Burma: Time to get tough?

Source : BBC Talking Point



International criticism of Burma's military regime is growing with the treatment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi raising widespread concern.

Ten years ago her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won an overwhelming 85% of the vote in general elections. But the military ignored the result and instead intensified its campaign of repression.

Sanctions against Burma

EU: Ban on non-humanitarian aid
EU: Visa restrictions
EU: Total arms embargo
US: Ban on all new investment
JAPAN: Believes 'constructive engagement' is the way forward At independence in 1948 Burma was one of the richest countries in South-East Asia. Today it is amongst the poorest in the world with regular reports of mass detentions and the widespread use of slave labour.

In the past decade foreign investment in Burma has increased with foreign oil firms continuing to invest in projects that will earn the regime millions of dollars.

The NLD has called for a total ban on all new investment - a request which so far only the United States has followed.

Is it now time to get tough with Burma's generals? Should we tighten sanctions, or will that just make the lives or ordinary Burmese even harder? Or should we instead pursue the line of dialogue and constructive engagement with Burma's rulers? What do you think?

The situation in Burma should never been allowed to reach this level. No society in the modern world needs a Military dictatorship over a bunch of poor farmers.
1. Henry Linneweh, USA

Given Burma's internal difficulties with separatist groups, Aung San Suu Kyi should be doused with a bucket of realism and made to face the fact that there is little likelihood that she would be able to keep Burma together in relative peace without the support of the military government. Unfortunately, she has chosen to ignore this by repeatedly rejecting any for of co-operative effort extended by the Government.
2. MC Yap, Malaysia



I believe imposing economic sanctions would be counter-productive. The regime would never back down when it knows their very own existence will be in danger upon doing so. There has to be an agreement.
3. Alex, Australia

Sanctions do not work. This has been proved time and gain around the world. Only the people suffer. Mynamar has enough natural resources that it can easily sell to keep the military rulers in the comfort they have become accustomed too. By keeping the people poor they are easier to control. Relax sanctions encourage tourism, this will increase the wealth of the people, then they will begin to question how their taxes are spent and how their leaders live. At the moment the people of Burma are too poor to care all they worry about is getting through the day with enough to live on. I know I just came back from there.
4. Keith, Hong Kong,

As a Burmese, I know what is like to live under dictatorship. I have felt the darkest truth. I have also known the mentality of the Burmese military. From my point of view, economic sanctions only affect ordinary people.
5. Y. M. Kyi, USA

I don't know much about Burma but at the end of the day it is only the people of that country (or any other dictatorship) that can return it to democracy.
6. Steve, England

The military junta will probably stay in power even if the sanctions against Burma are tightened. Look at Iraq, after years of sanctions Saddam Hussein is still in power. The only ones who suffer are the people.
7. Anne Carr, Norway

Having lived 15 years in Asia, I strongly feel that it is high time to take firm action against the Burmese junta. Economic blockades will only hit the poor. A political isolation like the one imposed on Libya would be the way to go. Freeze them out. All dictators have big egos. That is where to hit them.
7. H. Nyqvist, Philippines

I agree that the Western concept of human rights is not universal. Human rights need to be redefined. Democratic reform is not always the solution either. The West definitely does not have all the answers and acts in a very ethnocentric manner. But no one in their right mind could use that to defend the military regime in Burma.
8. Hilde Torvik, Norway

Mr Hume asserts that there are no absolute measures by which a country can be judged. One can equally assert that there are such measures or criteria to be found in the great religions of the world - Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity etc. However I suggest he reads Aung San Suu Kyi's own books in which she addresses this very point. Effectively she says that to propose that Western values such as democracy and human rights have no place in Asia is the worst kind of post-colonial paternalism. The people of Burma have a right to the same kinds of freedoms as we enjoy in the West.
9. Nicolas J. Bellord, Portugal

Although human rights language is a Western construct, a conception of oppression is common to many cultures. Similarly, an absence of oppression is not only desirable in Western cultures. The argument that human rights discourse is cultural imperialism attacks the messenger, not the message.
10. Karl Popper, Oxford, England

Human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration are applicable to the whole human race. Anyone who thinks that Asian values and the values of liberal democracy are incompatible should read the writings of Aung San Suu Kyi. She is a true hero for all of us who value human rights.
11. John Saunders, UK

It seems a little rich that we should be interfering in a country half-way 'round the world, where very few UK nationals are affected, yet we are unwilling to even make representation, it seems, with our neighbour France, where considerable grief is currently being inflicted on our nationals due to their unwarranted fuel blockade.
12. Ian Sharp, UK

There's a big difference between a country's political regime and its people! You're not imposing sanctions on governments, you're doing so only on poor people who have nothing to do with their leaders' actions. Leaders are always there, no matter what you do, whereas the people suffer when it's not their fault.
13. Moataz M. Abou-Eita, Cairo, Egypt

The time to act is now. The power of the military regime has been grossly overestimated. For example, the Myanmar military budget is only $39 million. Any sort of democratic revolution would push the regime over like a house or cards.
14. Alex Trott, England

It is high time to get tough with Burma and for that matter with the majority of South East Asian countries that accepted Burma into ASEAN, a position that Burma uses now as an example of non criticism of its government. The ASEAN is a bad club consisting of bad governments with the possible exclusion of Thailand. Suu Kyi is of course a high profile media case but the real tragedy of Burma and the reason why we should get tough is the horrendous treatment of the citizens there. It is another example of a rich country being ravaged by savage regime. I feel sorry for the populations of those rich countries having to fight to get a bowl of rice while their oppressors (governments) bath in milk and honey like in the probably second richest country of the world-Indonesia.
15. Miklos Nomad, Hungary

We should take action but we won't. The government are not interested in human lives, only money counts. If the UK were to lose money through inaction then we would be leading the way but our investments make those who have the ear of the government richer so our corrupt nation will do nothing.
16. G Anderson, UK

Max Weber, Austria David Hume must take after his namesake, the late philosopher, because his point is poignant. The third world is almost fed up with the Western moralists imposing their relative values on countries that do not concern them. The Western perception of human rights can not be judged against Asian, particularly by people who have never let the comfort of their first world affluence. Wealth should not give the West a right to express morally imperialistic attitudes in situations it can not possibly understand, particularly as much of that wealth stems from exploitation and the sale of weapons to anybody who wants them. The hypocrisy is sickening.
17. Max Weber, Austria

It seems overdue to tackle this regime that has been proven not to listen to the democratically chosen new leader some 10 years ago. Of course we should try a massive diplomatic offensive mainly not to be condemned by the generals later. With such effort they may save face and democratic elections can be held to again prove that the NLD must rule. When this is implemented we need lots of peacekeepers etc. If this diplomatic effort fails, there is only one remaining solution and that is complete economic sanctions.
18. Han de Min, UK

By placing sanctions on Burma, we would do little other than harm innocent little children. Also, it would suggest to the problematic Burmese regime that the West isn't serious about ending their rule. Ergo, our only choice is to take military action. We must, if necessary, destroy parts of that nation in order to save it.
19. Mary Wollstonecraft, England

Why is the West so perfectly sure that it knows how to run the world? There is NO absolute measure by which a country can be judged, and the attempts of the West to impose their own views can only be seen as expressions of a spiritless, emotionally arrogant "culture".
20. David Hume, UK

Why can't the mighty West put a stop to these tyrants everywhere? Look at Africa. Be warned. The load is going to be even heavier unless some drastic action is taken. Your conscience is at stake.
21. Chege A, Kenya