The Monks and Realpolitik

Salil,

are you an indian or not. That is exactly that makes indians happy, the army beating up the monks, it is through non-violence that india achieved independance, Take it is easy salil, it is all a matter of time, peace will win eventually, when all the monks are beaten to death.

The events in Burma should be an eye opener for teh world on the role of religion. Burmese are poorer than the pakis, but there are no budhist madrassas creating the jihadis.

The non sense by the pakistanis that jihadis are a product of poverty, and not religion should see the events in Burma, how the religion changes the human response to teh same adversity.

We can see how the military dictator looted Burma (his daughter's wedding was a multi-million dollar event with diamonds worth several million dollars were showed-off in this video). This video proves that, 'power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=s6YPsycc6Lc

The continuity element of British India in Burma today is the olive green uniform of the Burmese army.

I hope India shud do what it did with Northern Alliance in Afghanistan i.e. not aligning with Taliban who ruled Afghanistan but supporting NA.

As Harish said, India shud court the junta (for NE issues) but encourage restoration of democracy there.

For once, India is doing something sensible and we see folks jumping up and down all over. Yaar India needs the junta (although it is its moral duty to support the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar) to keep a check on militancy in the North-Eastern states. The Myanmarese m,ilitary has extended full cooperation on this front by carrying out joint military operations to flush out their border regions of NE militants seeking safe havens. We need to get our NE policy right, both on the political and military front. While we will never know when the political moves will be made, at least the military move to checkmate the militants with Myanmarese help is a step in the right direction.

India must support the pro-democracy movement, but in a discreet manner without appearing to be siding with them against the junta.

The GOI's job is to look after Indian interest not play Don Quixote all over the world. Nothing will be gained and much lost by running to antagonise the Myanmar Govt. The GoI is doing the right thing- keeping mum.

Regards

Re: # 5
You cant disagree that it is not fair if India cant settle its internal disputes but champions Burmese cause. You cant disagree that the current govt. is battling with differences within its alliance and not able to manage India's current affairs which is affecting future more.

Re: # 2 [[Shame on India.]]

No, not at all... India a friend of both the parties here, unlike China. And we can't publicly take a stand here on behalf of one to the chagrin of another....

[[And so we wait, and see monks with prayers on their lips, and students with hopes in their hearts, marching towards pagodas, as soldiers armed by the Chinese beat them. And the world's largest democracy, India, does nothing.]]

Actually, India can do nothing - publicly that is. and this thing about India keeping mum because of oil or realpolitik is all simply crap. What makes you think a democratic Burma would keep India away from its oil assets any more than the junta that is dependent on China for its survival ? ...Believe me, if oil is the reason, India would be crying hoarse by now.

This is about the security and stability of our own north-east my friend. If there is one army among the neighbors of NE that has done the most to help India to keep the assorted militant outfits of the NE on check, it is the Burmese. And we can't shoot ourselves in the foot by falling for this western propaganda about India not doing anything.

It has been 19 years now since its first great movement for democracy in 1988 and 17 since Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a clear popular mandate in free elections. Yet under its Orwellian military regime, this beautiful land has sunk even further into poverty and oppression.

Myanmar was a British colony from 1886 to 1948, when the British were forced out by an independence movement led by the nationalist Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung San was assassinated in mysterious circumstances in 1947, just months before independence. After his death the country was caught in fighting between the army, Communist rebels, right wing militias and other groups.

In 1962, General Ne Win led a coup that installed the present regime.

After 17 long years of solitary confinement in her home, Aung San Suu Kyi is finally being co-opted by the West. Apparently, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has promised that, upon taking power, it will implement structural adjustments opening up huge parts of the economy to international investors.

This is new model where civilian politician work with the Juntas and allow international investments in to a country. Near Myanmar, Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan would perhaps become a partner of the military regime in Pakistan. Though in Pakistan the match made in heaven is not for international investments but to start a new alignment in the area vis-à-vis Iran.

The west’s sanctions are window dressing. Unocal has used slave labor to build pipelines in Myanmar, and little to nothing was done to stop this through the sanctions regime. Numerous corporations work in partnership with the junta. Other leading nations, like Canada, have no sanctions whatsoever and allow their companies to engage in massive resource extraction projects. Canadian mining corporations are all over Myanmar.

Salil Tripathi’s lament about Indian role is understandable. India’s role in the area is changing it is becoming an enabler of the US and would perhaps take lead in creating the alliance between the junta and Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Indian foreign Policy has always lacked balance. When India was pro Russia, it supported every Russian move in the world. Now it is changing tacks to become a US enabler. Soon we will see India supporting the US and the west everywhere in the world. The lack of balance in Indian FP is astonishing considering that it is a large democracy and can absorb the heat from the west on many issues.

Shame on India. I do not beleive that india is scarred of China. Its more to do with current govt. in power. They are worried about fighting with each other than managing the country. Thinking further, its better India keeps out of this as it could not control/settle seperatists/naxalites within its soil.

Just goes to show how much the whole world is scared of antagonizing China, which is the real power behind the Burmese Junta. I hope the Bhikshus persevere in the face of total apathy from the world. Shame on Hindus who cry out for Kashmiri Pundits, shame on Muslims who cry out for Palestinians, shame on Christians who cry out for Sudan.

Disgusting and Pathetic. Somebody please slap Pranab Mukherjee. Kutta.