Something I've been finding rather interesting is how the response of other countries to the Burmese conflict has been changing over the past few days. The US and UK were swift to denounce the Burmese regime, calling for immediate escalation of sanctions and a meeting of the UN Security Council. Australia however, said initially that they would not impose economic sanctions on Myanmar because doing so "would have absolutely no impact". But it seems that the Australian Government badly underestimated the situation - only on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said he did not expect to see the Burmese military sending tanks into the streets. Following the escalation in violence, Prime Minister John Howard said that Australia would further tighten visa restrictions on Burmese officials, with targeted financial sanctions being announced later in the afternoon. While Government U-turns are often frustrating for that country's citizens, in situations such as this I am pleased to see a Government changing its mind.
Singapore and Thailand, neighbours of Burma and members of the ASEAN economic group, have expressed dire concerns about the situation from the beginning. Reuters reports the Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont urged the military rulers of neighbouring Myanmar on Wednesday to avoid violence. He also admitted "Thailand does not have the power or the resources to solve Burma's problems, and we must work together with countries including China and India". In an unusually harsh criticism, the ASEAN members expressed "revulsion" at the events.
China and India are Burma's biggest investors and therefore have the most potential influence, but both countries have been unwilling to say much publicly, despite pressure from the US, UK and UN. Indian newspapers report that India is in "the middle of the Myanmar muddle", while India's policy has been criticised by its own MPs. It has been suggested that the 2008 Beijing Olympics is the "only real lever we have to make China act". Those who were already suggesting a boycott of the Olympics over human rights issues believe that China's tacit support of the violence in Burma adds fuel to their arguments.
Further links:
There is a very comprehensive article at The Scotsman giving all of the Burmese news from today.