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Decision Time in Burma By R. Nicholas Burns Three months have passed since the world called on Burma's dictators, Gens. Than Shwe and Maung Aye, to end their brutal crackdown on tens of thousands of peaceful monks and other demonstrators and begin a genuine dialogue with Burma's democratic and ethnic minority leaders -- with the goal of a transition to democracy. The time has come for them to act. With the strong backing of the U.N. Security Council, U.N. special adviser Ibrahim Gambari has made two trips to Burma since the crackdown to try to facilitate a dialogue. Through him, democratic leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has reaffirmed her willingness to participate in a "meaningful and time-bound" dialogue to be joined by representatives of the country's ethnic minority groups. |
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Burma's Financial Crisis VOA News With a tight grip on the country's abundant natural resources, Burma's ruling military elite appears to have the money it needs to retain power. However, for the vast majority of ordinary Burmese, daily life is a grinding struggle. High inflation, low wages and rampant corruption have pushed millions into poverty. In August, the situation deteriorated still further when the government sharply raised fuel prices, bringing thousands onto the streets in protests -- that government troops crushed in September. But as Rory Byrne and Wido Schlicting report from Rangoon, the economic crisis that led to the protests has not gone away. Military-ruled Burma has suffered from economic decline for decades. Critics say mismanagement has crippled the economy, and international economic sanctions against the government have made things worse. Sann Aung is a cabinet minister with Burma's government in exile, living in Bangkok. "The people are very poor because of the ad hoc policies and also the mismanagement of the military regime, he says, And also at the same time there is no rule of law, and also the situation is not conducive to international investment," Aung said. A bad situation got dramatically worse in August when the military government more than doubled some fuel prices, adding to rapid inflation and forcing millions deeper into poverty. |
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Burmese Junta Not Interested in Dialogue with Opposition, EIU Says |
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Burmese Junta Not Interested in Dialogue with Opposition, EIU Says By Wai Moe Burma’s junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), “fails to show any interest in talks” with Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said on Tuesday. In its January 2008 report on Burma, the London-based EIU, an influential think tank, said the junta took a small step forward in October with the appointment of Aung Kyi, the labor minister, as a liaison officer to meet the detained leader of the opposition, Suu Kyi. The liaison officer subsequently met with Suu Kyi three times. The most recent meeting was on November 19, and since then “the junta has shown no interest in holding a dialogue with the opposition.” |
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