As international pressure mounts on Burma to release political prisoners and pave the way for pro-democracy talks, it is worth looking at the challenges lying ahead of the UN to bring the south-east Asian country to the talks table.
Years of neglect by the international community at the country’s internal conflict have made the junta virtually untouchable and non-negotiable. Over the years, since 1962, the military has been able to rule the country in its own merry way leading to widespread oppression.
Once one of the richest nations in the region owing to rich reserves of natural oil and gas, timber, minerals, gems, etc., Burma has suffered widespread exploitation under the army.
The international community has to take some of the blames for the current situation in the country. Apart from a few sanctions being imposed, there has never been any constructive effort to look into the matter closely.
Economic sanctions have only increased the misery of the common people but the army continues to benefit from the black market. Burma’s neighbours, notably China and India, have also made the army financially strong in order to fulfill their own economic and military agenda.
Therefore, it is of no surprise that the UN is pressurising China and India and the south-east Asian bloc countries to do more in calming the situation.
Many believe, including the US and the UN, that the Burmese junta would feel the pressure if China, India and ofcourse Thailand take concrete steps in deploring the army rule. But this is easy said than done because of the strategic repurcussions attached to the theory.
China, as well as Thailand have huge business contracts with the Burmese junta. China’s trade with Burma is estimated to be around $2 billion and it is the largest supplier of arms to the Burmese army. On the other hand, in order to counter China’s growing influence in the region, India has invested handsomely in the Burmese economy. Moreover, India has always been supported by the Burmese special forces in dealing with her insurgency in the north-east.
The UN knows it will be very hard to urge both India and China to take tougher stands against such a strategic partner. Infact amidst all the international furore over the brutal crackdown on the Burmese monks, India recently agreed to build Burma a strategic port in the Arakan region, coming under heavy criticism.
Taking into account all the challenges and logistical difficulties, the UN needs to engage the military government regularly rather than isolate it, giving rise to another North Korea.
Lastly, the UN needs to work closely with the Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN), of which Burma is a member, to bring the junta to some sort of a compromise. Large sanctions against Burma will not work totally as on many other occasions before it would inevitably lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Source: forbes
Image link: nzherald
