For a minute, I’d rather forget Philippine politics and its apathetic citizens, and instead tackle Burma.
But whenever I think of Burma, I cannot help but think of how some Filipinos take their freedom for granted.
Whenever I think of Burma, I cannot help but think of how some Filipinos take their duties for granted.
Whenever I think of Burma, I cannot help but think of how this administration wreaks havoc on political and social institutions.
Whenever I think of Burma, I cannot help but think of how some Filipinos let this administration pursue a scorched-earth policy.
Whenever I think of Burma, I cannot help but think of how some Filipinos allowed this administration to use the military as its own private army.
Yet, I think of lost opportunities for Burma. They have allowed themselves to be cowed by bullies, like how some Filipinos have been cowed by bullies masquerading as do-gooders. I grieve about the lost chances that the Burmese people almost had, all because some gang of murderers and thieves are sowing fear among the people of Burma – like what is happening in some parts of the Philippines.
Now, some Burmese people, led by Buddhist monks, tried to exert their rights. The gang in uniform at first paid no notice, thinking that it was just some random rally. But with snowballing support and attention from other people and countries, and the commonfolk joining the monks, the gang was threatened, and being gangsters, they immediately deployed soldiers to disperse the rallies.
Right now, we are not sure of what is happening inside Burma. When pictures of violent dispersal (including the death of a Japanese photographer) began showing up, the gang cut off Internet acccess. There are rumors of mass killing of monks, empty monasteries, remote villages burned to the ground, and people arrested in the middle of the night.
Yes, these gangsters have murdered their own people, no thanks to a concept that this administration had cheekily tagged as CPR. Yes, these gangsters had applied calibrated, preemptive response to protect their hold into power. They don’t care about the lives that they had snuffed out, they don’t care about the freedoms that they had suppressed, all in the name of power.
It is only right that the international community express its outrage over what the gangsters of Burma had done. Just the same, outrage is not enough. As much as the international community wants to intervene, it cannot. The United Nations Security Council is impotent because of the presence of the two largest countries with poor human rights records – China and Russia. The United States is tied up in the useless, self-serving Iraq war, and thus cannot unilaterally remove these gangsters.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to which Burma belongs, is silent on this issue. By its inactions and silence, ASEAN is complicit in the crimes being perpetrated by the Burmese gang of murderers.
So, I condemn in strongest terms possible the gangsters of Burma for their inhuman actions. I condemn China and Russia for propping up such murderers. I condemn ASEAN for coddling these charlatans in uniform.
I hope and pray for the safety of the Burmese people. I hope and pray that their time will come, that they will finally throw these murderers to where they belong – hell. I hope and pray that they will be free soon.
Finally, I also hope and pray that my own countrymen learn from the Burmese experience, and prevent our officials from fucking up with our laws and institutions.
Amen.
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International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words “Free Burma!”.
Go here to see what you can do.