Burma, An Acid Test of American Foreign Policy

Kanbawza Win

The wishes of the [Burmese] people need to be honored and we will continue to speak out. -George W Bush

"I am really looking forward to this trip. Alliance is an important part of our foreign policy as it accomplishes a lot of important objectives. No more important objective is continuing to fight terror, and it is going to be an important part of my discussions to renew our efforts to find those who would kill innocent people and bring them to justice, to disrupt cells, to cut off financing, to prevent the catastrophes that have taken place, that have taken innocent lives from happening again. I go with a strong determination to work with the leaders to fight terror" were the words of President Bush on his trip to Southeast Asia. As a Burmese I am happy to hear this statement as "Depayin Incident" is one of the worst terrorist acts of the region where the criminals, instigated by the Burmese military, killed over hundred of peaceful people with an intention to assassinate the Nobel Peace laureate and pro democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Burmese Generals being in the category of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein should be dealt accordingly.

The American President also said that, "An important part of the trip for me is to talk about values of freedom and democracy." As far as Burma is concerned, perhaps, President Bush does not need to talk about values, as he had already known the ASEAN values at the Bali Conference and may be have to lecture these ASEAN countries only about the government of the people, of the people for the people.

Again he said that, "One of the key agenda items on my trip is to discuss terror, and remind people we are dealing with cold-blooded killers, people who just take innocent life in order to create and instill a sense of fear. They want people to be afraid." This phrase fits in nicely with the Burmese Junta? For decades the cold blood murderers of the Burmese army has terrorize the entire people of Burma and it is high time that the international community should come to rescue the people of Burma.

President Bush has also said "I am displeased with Burma. I think Burma continues to detain a heroic figure who needs to be treated with respect. The wishes of the people need to be honored ...I believe free societies and the ability to control narcotics and terrorism go hand in hand. We will continue to press for freedom in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi is a great figure. She is a heroic woman. This country honors her and will continue to press for her freedom." We ardently hope that his coming trip would not be only a time of rhetoric but also of actions and speak in the language which the thugs in Burma understand.

Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice has said the president during his six-nation tour of Asia will be targeting on Burma. The soothing assurances given by the fellow ASEAN countries in Bali will soon melt away and will have to face the hard facts. Credit should also go to Japan who now comes to know the real intention of the Junta to hold on to power in perpetuity. In front of the twenty one world leaders at the APEC, Washington will denounced the Burmese Junta and of course the generals in Rangoon will learn a bitter lesson that in this globalized world where complex relations between nations are dictated by national interest, nothing comes without a price. Of course they will put to shame the entire Burmese nation. But the Generals and thick skin and according to the Anglo-Burman word they are Saut Shet less (less in an English word no, while Saut Shet in Burmese means shame) as long as they can retain power.

The Philippino President, Arryo has said that it was the Thaksin who always defended Burma in the Bali summit and since Bush will be meeting him, we hope that some valuable lessons would be convey to his Thai counterparts about democracy, human rights and that the Junta cannot lie all the people all the time. The Bali Conference has clearly indicated that the Southeast Asian leaders cannot solve their own problem and have trusted it to an outsider (just as the Arabs have trusted the Iraq problem). One should not be surprised for this natural consequence for ASEAN countries have a track record of supporting the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia and the Suharto against Timor. But President Bush will be facing a tough time because he will be against not only ASEAN but also China and India who give a tactic support (the population of China, India and ASEAN is more than half of the world) but against the Asian values itself for supporting tyrannical regimes all because of this little country called Burma lead by a handful of naughty generals.

The views expressed here are solely the opinion of the author. (Kao-Wao Editor)