[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
help!
I am in need of a succinct answer to the following comments published in
the newsletter of the Southeast Asian Studies Association here at the
Center for International Studies at Ohio University. These comments were
written by a student who has become interested in Burma recently, having
seen a presentation I made about my time along the border teaching Karen
refugees, and also a presentation by Edith Mirante, who recently came and
spoke here at Ohio University:
"...After hearing of the horrors of displaced people, burnt villages,
torn-down hillsides and the like, I was very moved. When assessing the
damage, both natural and human, one asks oneself, "What are the solutions
to these problems?" Is there really anything people outside of the
country can do which would make a difference? In the case of Burma, I
have come to the conclusion that little can be done that would make a
dramatic impact. From the outside world that is. I will continue to
support the opposition to the cruel and horrible things done by the
Burmese government to its own people, but other than that I believe that
change must come from the inside. Economic sanctions are not the
answer. Burma can make enough money to keep itself going through illegal
trade in timber, animals and people with countries like Thailand and
China. Investment in Burma will continue, such as that of the large oil
companies, regardless of the political and social situation within the
country.
The solution, I believe is for Burma to free itself from the inside.
Figures like ASSK are examples of the type of support which Burma must
give itself. Outside groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights
Watch Asia, and Burma interest groups are crucial in giving them a voice
and backing them as well, but for significant change to take place Burma
must work out its problems among its own people. Lasting change never
comes easily or quickly, but with strong people like the students of
Burma and those in the NLD I still have hope for a "Free Burma" in the
future."
I have a lot of ideas about how to answer this article, but would like to
hear other opinions about how to do so succinctly so that I can answer
this article effectively in the next issue of the newsletter.
Thanks!
Lisa