The reason why Burma’s junta for decades has been allowed to get away with murder, and their neighbors don’t say a word is because Burma’s gas keeps Bangkok’s lights on. China, Bangladesh and India all use Burma’s gas for their energy needs. Burma’s military ruling junta keeps their money in China and Singapore’s banks. This is why ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members don’t do or say anything about Than Shwe’s crimes against humanity against all of Burma’s ethnic groups.
SCV: Do you think the Burma situation is one that should warrant US participation and why has it been of late received scant regard by the community?
Jeremy Taylor: Of course genocide in Burma warrants US/EU participation. Crimes against humanity constitutes intervention according to UN International Humanitarian Law. 3,500 villages have been burned to the ground. More villages burned in Burma, than in Darfur. There’s 90,000 child soldiers in Burma, there’s more child soldiers in Burma than any other country on earth. The junta has a policy of systematic sexual violence and rape. Burma has the largest reserves of gas in Southeast Asia, but Burma’s health care system in ranked 190 out of 191 countries by the World Health Organization.
SCV: What can individuals here do to help and perhaps critically why should we help if the people who are perpetrating this conflict don’t help?
SCV: There’s a lot New Yorkers and Americans can do. Get ahold of your representatives and tell them to refuse to recognize Burma’s ruling junta’s sham election taking place November 7. Obama Administration, refuse to recognize the fraudulent results. It’s that simple. Please go to www.freeburmaalliance.org and sign the petition asking President Obama to refuse to recognize the junta’s results.
We should help precisely because Burma’s rulers aren’t just not helping their people, they’re the perpetrators. Burma’s ruling military junta is doing this to their own people. That’s why we need to do something now. Get Burma’s senior general Than Shwe indicted by the International Criminal Court. UN Security Council (just like they did with Darfur) should create a Commission of Inquiry which would then give the ICC the green light to investigate the crimes against humanity and war crimes in Burma. But China’s government (CCP) will block any attempt to hold Burma’s dictators accountable for their genocide.
