Burma: Continued

With almost shockingly depressing predictability, the Burmese government has not reacted calmly or with restraint to the protests. In addition to the nine Burmese whom the government admit killing, police have apparently shot and killed Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai on camera. Mr. Nagai was 50 years old and "armed" only with a camera.

<rant>It's great that Bush has called for freezing assets of some of the military leaders, but this is only a small step. The PRC and Russia very much do not want intervention in or even actual, binding sanctions against Burma because of fears that this would set a precedent for interfering with the PRC's own conflicts in Tibet, the northwest, and its fallacious claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, or Russia's claims against Chechnya (and possible aggression against Georgia). If Bush wants to show his resolute support for democracy (and after all, that's why we're in Iraq, innit?), unilateral sanctions might not be enough. Trade sanctions on nations that do business with the military junta in Burma, however, might. The PRC is not just a market of a billion customers; it's also an economy pumping out a lot of product to unload in Wal*Mart, and if we would just take a stand and smack them in the wallets, we might actually get something accomplished.</rant>

What we're not going to get accomplished, however, is the resurrection of Kenji Nagai or the nine Burmese the government admits to killing so far. However, we can aim to get them some justice.

The Larkin Express deli, on Larkin, across from the Federal building in SF, was taken over by a very nice Burmese family about a year ago or so. I spoke briefly with the owner this afternoon, and he says it's incredibly hard to get any news right now; hopefully, the recent reinstatement of the Internet connection to Burma will help with that. He also passes on a rumor that one of the generals in charge of the security forces in Rangoon resigned when it became apparent that the junta planned to crack down violently on the protesters; he points out that any crack in the military is a good sign. I hope he's right. In the meantime, keep Burma in your thoughts.

Burma, Shaved

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?