Further to my previous posts on the UN Security Council vote on Burma, Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu has now been widely quoted in the South African media. He does not mince his words:
I am deeply disappointed by our vote. It is a betrayal of our own noble past. Many in the international community can hardly believe it. It is inexplicable…The tyrannical military regime is gloating, and we sided with them…
16 responses so far ↓
1 White Elephant // Jan 23, 2007 at 11:21 am
Burma presents little international threat! The UN bill would have set a very controversial precedent for other UN member nations if it went through (–tantamount on giving some justification for Iraq!) What is the motivation for the US & UK to free Burma? Totally post material and humane, sure! Not at all as ethically sound as the conspiracy theories attached to China, Russia and South Africa’s rejection!
Yes, the Burmese situation is horrible, but there are countless other horrible situations within nations all over the world. Archbishop Tutu’s opinions on Zimbabwe, Swaziland and even South Africa are not given weight in countries more local to him because he is a humanist and does not accept the aspect of cruelty being necessary for state survival. Do people in development forget that we still live in a state based international system?!
It is a betrayal of our own noble past.
Hardly! Mandela & the ANC did not need international support to initially free itself from apartheid!
Surely nations who have been through a process of self-determination are much more likely to be stronger communicative bodies in the international system and not become pseudo NIE’s for the free market West. Therefore if the diabolical situation in Burma is to stop, Burmese must liberate themselves. If our fingers get deeper into the pie, surely Burmese people will be still subject to an oppression we ironically ‘gave them’ subsequently causing another facet of Burmese social disintegration.
sincerely hanging onto the world government dream,
White Elephant
2 Aung Kyaw // Jan 24, 2007 at 10:38 am
Well, that argument is up for grabs. UNSC, particularly in recent years, has acted in cases where countries that did not pose international security threats but had internal domestic problems had resolutions passed to deal with such problems. This year, UNSC passed a resolution for the Ivory Coast, which like Burma, faces a similar situation, including large-scale civilian suffering and displacement and an civil war. In addition, depending on opinion, some may see Burma as posing an international threat to security in the region, as 5 major strains of HIV originate in Burma, and drugs/human trafficking.
3 White Elephant // Jan 24, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Sure, there is an international security issue in regards to the spread of disease and the cultivation of an illicit drug trade, however these have yet to result in situations anywhere near the problems occurring on the west coast of Africa where there was often no stability whatsoever. That there were an estimated 300,000+ victims of a ‘civil war’ (where largely there was only one ethnic group falling victim) between 2001 and early 2004 in the Ivory Coast elevates it’s urgency in regards to levels of injustice in my limited opinion! Also that the Ivory Coast is surrounded by Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and to a lesser problematic extent, Ghana makes a UNSC resolution much more pivotal for regional security. Comparatively Burma is situated between the reasonably stable India and China (and a Thailand which is perhaps becoming not such a good example!)
So in regards to there not being a generally accepted line drawn for necessary resolutions/intervention presently; in the interim, rather than seeking help from politically impotent international mediums, wouldn’t it be much more prudent for resistance in Burma to pursue support from regional neighbours like India? The Indian philosophy of state power appears much more predisposed to what us in the West would consider rationale. Has this sort of support ever been sought from an organised external opposition? Persisting with these African comparisons, look at the job the Ethiopian army did with this mock Islamic Somali governance!
Also I’m not sure about these accusations in other posts on the New Mandela of “Chinese” (surely dubious Chinese officials) infringement or support of corruption — but with a more legitimate form of governance, the ACTFA agreements should surely be of beneficial nature to Burmese development?!
I agree with Kyi May Kaung …
….To my mind, sanctions in the case of Burma are meant to send a message, to hurt but not to totally bring down a regime. When a tourism ban to Burma was first discussed in the early 1990s by one of the very first Burmese activist groups, the Canadian Friends of Burma, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, the junta will understand nothing except what hurts their pocket book; on the other, total isolation might not be the best idea. Burma-born economist Ronald Findlay, who is an international trade theorist, told me at the time that “sanctions are for an ethical or moral reason.” Later, at an Open Society Institute event in 2004, he said, “Collapse is not an economic term.” By this I think he meant that a nation can go on for decades without a regime change, hanging on at the survival level.
4 Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Myamar: South Africa’s Support for Burmese UN Vote // Jan 25, 2007 at 1:51 am
[...] New Mandala highlights South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s remarks on his government’s vote against the US and British backed UN Security Council resolution on Myanmar. Preetam Rai [...]
5 Fabian // Jan 25, 2007 at 7:57 am
Absolutely. Other nations should just sit back whilst people suffer under oppressive regimes. We have no moral or legal obligation to do anything so why bother? People get the government they deserve, right?
6 [him] moderator // Jan 28, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Desmond Tutu sometimes gets his facts wrong. See http://him.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2007/1/9/2624978.html Nobel prizes are not given for getting your facts right.
7 Africa Addio // Feb 13, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Nobody who knows the truth about the ANC (’saint’ mandela included for that matter) should be surprised at this. They only used ‘demockery’ as a Trojan Horse to take power – they are a corrupt criminal terrorist-loving organisation so naturally they would support all other governments of that ilk.
8 ryan reagler // Feb 23, 2007 at 11:23 am
i think that this was very wrongful of what they did.
9 Paul Sidwell // Feb 24, 2007 at 8:58 am
Myanmar, under the military junta, is exercising self determination, free from considerations of foreign interests, not hostage to foreign capital, military threats or ideologies. It is the ultimate anti-globalist strategy. To isolate with sanctions can only reinforce the mentality of the Burmese elite. Engagement, free movement of people, goods and information is the real threat to the regime, but the tide is already beginning to turn with the US overplaying its hand in the mid-east, and a new wave of self-determination and respect may spell doom for the Burmese peoples.
10 Burma » Blog Archive » The Shan State Army // Mar 24, 2007 at 6:49 pm
[...] To my mind, sanctions in the case of Burma are meant to send a message, to hurt but not to totally bring down a regime. When a tourism ban to Burma was first discussed in the early 1990s by one of the very first Burmese activist groups, … – more – [...]
11 Burma » Blog Archive » Comment on Tutu on South Africa s Burma vote by Paul Sidwell // Mar 25, 2007 at 6:53 pm
[...] elite. Engagement, free movement of people, goods and information is the real threat to the regime, but the tide is already beginning to turn with the US … – more – [...]
12 a nonymous // Mar 25, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s PA says he does not claim to be an expert
http://him.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2007/1/30/2686857.html
13 Burma » Blog Archive » Tutu on South Africa s Burma vote // Mar 26, 2007 at 7:04 pm
[...] , Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu has now been widely quoted in the South African media. He does not mince his words:. I am deeply disappointed by our vote. … – more – [...]
14 Burma » Blog Archive » Burma Government May Move to Abolish Christianity // Apr 2, 2007 at 6:49 pm
[...] Further to my previous posts on the UN Security Council vote on Burma, Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu has now been widely quoted in the South African media. He does not mince his words:. I am deeply disappointed by our vote. … – more – [...]
15 Burma » Blog Archive » Comment on Tutu on South Africa s Burma vote by a nonymous // Apr 4, 2007 at 6:55 pm
[...] Archbishop Desmond Tutu s PA says he does not claim to be an expert. http://him.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2007/1/30/2686857.html. – more – [...]
16 Burma » Blog Archive » Comment on Tutu on South Africa s Burma vote by Burma Blog … // Apr 9, 2007 at 6:36 pm
[...] [ ] elite. Engagement, free movement of people, goods and information is the real threat to the regime, but the tide is already beginning to turn with the US more [ ] – more – [...]
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