I hate seeing this kind of repression, but, it is hard to know when we can intervene in these situations, because, as in Iraq, the people we try to help call us invaders and occupiers, our people die, and what little stability they had in a government seems to melt into anarchy and civil conflict, where all who live there suffer even more.

I think it may be best if we let the dictators rule their countries with what “order” they have, until enough people tire of them that they liberate themselves. It would take an official appeal from a people to the United Nations requesting intervention before I would feel comfortable doing anything beyond sanctions and advising restraint.

Isn't this why the United Nations body was formed to intervene in these types of situations? It is deplorable, are the going to standby and watch as usual?

Democracy, the ancient Greeks had this form of government,and still in the 21st century we have military cowards, armed with machine guns to kill there neighbors, beat them down to the ground to keep them shackled, controlled , hungry like useless sub humans.Democracy brings intelligence, wealth, ideas,prosperity, freedom to explore, education, invention,and above all the power to rule justly. Power of the people for the people.The free world has to mock, embarress,shun,restrict,harass,and have no respect for these military governments that continue to murder there own so they can opulently live in greed and plenty. ewb

We don't have time to help.  Our lawmakers are busy campaigning.

The general strike has been advocated as a non-violent approach to change in an undemocratic country.
I think it might work in Myanmar.

Where is the Pope? with a "Plea" for the Military Dictatorship to demonstrate some Humanity. Why aren't any "World Leaders",or the UN, decrying this senseless murder of Burmese monks and peaceful demonstrators? (What? they have no oil? so we don't want to interfere?) Please! In the name of God, Allah, & Budda DO SOMETHING!

It's about time for the UN to put the pressure on China and help the citizens of Burma retake their country. The US will, largely, be expected to lead that effort and I believe this needs to be a prime topic in political discussions both here in the US and in the UN meetings as well and these discussions need to happen fast if the people of Burma are to survive.

I was in Burma in '96 for counter-drug intervention. For a country that is largely Buddists, violence is not on the road to nirvana.  The people WILL need a global assistance to be liberated.  The two countries with the most to gain are China and India.  Let this be their Gulf War:  go in destable the curent goverment, fail at installing a democracy and then fight over the rights to Burma's natual resources!!

This is a perfect time for the U.N. to step up and do what they were created to do"put an end to it"defend the victims. BIT WE THE U.S.A. STAY THE HELL OUT OF IT !NO SOLDIERS NO MONEY NO NOTHING.THE U.N. IS NOT GOING TO USE US IN ANY WAY.THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTING US SO WE OWE THEM NOTHING. GIVE THEM THE SUPPORT THEY GIVE US "NONE" LET THEM GO TO RUSSIA AND CHINA AND IRAN FOR HELP. LEAVE US ALONE DON'T PICK OUR BATTLES FOR US.I FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT USING BURMA AS THE THE LINE YOU HAVE TO DRAW SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD. IF WE ARE INDEED THE GREAT SATAN LET SATAN SIT THIS ONE OUT.GOT TO THE MUSLIMS GO TO WHOM SO EVER YOU WANT BUT NOT HERE NOT NOW.ALL THEY(THE U.N.) HAVE DONE IS TAKE WELL NOW IT'S TIME THEY GIVE FOR A CHANGE.THOSE PEOPLE NEED HELP AND SHOULD GET HELP FROM THE REST OF THE DO NOTHINGS THAT ONLY TAKE SPACE AND BREATH AIR AND WASTE BOTH.THE SO CALLED POLICEMAN TO THE WORLD IS A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT THE U.N. WOULD NOT HELP HIM WITH. SO THIS ONE IS FOR YOU TO HANDLE.AS A MATTER OF FACT INSTEAD OF REMODELING THE U.N. BUILDING FOR THOSE DO NOTHINGS. WHAT DO YOU SAY WE TEAR THE THING DOWN OR USE IT FOR OUR OWN PEOPLE. I,M SURE WE COULD FIND SOME MUCH BETTER USE FOR IT TO BENEFIT OUR PEOPLE HERE AT HOME.OR JUST MAKE APARTMENTS OUT OF IT AND BRING SOME BURMESE FAMILIES IN TILL THEY GET ON THERE FEET.LET SOME OTHER DESERVING COUNTRY CARRY THEM (THE U.N.)FOR A CHANGE.I AM SURE THAT IRAN WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO IT OR CHAVEZ HAS MADE AN OFFER AND THEY SHOULD TAKE HIM UP ON IT.LET THEM CARRY THE EXPENSE AND LOWER THE DEFICIT BY THAT MUCH.WE WANT TO CUT GOVERNMENT SPENDIG LET'S START RIGHT HERE.

Yes the United Nations was formed to protect against such things.  Unfortunately, in todays "liberal" climate the only thing that will be done is complain about it.  

I wonder why it is okay for the us to invade in Iraq and doesn't nodbody seem's all that bothered about Burma. The orignal reason for Iraq was Nuclear weapons which they never had, then they spoke about Saddams dictatorship, but from what i can see, his country wasn't doing too bad actually, when you compare Iraq's situation with Burma. Burma is a total mess and it is a disgrace that western powers are not able to intervene and end this sort of dictatorship. Especially when you have powerful countries like India and china that could lead the way. This situation can easly be controlled and a democratic goverment could be put in place, it just seems no country really wants to.

The only real leverage the US has in the conflict is economic pressure on China.  Ooops, my mistake.  Since China is the only country that will buy US Treasury bonds anymore, I guess that lever is 'out of service.'

Yes, US should stay out of this.
More sanctions and adding fuels in reporting is not
going to solve anything. Those people need REAL helps. Same old stuff won't help.

The biggest joke is watching King George Bush II telling the world and scolding Myanmar about freedom when he has mounted the biggest assault on the freedoms and rights of Americans (and for citizens of every nation for that matter) in history. Total joke. Vote Ron Paul. Let's end the tyranny. We need to unite. Freedom Now!

Has anyone told Mr. Bush there are huge natural gas reserves in Burma? Maybe then he would respond with his terror fighters to "help"! Funny how the US seems to be selective as to who and how they think democracy should distrubuted.

I forgot about China and their possibly helping Burma. Maybe if the world put some pressure on CHina and threatened to boycott the Olympics if they didn't truly try and help, that China might intervene rather than want a "resloution"? Too much talk and not enough action. Shame on the world community.

Why do you kill the LINKS that may do some good?
The SIMPLE SOULTION is to BAR all imports from CHINA. We did not trade with COMMUNIST RUSSIA so I do not understand why we trade with COMMUNIST CHINA. As long as this is allowed we will LOSE. You cannot fight YOURSELF & WIN. We won the BATTLES with NIPPON = JAPAN but they have WON the WAR. REX

Are the world waiting until my country will be the likes of Rwanda, Darfur, Kosovo or Somalia? We are helpless against a militery who don't think twice to shot us.

CHINA and Russia are the biggest problem in the modern world as well as in the region. CHINA is the one who has been empowering the military rulers/dictators who have no respet for human life and freedom.

In Burma, China is making a big stake by selling its weapons to Burma's Military rulers and their paid-thugs (seen in a picture who are helping arrest the protestors). China does not want democracy in Burma reciting calmness to both parties, which means more time so the Ruler can suppress more people by the use of it's weapons like in 1998.

China rules out every possible solution that remaining world discover. It ruled out UN sanction over Iran, because China receives huge amount of petroleum from Iran. It ruled out U.S. call for sanction over Burma, because "The longer military rules in Burma, the more weapanry business for China".

I love these liberals spewing their anti-USA venom. Borders Language Culture!  Defend all 3.

Shame on YOU, Myanmar, to think that you can keep
controlling people like that..SHAME ON YOU!

Deja vu, Tibet 1950.

As sad as the images monks and unarmed citizens beaing beaten and shot coming out of Burma are I was far more upset by a recent visit of President Bush to Seattle in which they closed down the freeways for an hour prior to his arrival and riot police were stationed between the protesters and the venue at a high rise hotel in the suburbs. It was less then 10 years ago at the WTO conference here in Seattle that most of down town was turned into a war zone with martial law, tear gas in residential neighborhoods, peaceful protesters heared around like cattle and shot with bean bags and rubber bullets even the press was arrested. Prior to the start of the Iraq War tens of thousands of women from various church groups maarched with little problem but also with little press coverage.

Our we really any different now then Burma?

In the past US has done nothing to support democracy in other countries, in fact have supported dictators around the world. Iraq has not achieved democracy with US help, and Burma will acheive without outside help!! When other countries help, they help for their selfish reason more often, and humanity is just used an excuse!

At least if we acted here there would be a higher ground to stand on. Iraq, well, Iraq is a different story.  I hope that someone, if not us, does something.

The United States should assert its power in both the international media and political arena to end the Junta's aggressive oppression of both Buddhist Monks and pro-democracy supporters. In a modern world where we can see the horrors of military brutality on the morning news then it is certainly possible to find an internationally supported solution to this blatant disregard of human rights. If the United States can find justification to invade both Afghanistan and Iraq, not that military action is necessary in this situation, then we can find a way to pressure the Junta regime to dissolve or radically change and adopt a pro-democratic political system of government. The United States and the West (Western Europe) owe it to all the oppressed of the world, especially in post-colonial countries such as Myanmar (formerly British Burma), to try and facilitate the development of a government that would not only benefit the citizens of Myanmar but the global economy as a whole.

These people need help, but it needs to be the countries in the region or administerd by the UN which isn't going to happen. As far as this country, unfortunantly the Demacrats would cut and run when the first shot is fired and there's plus there objective right now is determining what tax that can raise when they win the Presidency. The Republicans can't make any money for the oil industry there so it doesn't get much attention from them. Pitiful shape this world is in.

news flash- we are a world community now!  we cannot pretend that we are not involved.  We, the people who are saying they should do something about it, are the ones who need to do something about it.
  Burma is the Only country in the world that has four pivotal issues occurring simultaniously;
1)   In 1990 there was a fair, Democratic election which the Junta never honored
2)   All of the Leaders from the many ethnic groups have publicly stated support for the national League for Democracy
3)  Aung San Suu Kyi, the head spokesperson for the national League for Democracy, has been adamant about all resistance being non-violent
4)  Aung San Suu Kyi is the only Nobel Peace Prize laureate to be under house arrest and now possibly moved to a prison situation.

 Burma's main supporters are China and Russia and only economic pressure will work.  There is talk about a boycott of the olympics next year which would hurt China a little, but we, as consumers need to step up to the plate.  
1)Send petitions to the businesses that you do business with.  Tell them that you will no longer do business with them if they continue to outsource from China( I understand electronic devices are almost impossible to get from another country, but everything else can be obtained...yes even good, healthy, comfortable shoes)  
2)go to www.uscamapignforburma.org get in the streets! hold a demonstration in support of Burmas democracy.  we are having one here in Milwaukee this Sunday September 30th 4p.m. at the sunburst(prospect and Wisconsin) keep the issue in the news and in the public eye
3) investors, pull your investments from all chinese companies and businesses that outsource through china, learn about socially responsible investing and shareholder political actions! go to  http://coopamerica.org/socialinvesting/shareholderaction/
4) Talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, in the workplace, at home, on the streets, in the schools. talk about what freedom is and what democracy is. Talk about international military efforts and humanitarian efforts, talk about violent resistance and non-violent resistance and after all the talking DON'T POINT YOUR FINGER DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!

Once upon a time, the people of a country with repressive leadership could rise up and overthrow the tyrant(s) who ruled over them, just as we did here in America.  That ended about 150 years ago with the invention of the first machine guns.  Now the brutal dictators of the world have tanks and helicopter gunships, 'improved' means of killing, to keep the underlings in line.  While civil disobedience and non-violence can work, it does not work at all with the most brutal regimes.  What if Martin Luther King or Mohandas Gandhi had not lived in America or India, but in Stalin's Soviet Union or Hitler's Germany?  They and all their followers would have been rounded up and executed before they could get their movements off the ground.  For non-violence to work, there has to be a least a little compassion, a little identification from the leadership with the masses; the society must at least in some small way value the existence of the average members of that society.  If that's not there, there is no hope--except through outside intervention.  To put it simply, with the most brutal regimes (and certainly Saddam Hussein's was a good example) the killing is simply going to continue, the bodies piling up by the hundreds and thousands, until either the outside world finally cares enough to commit the resources necessary (military and otherwise) to force it to stop, or the murders are simply exhausted or run out of victims to kill (such as in Rwanda).

In situations like this, it is up to us--do we or do we not live up to the ideals our country was founded upon, to the ideals that we all claim to believe in every Independence Day?  That all men are created equal?  If so, if we are all equal, then we are all equally valuable, we all have the same innate worth, regardless of whether we're American, Iraqi, Rwandan, Cambodian, Afghan, or Myanmarese (which is what I suppose they would call themselves--either that or Burmese) or any other nationality or other grouping you choose to name.  That being the case, we all--meaning all of the rest of humanity, not just all Americans or Britians or Italians or any other group--we all have a moral obligation, a responsibility, to end such repression or mass murder or ethnic cleansing or genocide or whatever you choose to call it.  Whether at the individual or at the national level, life is all about the acceptance or avoidance of responsbilities.  Which do we choose?

At this point it does not seem to be this bad in Myanmar.  There is still hope that the Myanmarese can force their leaders to change, and it's always best if a people can make themselves free.  But there are times when it requires the assistance, the involvement, of outside forces to end things that are unacceptable to the rest of mankind.

The reason for US government not doing anything with what is going on in Burma because it has nothing to gain by overthrowing a dictatorship.  As for Iraq, it has oil that the American people need.

We are fortunate to be able to live in a democratic country where we will not be harmed by our government for voicing our personal opinions.  Sometimes I feel that people take democracy for granted, not realizing how lucky we are.

Like North Korea, North Vietnam and Tibet, Burma is a buffer country to China, so fuggetabout the UN or US, they are powerless to act.  The Burmese Junta is an opium drug cartel and 2nd largest global exporter of opium and heroin; can you imagine Columbian drug lords or for that matter the North Korean gov't willfully and non-violently relinquishing control to democracy on China's borders?  China would march in before that happened; come to think of it, that may be the best option.

We only need look at our own history for an answer as to what needs to happen here.

"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." -Ben Franklin

"Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can excercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it." -Abe Lincoln

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
-Thomas Jefferson

TELL ALL THIS TO THE U.N. WE ARE NOT GETTING INVOLVED FOR ANY REASON. LET THE U.N. WITH ALL THEIR OUTRAGE AND RESENTMENT FOR THE GREAT SATAN DEAL WITH IT.IN THE END YOU WILL FIND THAT THEY ARE TOOTHLESS IN THE WORLD. ALL THEY CAN DO IS TALK.WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THEY HAD ANY SUCCESS IN ANYTHING WITH OUT MAKING A SHAMBLES OF IT.I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY DO OR DON'T DO JUST LEAVE US OUT.WE WONT BE ATTENDING THIS DANCE OR PAYING FOR IT.

Breaking ties with China to get them to help will in the end not help the world community! I agree that China needs to do more for the world community than just stuff the pockets of Wal Mart investers etc... The problem with China is much more delicate than that. The problem with most hot spots around the globe is the lack of jobs and education. I don't think we need over a billion Chinese folks with idle hands!  

China, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore will NOT help the people of Burma. Asean admitted Burma into their circle only to reap profit from it by buying raw materials with under-cut prices.
These Asian neighbours do no want Burma to become a powerful rival once it establishes democratic goverment and prospers. Because unlike many other countries, Burma has much more peace among its diverse ethnicity, all collected by Buddhism.
They will decry the slughter of the monks and civillians, but at the end of the day the Asean nations will still trade with the military Junta and provide the money laundry so the children of the junta can learn in Oxford and Ivy league colleges with blood money.

I hate to see repression anywhere in the world but we can't stick our nose in and be a bully all over the world.  That's exactly why so many people resent and some hate the US.  Leave this to the U.N.  Let's solve our own problems first.

The brutal military rulers in Myanmar have destroyed 3,000 villages, displaced at least 1.5 million, raped and murdered uncounted thousands, conscripted over hundreds of thousands of child soldiers, from its own peaceful and defenseless citizens.  It is little known and mind-boggling to imagine, but the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is actually worse than in Darfur.
Yet the junta continues for about two decades to devastate and destroy, supported militarily and shielded from UN Security Council sanction, by China.
It's time to retaliate peacefully in a way that China will feel the pressure.
BOYCOTT THE OLYMPIC GAMES!  Pass it on.  Let's make a tsunami around the world.

The U.N. was designed to keep nations from invading their neighbors, NOT to intervene in internal struggles. Sure, the leaders of Myanmar are some of the worst thugs in the world, but Sadam was a terrible leader too, and we've seen what overthrowing him cost us.

The last two hundred years have given us a plethora of examples of "people power" revolutions, some that were successful and some that failed. In almost every case outside of colonial situations, the opinions of the outside world had little to do with the outcome. Ultimately, it is the mid-level army commanders who decide these things. As long as they're willing to command their troops to fire on civilians, and their troops are willing to obey, a rebellion of any size will be crushed. On the day that they stop following their orders, the life of the regime becomes measurable in hours.

I don't know Sean S...call me crazy but I have a little bit of hope. I take your point about the weaponry but the British imperialists in India and the upholders of Jim Crow in the US south also had better weaponry than the populaces they fought against- and neither of these oppressors were sweet and cuddly. Yet non-violent protest won out in the end.
The same thing in the Soviet Union- it did take a tremendously long time and many people power movements (Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia 1968) were brutally put down, but people power again won out in the end.

The same thing in South Africa- that was a brutal, well-armed regime and certainly wealthier (thanks to minerals etc) than the Burmese regime. And they had the support of some of the world's most powerful countries such as Reagan's US and Thatcher's UK (remember, she called Mandela a terrorist...I guess it comes down to that that 'one man's freedom fighter' cliche). But people power and the power of reason won out in the end.

Where the people are truly united in wanting democracy, it can happen. But it may take years - this may just be the start of the Burmese Revolution. I'm hopeful

We(Burmese) want  Democracy! Democracy! Democracy!
We are fighting for Democracy without armed.  WHY??? THE WORLD IS IGNORING US. WE ARE SUFFERING LIKE DARFUR EVEN WE HAVE MANY NATURAL RESOURCES. WE ARE WAITING FOR OUTSIDE HELPS. Junta does not care UN, and any country ..... becauwe CHINA is already powered OVER BURMA. So they just care CHINA. INDIA, RUSSIA,AND NORTH KOREA ARE TAKEN BENEFITS FROM US. IF THE WORLD IS NOT ACTING NOW, OUR REGION WILL BE LIKELY MIDDLE EAST. NOW, NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR FACILITIES ARE ALMOST IN BURMA. OUR COUNTRY HAS MANY NATURAL RESORUSES FOR CHINA,INDIA, AND THILAND.
WE ALL ARE CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY....WE NEED REAL HELPS.

YOU(Govinda Rai, Richmond, VA,  Sean It. Before, Ft. Myers, FL, Dillon Orbon, Greensboro, NC ) ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.THANKS!!!!!!

If you really want to stop this! Then you must get China involved. What's the best way to do this? The old fashion way. Hit them in their pocketbooks. Do not buy Chineese products and let them know why.. They will not let a country like Burma hurt their ecomomy. They will order a stop to it!!!!

Why are we in such an uproar over this and persuing sanctions in such a hurry when we are doing nothing in Darfur. Wake up.

Listen ,why do we (USA)have to police the world? Look what's going on in Iraq! Let them fight it out themselves. Why send our children to die for their cause..If the results harm us ,well them we take action,not before.. Listen ,how many people in the USA?300,000,000? That $190,000,000,000.00 their asking for this war,cou;d be given to each American to help them out of situations,not spent on wars that our kids get killed by animals. Let them eat ,shoot themselves,leave us out of it. PC ,my ASS!!!!USMC/retired............

You have to live there to know how they feel. I live in Venezuela and I’m afraid because something like this could happen in my country. I agree with the fact that the citizens have to resolve their own problems, but in some way the rest of the world have to think in help this people. GO! Myanmar resists.

Uh, Michale Buie, the BIG difference between what's going on in Burma and Iraq is that we did not go to "help" the Iraq's.  The excuse as always was to rid the world of "terrorist".  I am sure the leaders of Burma and Bush have a lot in common.  They both have imaginary enemies abroad, which have now turned into reality

so after al the tal and retoric what actualy can be done by the US, the UN or us as individuals?  To al of you  who have so many opinions, what have you  done in your own life and  community to make things better for th e people around you?  Think about it! It is easy to  tal k but direct action may cost you.

This is why the right to bear arms is critical to freedom and democracy. The people are the last line of defense of their freedom.

The first step to losing your overall freedom is the accumulation of the loss of all your "little freedoms". By then, the people are too powerless to resist.

For those of you who wonders why we don't intervene.. It is mainly because they don't want a violent way of protest. If we help them militarily, that would require some violence, which is the very thing their leader doesn't want to do... I agree, India should definitely take a leadership. I guess the rest of the world is affraid of China!

The largest component in this issue is the Buddist monks. As always, the issue of equality rests there in the religion.

They are communing now in larger numbers. And no outside intervention will effect the outcome. Our President's speech outlined our position clearly.

We wish them success in their big for democracy of "any" sort.

I say " Hell with It " It's just another third world country crying for a world attention. We have enough problem of our own to worry about.

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