Sangam Diaspora

QUOTES:

“The fact that we have the means and ability to help end the crisis in Burma but choose to look the other way is the true failure of humanity.” -Niraj Shah

“Although economic sanctions can be used against the military government in Burma, a lot of times they hurt the lower class people first so there might be better means to help the Burmese people.” -Radhika Deshmukh

“I think it will be really interesting to see which country takes decisive action first or if there is a lack of action.” -Carolina Guerra

“The week following the initial monk protests, SEAIA hosted “Burma Awareness Week” to help educate the campus community about the political situation in Burma. During this week, we screened the documentary “Do-Ayay” (Our Cause), hosted a lecture by Dr. Tun Nyein (former political prisoner and leader of the pro-democracy uprising in 1974) and Dr. Susan Prague (Carolina Asia Center visiting scholar and expert on Burma), and held a candlelight vigil in support of the monk’s protests. We hope that these events are just the beginning of a more collective effort between campus organizations and local Burmese activist groups to raise awareness about the current situation in Burma and support the Burmese people in their campaign for freedom.” -Monica Shah, Co-President of Southeast Asia Interest Association

FACTS:

Current Situation in Burma, a largely Buddhist country:Pro-democracy protesters, led by Burmese monks, are being brutally massacred by the military government.Burma, now correctly known as Myanmar, faces horrible conditions resulting from the corrupt rule of many military regimes:

• 90% of Burma’s population lives on less than a $1 a day.
• 40% of Burmese children are malnourished.
• Burma received the status of Least Developed Country by the UN in 1987.
• Burma has the largest number of child soldiers in the world, nearly 70,000, some as young as 11 years old.
• There are over 1,600 political prisoners, including 38 elected members of parliament.
• Millions of Burmese are held in forced labor camps.
• The Red Cross’ operations in Burma were shut down by the regime last year after the junta called them “terrorists.”
• In the last 10 years, over 3,000 ethnic villages have been burned down in the eastern part of the country, twice as many as have been destroyed in Darfur.

*Facts retrieved from: http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-9/60539.html and www.cnn.com.

OPINION:

When we hear about atrocities such as those occurring in Burma we often criticize the United States and countries of Western Europe for not taking a stand to eradicate the situation. These economically powerful nations have democratic systems with a checks and balances, relatively free speech, and individual liberties, and thus we often feel that they also have an obligation to help those that are suffering in other areas of the world. However, although these Western nations can make a difference, in this case the real possibility for change rests in the hands of China. China, while becoming an increasingly large world power economically, remains isolationist in many other respects. China is resisting the standards that have long existed around the world: with economic power, a leading nation also has certain moral obligations. Although communist China has internally progressed since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, the country has still been supplying the corrupt military government of Burma with weapons, is Burma’s chief trading partner, and has been blocking many of the attempts of the UN Security Council to take effective action in Burma. China, as a growing economic world power, should join other nations to exert pressure on the military government in Burma instead of continuing to turn away from such atrocities. –Nisha Verma