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.

Burmese Government Continues Campaign of Fear and Repression

This report in its entirety is taken from VOA. Further comment is superfluous.
The military government in Burma continues its campaign of fear and repression against its citizenry as the world waits for a report from U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari. He met with Burma's military leaders and detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, following violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Burma last week. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

Ibrahim Gambari (L) with Myanmar's Senior Gen. Than Shwe (2L), and other leaders after a meeting in capital Naypyidaw, 02 Oct 2007Reports of soldiers in military trucks looking for pro-democracy protesters, going into homes and arresting people filtered out of Burma's largest city Rangoon, as the military government continued to quash dissent against its harsh 45-year rule.
Meanwhile, U.N. special envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari briefed Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about his four-day visit to Burma where he met twice with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and once with Burma's military ruler General Than Shwe.
The Singapore prime minister said it was encouraged by the access and cooperation given to Gambari by the Burmese government. He had been sent by the United Nations to express the world's outrage over the violent crackdown and to negotiate a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Adding to the international chorus of condemnation was Australian Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Hill.

"We call for the immediate release of those arrested for exercising their fundamental human rights to peaceful protest and for humane treatment of all those detained," said Hill. "Australia is also introducing targeted financial measures against members of the Burmese regime and its supporters to increase pressure on them to engage in genuine political reform and national reconciliation."

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, currently chaired by Singapore, has been seeking ways to respond to the repression in Burma. In an unusually sharp rebuke, it expressed "revulsion" over member Burma's actions last week.
A Singapore government statement said Prime Minister Lee told Gambari that ASEAN is fully behind the U.N. mission.

Gambari, who has refused to comment publicly on his mission, was in Singapore on his way to New York where he will brief the U.N. secretary general later this week.
A steep hike in fuel prices prompted protests against military rule in August that turned into massive demonstrations last month led by Burma's revered clergy.
The government responded by shooting, beating, killing and arresting monks, students, and civilians.

Rights groups fear the official figure of 10 dead during the crackdown is much higher, and put the number of arrests in the thousands.
Independent verification is difficult because foreign journalists are not allowed to enter the country.