September 27, 2007 - In another sign of reemergence of authoritarianism,
China and Russia once again rejected the call by members of the emergency
United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on the military junta in

Burma for violently attacking peaceful protesters, on Wednesday.

The violent and deadly response by the Myanmar Army against the peaceful
monks and the people, should come as no surprise, since the Amnesty
International, ILO, the UN, Human Rights Watch, Earth Right International,
Refugee Legal Aids organization, International Committee of the Red Cross,
all have testified that the Myanmar junta committed brutal crimes against
the people of Burma while the world was not watching, with military and
economic support from China, Russia and India.

China, the most vital supporter of the Myanmar regime, makes it plain that
it will not take responsibility for what is happening in Burma, preferring
to respond that the atrocities in Burma are none of China’s business as long
as they take place within Myanmar’s sovereignty, and together with Russia at the UNSC, refuse to take meaningful action against the brutal regime.

China claims that it does not share United States interest, especially when
it comes to human rights values. And even if the US is not a reason China
points out that it is merely competing with India for Burma’s vast natural
resources. The two giant neighbours also like to point out that Burma is
handling its own problems with a typical hierarchical paternalistic Asian
value and the western countries, which do not understand Asian culture,
should keep their hands off Myanmar’s affairs.

This week’s events in Burma sadly confirm the empty core of China and
India’s Asian value, as the Buddhist monks descend from their sacred ground
to the affairs of the ordinary mortals to confront the evils of military
dictatorship by upholding the real Asian value at the peril of their lives.

The European Union is also preparing to take action and has warned the junta not to use force. Japan which did not support the people during the 1988 uprising is giving the military a serious warning this time, not to resort
to violence against the monks. The ASEAN is also warning Myanmar to refrain from the use of force.

In 1988, after killing over 3000 people the military just changed the top
leaders and the name of their organization, and began a more brutal reign.
The most important lesson political activists and monks are taking to heart
is that no matter how many die this time, it is more important to end the
military dictatorship.

Armed with the righteousness of their cause and the belief that if they do
not sacrifice now the future will bring much greater devastation, the monks
and nonviolent protesters are determined to proceed with the peaceful
protest, at all cost. They have reached the watershed and they are seizing
it.

They have hundreds of thousands of people and monks, coming out to protest and they have decided to risk everything, to cross the finish line. They know what awaits them if they refuse to push on, for they have seen it all since 1988, and they know it is no longer an option.

Finally the monster that China has breathed life into is on a last emergency life support from Beijing.

If China refuses to pull the plug on Myanmar’s reign of terror, it is time
the world pulls the plug on China’s 2008 Olympics.

How long can the world wait before the splendid monks and the people of
Burma are free?