CRACKDOWN: Riot police and soldiers patrol Yangon streets to block anti-government protests first led by Buddhist monks. The military confined many monks to their monasteries.(Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images)The streets of Yangon are quiet as the diplomat arrives to meet with military rulers after their crackdown on protesters.
September 30, 2007
By Henry Chu,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
NEW DELHI -- A U.N. special envoy arrived in Myanmar on Saturday for talks with the country's military rulers, whose ruthless crackdown on anti-government protesters has sparked international outrage.
The streets of Myanmar's main city, Yangon, were virtually empty of demonstrators for the first time in nearly two weeks and devoid of the gunfire and chaos that marked three days of violent suppression by soldiers and police. Security forces continued to patrol and seal off parts of the city, including the Buddhist monasteries whose monks spearheaded the protests.
After landing in Yangon on Saturday afternoon, United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari immediately traveled to the new capital of Naypyidaw, near Pyinmana about 200 miles to the north, where the generals who rule Myanmar live in relative isolation from the people.
Details of Gambari's schedule were not available, nor was it clear whether he would be allowed to visit pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is under house arrest and has been detained for most of the last 18 years.
"I expect to meet all the people that I need to meet," Gambari said in Singapore before departing for Myanmar, also known as Burma. He did not elaborate.
In Washington, Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, urged Myanmar's leaders to give Gambari "access to all those he wishes to meet with, including religious leaders as well as Aung San Suu Kyi."
Analysts question how much Gambari, a former Nigerian foreign minister, can achieve in talks with an iron-fisted junta that has repeatedly shown itself impervious to outside pressure.
His mission to Myanmar reflects the growing international concern and anger over the generals' brutal clampdown on protesters, in which the government acknowledges that 10 people have been killed. Diplomats and dissident groups estimate the death toll to be many times that figure, as high as 200.
Some observers feared a repeat of a 1988 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in which an estimated 3,000 people were killed.
The demonstrations began last month in response to steep fuel price increases but soon became an outlet for anger over 45 years of autocratic military rule. Last week, as many as 100,000 people marched in central Yangon, also known as Rangoon, including a large number of monks, who are revered in this predominantly Buddhist country.
The uneasy quiet on Yangon's streets Saturday, however, suggested that the armed crackdown that began Wednesday may have succeeded in containing the biggest challenge to the military's rule in nearly 20 years.
"Peace and stability has been restored," state-run newspapers said. The authorities had handled the protests "with care, using the least possible force."
Small groups gathered to taunt and curse soldiers and police but quickly escaped through alleyways when authorities began to charge, the Reuters news service reported.
Internet connections remained cut off, constricting the flow of photographs and video that had helped galvanize world opinion against the junta.
"The strategy is to neutralize the demonstrators, and they seem to have done that very effectively," said Tim Huxley, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia.
Human rights organizations and Burmese activist groups in exile have called on leading nations, especially China, Myanmar's traditional ally, to pressure the regime to stop using force against its opponents. The U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Myanmar, and the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations, one of the few multilateral organizations to which Myanmar belongs, issued a statement expressing its "revulsion" over the bloody crackdown.
On Saturday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "I hope the Burmese regime can be told today by Mr. Gambari just how seriously we view this, and that there is a huge anger across the world about the deaths and about the violence that's been perpetrated against the Burmese people."
But international condemnation, and efforts such as Gambari's visit, probably will have little effect, Huxley said.
"External leverage is extremely limited," he said. "There's been a variety of external pressure over the years -- the dramatic approaches, including successive U.N. envoys who have made representations and failed, representations in very muted form by fellow members of ASEAN and sanctions imposed by Western countries to varying degrees -- and none of them have had significant effect."
henry.chu@latimes.com
September 30, 2007
By Henry Chu,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
NEW DELHI -- A U.N. special envoy arrived in Myanmar on Saturday for talks with the country's military rulers, whose ruthless crackdown on anti-government protesters has sparked international outrage.
The streets of Myanmar's main city, Yangon, were virtually empty of demonstrators for the first time in nearly two weeks and devoid of the gunfire and chaos that marked three days of violent suppression by soldiers and police. Security forces continued to patrol and seal off parts of the city, including the Buddhist monasteries whose monks spearheaded the protests.
After landing in Yangon on Saturday afternoon, United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari immediately traveled to the new capital of Naypyidaw, near Pyinmana about 200 miles to the north, where the generals who rule Myanmar live in relative isolation from the people.
Details of Gambari's schedule were not available, nor was it clear whether he would be allowed to visit pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is under house arrest and has been detained for most of the last 18 years.
"I expect to meet all the people that I need to meet," Gambari said in Singapore before departing for Myanmar, also known as Burma. He did not elaborate.
In Washington, Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, urged Myanmar's leaders to give Gambari "access to all those he wishes to meet with, including religious leaders as well as Aung San Suu Kyi."
Analysts question how much Gambari, a former Nigerian foreign minister, can achieve in talks with an iron-fisted junta that has repeatedly shown itself impervious to outside pressure.
His mission to Myanmar reflects the growing international concern and anger over the generals' brutal clampdown on protesters, in which the government acknowledges that 10 people have been killed. Diplomats and dissident groups estimate the death toll to be many times that figure, as high as 200.
Some observers feared a repeat of a 1988 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in which an estimated 3,000 people were killed.
The demonstrations began last month in response to steep fuel price increases but soon became an outlet for anger over 45 years of autocratic military rule. Last week, as many as 100,000 people marched in central Yangon, also known as Rangoon, including a large number of monks, who are revered in this predominantly Buddhist country.
The uneasy quiet on Yangon's streets Saturday, however, suggested that the armed crackdown that began Wednesday may have succeeded in containing the biggest challenge to the military's rule in nearly 20 years.
"Peace and stability has been restored," state-run newspapers said. The authorities had handled the protests "with care, using the least possible force."
Small groups gathered to taunt and curse soldiers and police but quickly escaped through alleyways when authorities began to charge, the Reuters news service reported.
Internet connections remained cut off, constricting the flow of photographs and video that had helped galvanize world opinion against the junta.
"The strategy is to neutralize the demonstrators, and they seem to have done that very effectively," said Tim Huxley, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia.
Human rights organizations and Burmese activist groups in exile have called on leading nations, especially China, Myanmar's traditional ally, to pressure the regime to stop using force against its opponents. The U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Myanmar, and the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations, one of the few multilateral organizations to which Myanmar belongs, issued a statement expressing its "revulsion" over the bloody crackdown.
On Saturday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "I hope the Burmese regime can be told today by Mr. Gambari just how seriously we view this, and that there is a huge anger across the world about the deaths and about the violence that's been perpetrated against the Burmese people."
But international condemnation, and efforts such as Gambari's visit, probably will have little effect, Huxley said.
"External leverage is extremely limited," he said. "There's been a variety of external pressure over the years -- the dramatic approaches, including successive U.N. envoys who have made representations and failed, representations in very muted form by fellow members of ASEAN and sanctions imposed by Western countries to varying degrees -- and none of them have had significant effect."
henry.chu@latimes.com
20 comments:
i for one would like the situation in burma resolved in a peaceful manner consistent with the level-headed appeals for calm by dr. hun sen, china and asean nations.
the u.n. must respect burma's sovereignty and resist from yielding to the western imperialists' way of pouring gasoline on fire to deal with this life and death matter.
china should be given the leading role in the negotiations. as a strong supporter of cambodian unity and sovereignty, i urge all khmers to follow dr. hun sen's wisdom on this matter.
Fair enough!
who is dr. hs?
Cambodia has gone through a similar experience in its recent past. The sufferings of the Burmese people and the Buddhist monks can be felt here as well.
The U.N. carries out its work through consensus. Both western and communist imperialists have a say in its affairs. In any case, its work is for the sake of the humanity, which some dictatorial governments find it hard to understand. When the evidence is clear, the familiar terms "no interference in the internal affairs" and "respect for sovereignty" are used by the oppressive regimes all over the world. They never use the phrase "respect for human rights and freedom of expression".
I urge people in Cambodia and the rest of the world to boycott Chinese goods until it stops supporting the Burmese military junta that commits criminal acts against its own people.
The proof shown in the wedding video of the daughter of the Burmese military junta's leader, in which she was wearing a five million dollars diamond necklace among other expensive jewelleries (by the way, she still looks ugly in that video), confirms how this regime plunders the nation's wealth for personal gains. Just like our Dr. Hun Sen, his family, relatives and friends. Their wisdom is in the toilet.
Boycott Chinese good? Who the hell down here can afford American's or European ... ? Chinese good give you the most for your dollar.
So, shut the fuck up, you idiot.
The corrupt newly-rich Cambodians, but with no class, can easily afford quality western goods. Go to Singapore, and you will see 6:16PM's Lok Chumteavs shopping and visiting beauty palours there.
Buy Khmer products, you idiot. You can't depend on Chinese goods for the rest of your fucking life.
Hey! 4.34Pm
Dr Hun corrupts and oppressed all cambodians who called for justice,knowing even killed khmers with different view.
You are stupid,or what?
6:43p.m is AH Moke!
The UN certainly did the right thing. One can not let a Dic-h..dtator unattended. The international's attention certainly needed here. Imagine, if The UN would have got involved or would have done something when Cambodia was under the KR's Ruler between 1975-1979, may be then 2 millions of us would not have to die, but that was then and it's now. Thank you UN!
At least someone else did not have to suffer like we did and Good Luck Mayannma!
To let China play a leading role in Burma affair is like helping a thief into your house!
China only care about oil and gas in billion of dollars deal with Burmese corrupted dictator!
By the way, any instability in Burma is not in the best interest of China!
i'm 4:34 pm. burma needs a strong leader like cambodia needs a strong leader in dr. hun sen. china has had strong leaders since they kicked out the imperialists.
the evil british used opium addiction to control the chinese people. bloodshed and suffering among non-whites are the only things that make them happy. that's their nature. don't talk about human rights and freedom of expression. go to iraq and see if conditions got better after saddam.
I used to dream of visit Baghdad, but now I would not go there even if you pay me.
Hell, with the suicide bombing happened every day and year after year, I could easy say the damage is far far outweigh the damage done by Saddam, not to mention record high corruption set by the new government ...
I guess this is another job well done by westerner PhDs.
3:12. you are absolutely correct. iraq needed someone like saddam to keep the country from falling apart.
america was never interested in the welfare of the iraqi people. they went into iraq to control its oil, not to liberate the iraqi people from saddam. don't underestimate the western ph.d.'s. they knew exactly what would happen (chaos, bloodshed, civil war) if they got rid of saddam. they got what wanted. it just shows you how evil they are.
Hey! who told Sadd to go and crush that Kuwai in the first place? That was how it started. you dumb shit head!
Of course Saddam knows what he was doing. He's very educated in almost all subjects -- He's what I called a generalist.
Saddam only mistake was attacking Kuwait (his neighbor). As a consequence, the region is now divided and weak and easily open to foreigner attack. Has he not done that, thing might have been different today. This is an important lesson we should learn from and never forget it.
As long we (Mekongers: China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) not making the same mistake like Saddam, we should be okay.
Also, China is in full support of Burma. Do you know why? I tell you:
right now, they are trying to get rid of the white folk in North (Korea), and they do not want to see any white folk growing in the south (Burma). Nevertheless, we all should support China and not taking advantage of the situation that might weaken our relationship in the future.
Only mistake?!!!!!!!!! You stupid blind man. Please just get lost!
You evil 12:03p.m. You have sin.
12:03 pm. you are right. there is currently a struggle between asians to maintain our sovereignties and the west's attempt to turn the clock back to colonialism. whites have it in their blood to always try to dominate others. i don't think they stop the moving train of asia's rise now.
"You evil 12:03p.m. You have sin."
Who care? According to your westerner religion, all I have to do is to confess my sin, and I will be as good as new again. Isn't that right?
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