Lets start with something current: Burma or Myanmar
A random stranger sent me an email today asking me to sign a petition to put pressure on the Burmese government, and their ally China, to change their oppressive path.
I will refuse to sign this petition for the sole reason* that I do not feel that the Burmese situation should be used as a stick to beat China with.
* Another reason is that I refuse to click on a link from a random stranger’s email.
Some quarters in the West, are using this as another excuse to browbeat China, to the extent of suggesting a boycott of the Olympics over this issue. Taiwan is also making a big deal out of this situation to score political points over China. A distraction from the disgrace of them missing out on the route of the Olympic torch.
Just because most of the world feels completely impotent when dealing with the Burmese military government, does not make it right for them to punish those people who do have some leverage with the junta. They should reflect on their historical role, and past conduct on why the situation has gotten to this stage.
Yes, China should be putting pressure on the Burmese junta. I am quite sure a quiet word behind the scenes with China would do much more than this desperate diplomacy. They are more likely to anger certain people and get no results out of it.
China might yet be a major part of an eventual solution by offering the Burmese military leaders a place to exile to after a transition to democracy.
On a related note, it is heartening to see Roman-Catholics in the Philippines, and Muslims in Indonesia protest at their respective Burmese embassies against the crackdown on the Buddhist monks and population.
The Filipinos liken it to their people’s revolution that brought down Marcos, likening Aung San Suu Kyi to Corazon Aquino. Perhaps if the Burmese student’s protests in 1988 had succeeded, the parallels would be closer.
I can respect Aung San Suu Kyi for the fact that she withstood the military junta for all these years and did not succumb to being their tool. However, I am not sure whether any of her decisions and actions have actually helped the Burmese peoples’ cause.
What about Singapore? The Singapore Government have put themselves forward more than usually to support the UN Envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s mission to Burma. A distinct difference from their usual stance towards ASEAN members.
What of the people? No protest at all. A handful of petitions going round, most notably a politically motivated one by opposition politician Dr. Chee Soon Juan. Not a sound from any notable Buddhist leaders.
The local laws controlling protests have successfully ingrained in us an aversion to even protesting for a foreign good cause, inline with the Government’s stance, at that.
Is it that most Singaporeans are politically ignorant? Quite likely. Are we politically apathetic? Almost certainly. Have we gotten used to the idea that force is a tool to suppress protests? Do we feel that governments are too strong to be toppled by protests?
I am interested to know is whether Singaporeans feel that the Burmese monks and protesters are fools to even think they can stand up to a military junta. That would really reflect on us, as a population.
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