MYANMAR CRISIS

MYANMAR CRISIS
The existing crisis situation in Myanmar reached into the climax and the world’s attention centered on the oil and gas rich country in south eastern Asia after the suppression made by the ruling military junta against the anti government protests held in the Capital city Yangoon on the 27th of September. It took 13 lives of the protesters including a Japanese journalist and thousands of detainees in the custody. Antipathy towards the government initially emerged with a huge demonstration on the 19th of August as a result of increasing fuel prices and followed by wave of protests but ultimately it was turned into the decades long general struggle for democracy. The majority Myanmar’s population are Buddhists where the effective participation of the Buddhist monks in the ongoing anti government protests drew an extra attention on the issue highlighted in the western corperate media. Although according to the announcement made by the Myanmar military regime as regards the incidents occurred on the 29th of September said that 13 killed in action and 2000 arrested, but the toll was much higher comply with the information of National League for Democracy. The prevailing conflict situation draws an unprecedented attention towards Myanmar and subjected to being imposed a special resolution including political and economical sanctions in the United Nations mainly orchestrated by the United States. It should be noted that Myanmar has been undergoing UN imposed sanctions nearly for 20 years since the military seized power in 1988 and specially after refusing to recognize the 1990 election results where the National League for Democracy under the leader ship of Aung San Suu Kyi won overwhelmingly by gaining 392 parliament seats out of 492 but prevented assuming the role of the government.

Abraham Gambari the special envoy nominated by the United Nations on Myanmar debate visited Myanmar twice in which he had discussions with the generals of Myanmar and Aung San Su Ki as well who is under house arrest. It was very clear that he focused on China, India and Thailand as the most influential members among the ASEAN on Myanmar. It should be noted that 90 per cent of the annual production of natural gas in Myanmar exports to Thailand and China is the major trading partner for the last 20 years. In 2006-2007 India Myanmar trade was estimated US $650 million where China met this at US$1145 billion in 2004-2005. Till recently almost 80 per cent of Myanmar’s defense equipments supplied by the Chinese government and India is slowly becoming a regular supplier of arms to Myanmar , joining the ranks of China, Russia and Ukraine. According to the said objective goals of UN envoy Gambari that is to open up discussions between the ruling military leaders and the house arrested Aung San Su Ki for the sake of reconciliation and restoration of democracy in Myanmar and release Suu Kyi from house arrest with the rest of the political prisoners mostly members of the National League for Democracy beforehand. To achieve this goal apart from the sanctions and imposing a special resolution by using the present conflict which falls under the humanitarian grounds and Myanmar people’s absolute thirst for democracy, Gambari hopes to pressurize China, India and Thailand diplomatically as well as morally who are the major political, military and economical allies of Myanmar. On the other hand he expects to influence other ASEAN members to fulfill the program in accordance with his agenda as since 1996 Myanmar has also been a member of ASEAN.

Interestingly, in his 15 minutes speech made by the United States president George W Bush at the beginning of the general assembly’s 62nd formal session of the United Nations in last September, specially emphasized that the US was “outraged” by human rights violations committed by Myanmar’s military rule and would tighten sanctions against Myanmar and their financial backers with imposing an expanded visa ban on the military leaders. Before that, the first lady in US, Laura Bush urged the general secretary of United Nations Ban Ki-Moon to take necessary Security Council actions against the ruling military leaders. At the moment the approved US$4.7 million in business aid to Myanmar has been suspended by the Japanese government and a decision made by the European Union to stop importing wood, precious stones and gem except gas and oil. In the mean time the French president Nicolas Sarkozy urged French firms including the oil company Total, to freeze investment in Myanmar, where, French Total, US Chevron with some other 9 onshore and 9 offshore oil and gas companies are involved in exploration, discovering and distributing within Myanmar after the Myanmar authorities intensified the opening blocks to foreign companies since the end of 2004. As a matter of concern these facts are to be considered deeply as interconnected unfolding actions comply with the policy implementation in the region by the US by pressurizing United Nations and rest of the world including European Union towards its goals.

In contrary with the ambition of the US on Myanmar, the Chinese High Commissioner for the United Nations, Wang Guangya stated that a reasonable solution cannot be implemented by imposing sanctions and furthermore he stated that the present crisis situation in Myanmar is not a threat to the global peace or security measures. It is well known that China’s veto has been regularly employed in the Security Council to block action that might be taken against the Myanmar government. The text of some resolutions prepared by the UN, on Myanmar, had to be diluted during the process, to get approved by China. On the other hand the Myanmar regime ordered the expulsion of the top UN diplomat in the country, the UN resident co-coordinator Charles petric, the intervention in internal matters.

The military leaders indicated to the UN that its interference in internal affairs of Myanmar is not tolerated. The UN envoy Gambari was not very welcomed in Myanmar. It is clear that the UN will not be successful in continuing to visit Myanmar and issue statements against the Military leaders. The military leaders showed flexibility and agreed to meet and discuss the problems with Syu ki.

US leaders issued statements condemning the military leaders. They ignored them as the US has been identified as a country applying double standard regarding isues on democracy.

The intention of the US leaders is undoubtably to embarasse the China by branding that country is supporting an undemocratic regime. The US has been supporting undemocratic regimes since the end of world war 2. At present it is supporting undemocratic regimes in the middle east. Not only Myanmar and China even India ignored US concerns.

Mynmar is very much linked to the national interests of China and India. China has laid down a pipe line to pump oil to china through Burma savin not only money but also avoiding any threats to its tankers in the sea rout from Myanmar to China.

The US leadership understands now that they are very late to establish links with Myanmar. They did the same mistake ignoring Vietnam after the humiliating defeat in 1975. While the US was ignoring these two countries European Union, Japan,China and India established links with them and started joint ventrues that were beneficial for both sides.

The US attempts to adopt UN security council resolutions imposing economic or political sanctions against Myanmar will certainly be vetoed by China and Russia. The only superpower is confronted with opposition. The world is against global policemen, and is marching forward towards peaceful co-existence.