No More Bluffing for Mr. Ibrahim Gambari and the International Community

…

_ Prof. Kanbawza Win

…

The news that the Burmese Junta has called the most senior United Nations Coordinator, Charles PETRIÉ, to Naypyidaw and reprimand him mercilessly, just for saying the truth about the dire state of the Burmese economy that led to the mass protest on the eve of Ibrahim Gambari visit, indicates that they have no will to cooperate with the UN body. Even though this is not unexpected, because the Burmese military’s mindset is to “Lying the very concept of truth,” it takes one more proof to the situation that they are dumb on dialogue and negotiations and that force is the only option.

A US National Security Council spokesman said: “This outrageous action the day before the arrival of U.N. Special Envoy Gambari in Burma is an insult to the United Nations and the international community.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who met Gambari in Istanbul, Turkey before the latter go to Burma expressed his “disappointment” at the Junta’s message and expressed “full confidence in the United Nations country team and its leadership.” For the moment, the UN has become a paper tiger and of course the three geographically huge countries of China, India and Russia who have indirectly but slyly encourage their little naughty baby the Burmese Junta to do so, will be laughing in their sleeves.

The world knows that it was largely due to China’s influence that UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari was able to travel to Rangoon to continue the push for democratic reforms. But putting a full stop there will not solve the problem. At last the world is realizing of how cruel, cunning and treacherous, the Burmese regime is. The statement said that the government of the Union of Burma does not want Petrie to continue to serve in Burma, especially at this time when the cooperation between Myanmar and the United Nations is crucial and accused Monsieur Petrie of acting beyond his capacity. It said it is negative and harmed their image, without realizing that the Burmese Military government has no image at all whatsoever for the last two decades.

Singapore, the current Chairperson of Association of South East Asian Nations said that it was deeply disappointed a diversionary tactic, knowing full well through its Constructive Engagement Policy that the Burmese regime will do anything to avoid being pressured into talks about genuine reform. Here lies the danger is that Gambari will spend his 6 days time, talking about the UN’s role in Burma instead of the need to end the crackdown and bring real reform. Will Gambari fall to cheap ploys or stood his ground is still to be seen?

Another irony is that China has indeed pledge to assist Gambari and now with the expulsion of Charles PETRIÉ it did not uttered any word. Is it a forgone conclusion that also this time Gambari has miserably failed in his mission? The world and the international community are waiting anxiously of what will be the result. Rene Slam of France has also clearly indicated that China key to reform in Burma which has to be followed by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights.

France’s UN Ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, called Burma’s action regarding Petrie, as “unacceptable.” And seems to paint the picture that the French Administration is taking a lead to coax the men at the Dragon Throne to do something, but an intelligent Burmese knew that under the pretext of Burmese issue Bernard Kouchner’s held talks with Chinese leaders is just to pave the way for President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Beijing.

It is understood that Paris has hardened its line on the Iranian nuclear issue since Sarkozy came to power in May and has voiced support for both UN and European sanctions against Tehran but not on Burma. Why? Is it because of TOTAL? Even though we know that China was pivotal in strengthening UN efforts to bring about reform in Burma, it was a major supplier of weapons to the country and has been criticized for not taking tougher action when Junta crackdown on September’s mass protests that left hundreds of monks and people dead. But what is Kouchner`s part? Is His trip would set the tone for Sarkozy’s dealings with Beijing amid expectations that France may veer from the cozy relationship maintained by his predecessor, Jacques Chirac and nothing on Burma because France want to keep TOTAL in Burma? Another Burma’s biggest western investors, Chevron have also rejected calls to divest their stakes in the Yadana gas field…, saying a sellout would only transfer their assets to other, less-scrupulous investors – and could give the regime a windfall in capital gains tax revenues.

The world’s thirst for hydrocarbons has thus created a class of well-funded but unsavory governments that have little fear of economic sanctions. If the United States and its allies refuse to buy their oil, someone else will. Unilateral sanctions, like those announced by Bush, might help. But as long as Burma and other governments have petroleum to sell, they will have plenty of hard currency with which to buy new friends.

Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, has used oil sales to China to hold off, and then dilute, diplomatic pressure to stop the slaughter in Darfur. The government of Equatorial Guinea that rivaled Burma in the worst human rights records of the world was welcomed in Washington last year by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a “good friend” of the United States. Another good friend, the Saudi royal family, rules one of the world’s most undemocratic regimes. Libya’s Moammar Kadafi, or Iraq’s Saddam Hussein after the Persian Gulf War — their oil exports allow them to evade economic pressures or cushion their effect. The link between oil riches and bad international behavior is deeper than thought of.

What more when monks and others were being killed and arrested in Rangoon, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung,(whose representative always sits in ENC as a precious advisor) a German foundation, organized a Burma tour, in which, according to The New Light of Myanmar of October 7, “thirteen scholars with two from the European Union and the European Parliament” took part. The FES delegation visited a showcase “drug eradication project” in a remote corner of northeastern Burma, where, the paper said, they were received by “U Phon Kyar Shin,” who, in fact, is Peng Jiasheng, one of Burma’s most notorious drug lords.

The CEO of Diethelm Travel Asia, John Watson which specializes trips to Burma wrote, “Looking out from his hotel in the former Burmese capital, in the late afternoon overlooking the water from the Dusit Inya Lake Resort in Rangoon, it is difficult to reconcile the peace and tranquility against the images in the media of Burma over the last short period of time.” All these conditions indicate that Gambari’s mission is very difficult and that the Burmese Junta has overwhelming tactics and techniques from reaching a real solution. The very fact that Ibrahim Gambari’s journey to Naypyidaw was not accompanied by Charles PETRIÉ who has been living in Burma and observing day to day life of the common people of Burma in other words a UN Expert is itself a defeat for the UN.

What if Ibrahim Gambari came back empty handed, will the UNSC be figured as a paper tiger knowing full well that the two veto wielding powers of China and Russia will use their veto to protect the rogue regime? or the will West just push around and restore prevent the prestige of the UN and prevent it from being another League of Nations is still yet to be seen. If it chose the latter let us prepare to use the only option which the regime understands, the UN forces with the full participation of the people of Burma.