Attn: people interested in Political Science: fix your eyes on Burma/Myanmar, where an astounding march of around 20,000 Buddhist monks (and nuns) met to pray with the democratically elected leader, Suu Kyi, at the house where she's been under house arrest since 2003. So far, the military junta has not taken any drastic measure to curb the monks, which might be viewed as either a sign of lack of resolve or a willingness to consider the end of military rule (don't hold your breath for the latter).
The situation in Burma/Myanmar is made all the more interesting in light of the recent indictment in Cambodia of Nuon Chea, sometimes called Brother Number Two, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The leaders of Burma's military junta must be wondering which way things will go if they surrender power to the civilians: will it be the Reconciliation of South Africa or the trials of Cambodia? There is no doubt that the junta has done terrible things to stay in power; dare they risk returning power at this point? Ever? Do they have a choice?
9.23.2007
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The burueacratic response was bloody as expected. I'm still seeing the poignant picture of the wounded Japanese photographer lying there still talking pictures of the protesters under fire...he later died of his wounds. Americans, by and large, have only a disassociated understanding of the term freedom. They protest civil rights violations from a safety unknown to half the worlds population.
You're right, and the point is made tremendously clear when we see people who don't have these basic freedoms trying to win them while standing in front of gun barrels. You know, it's almost enough to make you want to organize a rally just for the sheer joy of utilizing the right of the people peaceably to assemble.
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