By Victor S Khambil

The ongoing political turmoil in Burma (now Myanmar) resulted through the sudden skyrocketing price of oil. The nation’s economy mismanaged by illiterate military men suddenly plunged into the pit in which all the citizens were trampled deeper underneath the boots of military rulers. Now is a time to carefully monitor how military regime handles the situation as thousands of economic victims took to the streets on daily basis. According to reliable sources in Rangoon, some generals in the regime even think about deploying their soldiers as men-hunters in the streets against the uprising but some looks tolerable and ponder what to do next.

There could be a military conspiracy to put a stop to this fuel-price uprising by dirty tactics. The military regime could send their men among demonstrators and let them incite vandalism and mutiny so that the military regime could resort to their old style of 8888 and pull the gun triggers against civilians. They look silent and tolerable for awhile as they are now conspiring to create an excuse to wield weapons against unarmed civilians. Since even their so called Big Brother-China is fuming against the regime for their failure to control the situation, the military generals seem they fear something in this showdown with the public. The military top man’s paranoiac decision to relocate the capital with all the national reserves to Nepyidaw and dreaming of modern army with nuclear powers only pulled civilians into the streets to challenge his wits of misleading the nation. How can a man lead a nation without wisdom?

Military generals in Myanmar lead the country with guns in their hands and surrounding themselves by astrologers, palmists, mediums etc. They are now only reading numbers and reading their fate with astrologers instead of listening to the people. China once said that Burma (Myanmar) was a peaceful nation and a good place to put investment. However the leaders of China were ignorant as they could not even differentiate peace and silence in Burma. After the regime took power in 1988 by slaughtering thousands of innocent civilians and imprisoned tens of thousands, the nation was silent under the aftershocks. That was not peace but silence under fear. Chinese leaders are concentrating on their national interest to do business by befriending with the culprits of 1988 massacre; China was inarguably the accomplice of Myanmar regime.

The strategically sandwiched between the two rivaling giants- India and China, the politics of Burma is inevitably influenced by the two giants. Russia is now another voyeur on Burma while ASEAN could give Burma no help in term of political change as long as the two giants are not cooperative. Since there is so far no reliable alternative to replace the military government in Myanmar even if they are toppled today, now is a crucial time for all opposition parties in Burma to board together on the oncoming political vehicle. The SPDC have to know also that they are not the right government to lead 50 millions Burmese with guns.

The fuel-price protest is only in name but it is actually a call for change. Even if there could not be a total change to reform military regime inside out overnight, now is a time to make some changes. Even if we do not see any progress from military regime side so far in this showdown with the public, there is already at least a glimpse of hope within the regime that the discord is over there among the generals. If the world really wants to see change in Burma, now is the best time to show cooperation by convincing China and India not to try to derail this Burmese internal political issue in fear of losing their invested interests there. The regime in Burma are awake when China and India are talking to them but when US and European are talking to them, they are snoring on with horrific nightmare in deep sleep.

We can negotiate politically with India but we must also know that China tends to stand on a hard stance. Burma has been ruled by successive military generals for almost half a century. The first person publicly calling for democracy in Burma is the lady who is now under house arrest since early 1990s. Now is the right time for change in Burma. And NOW is China’s chance to help change happens in Burma.

Take your chance for change in Burma!