Let's pray for Burma

The appalling news about the crackdown of the military junta in Myanmar brings into picture several key questions about the country, ASEAN, China's "strategic management" of its foreign policies, and on a larger scale the paradoxical strife-in-continuity relationship between history and politics of an independent state.

People power in Myanmar has not yet achieved its full potential, though we do see news reports quoting common people lamenting the soldiers as "ingrates" who forget that their food is given to them by their fellowmen. (That brings to mind my question about how the Indian soldiers working for the British felt when they had to torture fellow Indians for their enemies..)

Singapore, as current chairman of ASEAN, is trying to do something. Yet, I doubt how much "quiet diplomacy" and issuing of statements can help. George Yeo's act of trying to secure his presence at UN security council meeting shows his guts and determination to "express the views of ASEAN", but on the other hand could bring future repercussions, such as fellow ASEAN neighbours seeing us as "overly proactive" in hindsight.

It doesn't help either that China and Russia blocked UN security council sanctions, labelling such actions indirectly as "non-constructive". Frankly, if China were to step in today (despite the fact that it could be seen as an interference in the internal politics of another sovereign nation), I believe the Myanmar authorities would think twice and exercise restraint in violence even if major arrests were planned. Yet, China held on to its "peaceful rise" diplomatic ways and maintained a "middle way" attitude. I guess, if we look a little deeper and spice it up with some imagination, China is just afraid of "retributions" should itself being a one-party regime employ similar tactics on its own people in future. China's politics doesn't allow it to commit itself to a position of moral authority...

No matter what, let's pray for our neighbour and its people.