political situations in the world today. The U.S., a democratic nation, has traditionally supported and sustained repressive regimes in order to guarantee their oil supplies (look at pre-war Saddam as an example). Now, we have China, a non-democratic dictatorship, supporting a democratic movement (and opposing actions by the military government) in order to guarantee their oil supplies.
No, I'm not implying any moral superiority here; it is all about politics and economics. In the end, both the U.S. and China make their foreign policy decisions based on what is perceived as their best political/economic interest. Both countries will support "democracy" and "freedom" when it is politically/economically convenient to do so; both countries will support dictatorships and repression when it is politically/economically convenient to do so.
But...if the 17 year imprisonment of a woman who speaks for freedom doesn't get people stirred up; if the massacre in 1988 of hundreds of protesters, and today's similar demonstrations of over 100,000 people who know they could face a similar fate doesn't make your heart heavy...
...should not the fact that the number one force protecting these demonstrators is China instill in us a sense of shame? While Western countries can't even be bothered, apparently, to comment on it, much less get involved?
These people, at the very least, deserve to be noticed and acknowledged by the rest of the world. They deserve at the very least to have our moral support, our acknowledgment of what they are fighting for, and the risks they are facing. They should not be relegated to "other news" somewhere in the middle of the newspaper, or used as filler in a news broadcast when there isn't enough news about Britney Spears.
They deserve to know that they're not alone. That although our governments may make their decisions and determine their policies based on political expediencies, that we ourselves care enough to at least pay attention to what they are doing, and inform ourselves about their situation. They are people fighting for freedom, who are fighting for change...
...and the rest of the world just ignores them.
Myanmar is, in my opinion, is an inspiring story of human persistence in the face of oppression. It is also an incredibly depressing story of inaction and ignorance from the rest of the world. Everyone knows the story of how Nelson Mandela suffered in prison for many years while seeking equality for his people; yet almost nobody even knows the name of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar woman (the daughter of the man who negotiated Myanmar's independence, and the main symbol of freedom for the people of Myanmar) who has spent 17 years detained by the government.
Everyone knows about the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989; yet I'll bet that almost nobody on this board, even those who consider themselves to be fairly well politically informed, are aware of the massacre that took place one year before that, in Myanmar. Same situation -- citizens protesting peacefully. Result -- a massacre that killed considerably more people than were killed in Tiananmen Square.
Today, on the streets of Myanmar, history is being re-enacted. In the face of threats from the government, and the full knowledge that they could be imprisoned/killed for their actions, more than 100,000 people are on the streets, holding a peaceful protest calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, and for greater freedom. They are led by Buddhist monks, who are acting literally as human shields (Myanmar is a devoutly Buddhist country, and the authorities will be less likely to shoot at them).
In the West, this is being virtually ignored. The media mentions it occasionally, but I see little or no public discussion, much less expressions of outrage or moral indignation. If something like this were to happen in China on a much smaller scale, it would garner international attention, and huge political pressure. But Myanmar?
Who cares?
Ironically, one of the main reasons that the government has not yet acted against these protesters is because of political pressure from -- guess who -- China. Myanmar is an important Chinese trading partner, particularly in regards to oil, and they don't want to see their supplies threatened by a civil war, or other such political instability.
Which leads to one of the most ironic political situations in the world today. The U.S., a democratic nation, has traditionally supported and sustained repressive regimes in order to guarantee their oil supplies (look at pre-war Saddam as an example). Now, we have China, a non-democratic dictatorship, supporting a democratic movement (and opposing actions by the military government) in order to guarantee their oil supplies.
No, I'm not implying any moral superiority here; it is all about politics and economics. In the end, both the U.S. and China make their foreign policy decisions based on what is perceived as their best political/economic interest. Both countries will support "democracy" and "freedom" when it is politically/economically convenient to do so; both countries will support dictatorships and repression when it is politically/economically convenient to do so.
But...if the 17 year imprisonment of a woman who speaks for freedom doesn't get people stirred up; if the massacre in 1988 of hundreds of protesters, and today's similar demonstrations of over 100,000 people who know they could face a similar fate doesn't make your heart heavy...
...should not the fact that the number one force protecting these demonstrators is China instill in us a sense of shame? While Western countries can't even be bothered, apparently, to comment on it, much less get involved?
These people, at the very least, deserve to be noticed and acknowledged by the rest of the world. They deserve at the very least to have our moral support, our acknowledgment of what they are fighting for, and the risks they are facing. They should not be relegated to "other news" somewhere in the middle of the newspaper, or used as filler in a news broadcast when there isn't enough news about Britney Spears.
They deserve to know that they're not alone. That although our governments may make their decisions and determine their policies based on political expediencies, that we ourselves care enough to at least pay attention to what they are doing, and inform ourselves about their situation. They are people fighting for freedom, who are fighting for change...
...and the rest of the world just ignores them.
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