UN must intervene in Myanmar

Steve Keller Guest Writer

On the other side of the world is an oppressed nation of nearly 50 million people living under the iron fist of a military junta. Myanmar, formally known as Burma, is in the midst of crisis after twenty years of totalitarian rule.

When Myanmar gained its independence from Britain in 1948, it was one of the richest nations in Southeast Asia. In 1962, General Ne Win toppled the elected government and set Burma on a course toward desperation. In 1988, this junta was replaced by another junta. Protests that year led to over 3,000 people’s deaths at the hands of the government. In 1990, elections were held and the public overwhelmingly voted in support of Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s New Democracy Party. But the regime refused to cede power. They imprisoned Suu Kyi and her supporters, and for the last 17 years, there has been no substantive progress toward democracy. General Than Shwe now is the leader of the totalitarian state and shows no signs of abdicating his position.

Last month, thousands of monks began marching through the streets of Rangoon and other cities in Myanmar to protest the regime. Their movement became so large it could almost be called a revolution. Just a few days ago, however, government forces fired into the crowds to disperse them. The monks scattered and retreated to their monasteries, some of which were looted by the army. The streets were cleared and barricaded, and the Internet was shut down to prevent communications into and out of the country. The official death toll, according to the junta, was 13. The world wondered whether or not this figure was accurate.

On Monday, the true number of deaths was revealed. As reported by Britain’s The Daily Mail, the death toll in Myanmar may be in the thousands. Hla Win, a military defector from the regime, said that monks are being rounded up, beaten, and burned, after which their bodies are thrown into the jungle. “Many more people have been killed in recent days than you've heard about. The bodies can be counted in several thousands," said the Colonel.

The inaction of the West and other free nations in dealing with these atrocities is inexcusaable. Though blood runs through the streets of Rangoon, monks lie trapped in their ravaged monasteries, and the people live in destitute poverty, the international community has nothing more to offer than spineless criticism. The free world has yet to show true solidarity with the people of Myanmar. It is the obligation of free nations to assist pro-democracy movements as they agitate against totalitarianism and murder. The world can only watch the slaughter for so long before intervention becomes imperative.

It is true that imposing democracy on nations can be a catastrophic mistake; failed attempts to intervene in Iraq and South Vietnam have shown this ito be the case. But when the world ignores a massacre like this, it is shameful. For too long have the democracies of the world turned a blind eye to grassroots democratic movements, and this “Saffron Revolution” in Myanmar is just the latest in a string of reformist groups the West has abandoned.

The United Nations must act to avenge this horror. Right now, there is a special U.N. envoy in Myanmar to try to negotiate peace between the two ruling parties. But that envoy is not going to bring about democracy on its own. And clearly, the Myanmar people can’t either.

That doesn’t mean that we should impose more sanctions. Sanctions do not work. They hurt the people more than they hurt the leaders. Minor economic sanctions have been placed on the regime since the early 1990s, but this has not precipitated any change in Than Shwe’s behavior. Increasing the sanctions is a possibility, but the simple fact is that this solution would take too long to implement. Innocent people are being killed now. The regime hasn’t yet had time to wash the blood from its hands because it is still burying the dead in the jungle.

We must forgo diplomacy and act now. Talking to leaders works sometimes. But actions often send a clearer message than words do. The United Nations must send a taskforce into Myanmar and dismatle the military regime. At this point, there is no other way to prevent another 20 years of oppression.

When the world acts decisively, and together, democracy can blossom. Should the world fail now, there may not be another chance for many years.