Article published in a US newspaper by a concerned Burmese physician

CURRENT HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN MYANMAR NEEDS YOUR HELP

Recently, some of us may have noticed the disturbing news from Myanmar (formerly Burma) both in this paper and the national news media. Being a native of that country, I would like to inform the readers about the current crisis with a special appeal for help particularly from our elected officials.

For 19 years, Myanmar has been ruled by the world's most repressive military regime, after it brutally crushed a popular democratic uprising in 1988 when 3,000 people were killed, thousands imprisoned and many ran away to border areas as refugees or freedom fighters hoping to start an armed struggle against the military. Instead they were outmatched by the well equipped Myanmar army. For the last twelve years the Generals also have kept the democratic opposition leader Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, who had won the noble peace prize in 1991 for her unarmed struggle, under house arrest. Her party won the elections in 1990, the results of which were ignored by the military junta. Many concerned and well meaning countries lead by the USA had condemned the military regimen repeatedly and applied economic sanctions in the past and present.

With this background, many a time I had been asked by puzzled friends in the West. How come, the military remains in power when even the Berlin wall had fallen? And why doesn’t the population of 48 millions rises up against the 450,000 man strong military?

The first question as to why the regime survives despite the sanctions is simply because there are other nations that don’t impose sanctions, but encourage trade including sales of arms. In return they were able to buy natural resources from Burma at cheap prices through deals offered by junta led companies. Myanmar is their economic colony. The country at the top of this list is China followed by the neighboring ASEAN countries. That’s how the Military regime has avoided economic collapse but it is at the expense of the country and its citizens because it is becoming one of the poorest nations of the world, instead of the rising star it was in Southeast Asia some 60 years ago.

Events that had taken place in the last two weeks should have answered the second question as to why many prior uprisings failed. It is because, the military doesn’t hesitate a minute to shoot the peaceful unarmed demonstrators. They don’t operate under the norms that you and I understand. This time that barbaric act is more obvious when they did not hesitate to kill even the highly revered Buddhists monks who initiated the “saffron revolution” two weeks ago. Pictures of blood shed were all over the news lately. That should also put to rest some of the misconception in the West that this predominantly Buddhist nation discriminate against people of the other faiths. It is the ruthless military regimen which suppresses any individual of any faith including their own Buddhist monks as soon as one starts demanding for freedom, human rights and democracy. Earlier this week, President Bush condemned the military’s action in Burma demanding to stop the killing of unarmed protesters. He and the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown led an effort to place this matter on the agenda for discussion at the United Nations Security Council. But to no one's surprise of those who follow the Myanmar news in the last two decades that motion was vetoed by the two other permanent members of the UNSC, China and Russia, as usual. The international community is back to the helpless state again like it had been in the last 19 years.

But now, you as a conscientious human being or a friend of the Myanmar citizens can help. China is the country with most influence on the current military junta. As an emerging power and a global citizen, it should do the right thing by prevailing upon the military junta to stop the ongoing violence against its own people. It should firmly urge the junta to start working for the national reconciliation and dialogue with the imprisoned political activists including Aung San Suu Kyi which should lead to a free civil society and a democratically elected government in Burma. Otherwise its reputation as a good global citizen is at risk especially just a year before it intends to be the friendly, modern and welcoming host of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Please write letters and petition to the Chinese government and its citizens to facilitate this process by pulling the plug on the Myanmar military. Otherwise calls for boycotting the 2008 Olympics may become inevitable. Though we generally discourage using sports to win political objectives, dire events call for dire actions and the Myanmar people are in dire strait at present. Please help them. This is their only chance to make a difference after many prior failures played to the same old playbook.

Dr T.N. Oo.