Burma: China blocks UN aid plans for victims of Cyclone Nargis

The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis in Burma has risen to 78,000. This is probably a conservative figure, yet the country's military regime continues block aid from reaching 2.5 million survivors. Diseases, such as cholera, dysentery and malaria, are spreading.

So great is the scale of the disaster that it is impossible for Burma to deal with the crisis on its own. Burma's Generals are shunning the world's offers of help. They fear that aid workers would sew the seeds of rebellion in the minds of starving people. So great is their paranoia that they are prepared to sacrifice many hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens.

China has the capacity can make the generals change their mind. China is prepared to accept international aid for the victims of the devastating earthquake in its southwestern region yet the Burmese regime continues to block aid efforts.

China has a very strong trading relationship and friendship with Burma's generals. It supplies them with armaments, economic assistance, covert security advice and protects them at the UN Security Council. This weekend China blocked moves at the UN for a Security Council resolution telling the generals to let aid in. How can China justify its decision to accept international aid for its own victims and yet obstruct aid for Burma?

Responsibility for the huge loss of life rests not alone with the Burmese Generals but also with Communist China.

Please email China and demand that they stop blocking UN action. Your email will be sent to the Chinese representatives at the UN and in the UK.
Please send an email now here:
The Burma Campaign UK

Bush Imposes New Sanctions on Burma

According to VOA President Bush is imposing additional sanctions against Burma's government and wants China and India must do more to pressure Burma's military rulers......................
Mr. Bush sanctioned most of the top military commanders in Burma last month after at least ten people were killed when security forces opened fire on the largest demonstrations in decades.
The new measures freeze U.S. assets of another eleven members of the military government, tighten export controls to Burma, and allow the U.S. Treasury Department greater authority to sanction those responsible for human rights abuses and public corruption.
"Business as usual is unacceptable," said President Bush. "So I applaud the efforts of the European Union and nations like Australia that have announced targeted sanctions on the Burmese regime."
"I commend nations such as Japan that have curtailed their assistance in response to the atrocities. I appreciate nations such as Singapore, and the Philippines, and Indonesia who have spoken out against the atrocities," he added.
The European Union this week decided to impose an import embargo on timber, gems and precious metals from Burma..............................
Comment: President Bush who has shipped heavy criticism on the Iraq issue has certainly laid down a marker on Burma. For this he deserves much credit. Similarly pressure from the EU Japan and Australia is most welcome.

Unfortunately the irresponsible attitude of China, India and Russia undermines efforts to remove the junta. China has neutered the UN Security Council on this issue through a cynical use of the veto. It is time to reform the Security Council and remove China from permanent membership. After all he who pays the piper calls the tune. The largest contributors to the UN are the US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy in that order. The US contributes $423 million, Japan contributes $332 million but China only contributes $35 million. This miserable $35 million contribution is sufficient to render The UN powerless on Burma. No wonder the junta leaders are impervious to realism. Japan should replace China on the Security Council. It is time for the UN to ignore China.

Strangely there is a reluctance to threaten a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It is now or never.

Burma-UN Security Council in a shameful abdication of responsibility

The UN Security Council has “strongly deplored” the use of violence by the military junta against peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators. In a compromise wishy-washy statement, the Council called for “genuine dialogue” between the Burmese junta and Opposition, including detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But the formula of words was much watered down from the one proposed by the United States, Britain and France after opposition from Russia and China. It reeks of insincerity.


According to the statement “The Security Council strongly deplores the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators in Burma.” The statement also emphasised “the importance of the early release of all political prisoners and remaining detainees”. The US and others endeavoured without success to include the word condemn in the statement and sought the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi. China and Russia refused to accept the word condemn so this was replaced in the statement with the words “strongly deplore”. A reference to “immediate release” of political prisoners was dropped.


The milk and watery statement is a graphic illustration of the relative powerlessness of the UN Security Council. It could not even condemn the slaughter and brutality in Burma. Russia and China have combined to protect the butchers of Rangoon. The junta can continue the crack down on the pro democracy group happy in the knowledge that its worst excesses will go unpunished in the short term. The UN is a toothless tiger. It is a waste of tax payers money. Russia and China continually abuse the veto at the UN and allow war criminals in Burma and Darfur to murder and torture with impunity.

Burma crisis-Shatter and Higgins condemn Government and EU

Today in the Dail, Deputies Alan Shatter (FG) and Michael D Higgins (Lab) condemned the lack of Irish government and EU activity on the Burmese crisis. Their condemnation is justified.
UK Socialist MEP Glenys Kinnock has said that the EU commitment to human rights will be questioned if foreign ministers 'backtrack' on Burma next week.
Kinnock urged EU governments to support Burma's pro democracy movement and called for stronger sanctions on imports of gems timber and metals. She also said that an investment ban should not be ruled out.
Unfortunately the international response is too little too late. The UN Security Council-constrained by Russian and Chinese objections - has been pussyfooting around the issue. The brutality of the junta has gone unpunished. The reign of terror continues. Is there any politician of stature on the world stage who would propose a military force and ensure that such a force came into being? A ban on investment in Burma by EU and US companies is a sine qua non if the junta is to be removed from power. Of course Chinese and Russian companies might try to fill the vacuum.
In summary severe sanctions, a ban on investment by EU and US companies, and a threat of military intervention by the international community might serve to concentrate the minds of junta leaders. Unfortunately sanctions may be a double edged sword and might impact too severely on some of the poorer elements in Burmese society. This is a risk which must be taken.

Suu Kyi ally dies in Myanmar after torture, says rights group

As the UN Security Council- because of the Chinese opposition- has failed to ensure an adequate international response to the monsters of Rangoon, pro democracy groups are more and more dependent international news organs to highlight murder and torture. Unfortunately the media is now beginning to avert its gaze and move onto the next crisis. The brutal regime in Burma is busy subjugating the pro democracy groups by murder rape and torture happy in the knowledge that in general international attention is no longer sharply focused on the country.
Fortunately some media groups continue to expose the corrupt regime's activities. AFP carries the following story:
Win Shwe, a 42-year-old member of the opposition National League for Democracy, was arrested on September 26 near Myanmar's second city of Mandalay, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said in a statement.
He was held along with four other people for joining anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks in Mandalay.
"He died as a result of torture during interrogation. However, his body was not sent to his family and the interrogators indicated that they had cremated it instead," the Thailand-based watchdog said.
AAPP is run by former political prisoners who now live in exile in neighbouring Thailand. The group monitors conditions in Myanmar's notorious prisons.......

Burma-International community fails pro democracy movement

The UN Security Council has once more displayed its powerlessness in the face of tyranny. Ibrahim Gambari, addressing the U.N. Security Council after a four-day visit to Myanmar said that the Burmese government must recognize that what happened there "can have serious international repercussions." Interesting to note the use of the word can. This illustrates clearly the ineffectiveness and relative powerlessness of the UN. Once more China has intervened to protect the junta. China opposes the sanctions on the basis that that the measures will impact on the population more than the government. This is a cop out. It is not in the least concerned with human rights violations in Burma once its economic interests are protected. The same applies to India and Russia.
China and Russia are major obstacles to world peace and are neutralising the UN Security Council through the use of the veto.

Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party dismissed the Burmese junta's offer of talks as a surrender demand on Friday. Her steely determination is an inspiration to all who seek justice There is an interesting contrast between her approach and that of the
lily-livered leaders of China and Russia.

The obduracy of the Junta is buttressed by the support it is receiving from China and Russia. It is time for the international community to boycott the Beijing Olympics of 2008. The international outcry at the brutality of the junta has been negatived by the absence of worthwhile action by the major powers to cripple the tyrants of Rangoon.
Citizens in the US and EU countries must keep up the pressure on their governments to take meaningful action to remove the Butchers of Rangoon.

Burma-Military Crackdown continues as junta declares war on its people.

The military crackdown which has been instituted against the pro democracy demonstrators in Burma emphasises clearly the relative powerlessness of the UN Security Council. Once more China as-in Darfur- is a major stumbling block. China will at best pay lip service. The International Community must pressurise China by withdrawing from the Beijing Olympics now. The juntas stranglehold on power must be smashed by stronger sanctions than are at present proposed. The UN must be reformed so that the veto can no longer be used in a cynical manner-by powers such as China. Chinese foreign policy is devoid of morality.
The International Community stands indicted on its failure to act meaningfully

Police and soldiers in Burma's main city opened fire for a second day to disperse demonstrators. A Japanese journalist is among the victims of the violence in Rangoon. Earlier, security forces raided monasteries and took away scores of monks accused of leading the protests, which analysts say are the biggest challenge the military government has faced in decades.
VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok.
Protesters' sandals are scattered on the ground as Burmese soldiers look on after firing automatic weapons into a crowd in Rangoon, 27 Sep 2007 (Mandalay Gazette photo)There were conflicting news reports throughout the day on the number of people killed or injured in clashes with security forces on Rangoon's main thoroughfares. Thousands of people defied orders from soldiers and police to get off the streets.
Witnesses say demonstrators chanted their demands for peace, democracy, and an end to poverty. The slogans summed up the yearnings of people in a country ruled by the military since 1962, where per-capita income is less than $200 a year.......
The true death toll so far is unknown.