2008 Woodie Awards
The world cannot allow Myanmar's dictatorship to target its own citizens
Neighboring countries should be encouraged to act
Ian Parker '10
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Most Americans would probably not recognize the name Myanmar, let alone be able to find it on a map. They can be excused for this. It is an out-of-the-way country in Southeast Asia. Its people are poor, and the country itself is ruled by a military dictatorship with next to no international respect. However, it has been in the news a lot in the past few days. Defying the brutal generals who run their country, hundreds of thousands of people have been marching through the streets of Yangon, the capital, demanding democracy. The army has started shooting and killing these unarmed protesters, including Buddhist monks.
The country has gone through this before. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning democracy activist, has been under house arrest since 1990 for her pro-democracy views. In 1988, at least 3,000 people were killed by the army in a huge crackdown. The army annulled free elections in 1990 after supporters of democracy won in a landslide. After these abuses, many countries cut their ties with Myanmar and imposed an economic embargo. This has not stopped the dictatorship from being able to stay in power.
Part of the reason the regime has lasted so long is the support it gets from neighboring countries, such as India, China, and Thailand. Myanmar has immense natural resources, including oil, and the rapidly growing economies of its neighbors need all the resources they can get. For that reason, they have been protecting Myanmar from successive U.N. resolutions protesting the oppression of the country's people. Every embargo agreement likely to pass the Security Council is vetoed by one of these countries. In exchange for oil and gas, weapons pour into Myanmar for use against its own people.
Those three countries, especially China, discourage the world from intervening in their internal affairs so often that for them to demand intervention would be hypocritical, yet this is exactly what should be done. Unless they begin to demand change in Myanmar, the country will be stuck with the same set of inept, corrupt generals, that will, in turn, lead the people to forsake peaceful protest and begin to use violence against the army. That will trigger more crackdowns on dissidents and economic instability, which will in turn jeopardize oil and gas shipments to those very same countries that have such a stake in stability. The way to get China, India, and Thailand to stop cozying up to the dictators in Myanmar is to get them to understand that it is in their own self-interest.
Southeast Asia has been one of the world's greatest success stories. Only 20 years ago, the region was abysmally poor. With globalization, macroeconomic stability, and respect for the rights of people came economic opportunity. Now, Southeast Asia is the world's fastest-growing region. Myanmar is an exception to this success story. The other countries in the region should be pushed to fix this stain on the world's conscience, and they can be, as all are dependent on U.S. investment. Threatening to withhold support from any of these countries would be enough to guarantee action.
As the freest people in the world, we owe it to the oppressed people of the world to push for their liberation. We have done all we can ourselves. Now we must push other influential nations like China, India, and Thailand to put pressure on their embarrassing neighbor. Only if the world is united will the people of Myanmar be able to strive for their freedom.
The country has gone through this before. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning democracy activist, has been under house arrest since 1990 for her pro-democracy views. In 1988, at least 3,000 people were killed by the army in a huge crackdown. The army annulled free elections in 1990 after supporters of democracy won in a landslide. After these abuses, many countries cut their ties with Myanmar and imposed an economic embargo. This has not stopped the dictatorship from being able to stay in power.
Part of the reason the regime has lasted so long is the support it gets from neighboring countries, such as India, China, and Thailand. Myanmar has immense natural resources, including oil, and the rapidly growing economies of its neighbors need all the resources they can get. For that reason, they have been protecting Myanmar from successive U.N. resolutions protesting the oppression of the country's people. Every embargo agreement likely to pass the Security Council is vetoed by one of these countries. In exchange for oil and gas, weapons pour into Myanmar for use against its own people.
Those three countries, especially China, discourage the world from intervening in their internal affairs so often that for them to demand intervention would be hypocritical, yet this is exactly what should be done. Unless they begin to demand change in Myanmar, the country will be stuck with the same set of inept, corrupt generals, that will, in turn, lead the people to forsake peaceful protest and begin to use violence against the army. That will trigger more crackdowns on dissidents and economic instability, which will in turn jeopardize oil and gas shipments to those very same countries that have such a stake in stability. The way to get China, India, and Thailand to stop cozying up to the dictators in Myanmar is to get them to understand that it is in their own self-interest.
Southeast Asia has been one of the world's greatest success stories. Only 20 years ago, the region was abysmally poor. With globalization, macroeconomic stability, and respect for the rights of people came economic opportunity. Now, Southeast Asia is the world's fastest-growing region. Myanmar is an exception to this success story. The other countries in the region should be pushed to fix this stain on the world's conscience, and they can be, as all are dependent on U.S. investment. Threatening to withhold support from any of these countries would be enough to guarantee action.
As the freest people in the world, we owe it to the oppressed people of the world to push for their liberation. We have done all we can ourselves. Now we must push other influential nations like China, India, and Thailand to put pressure on their embarrassing neighbor. Only if the world is united will the people of Myanmar be able to strive for their freedom.
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