Is intervention an option in Burma?

[AB Asks]

The unrest in Burma (Myanmar) has apparently reached new heights, with rumours of thousands of killings reaching news sources. Should Western countries intervene and help the Burmese people? Or is intervention likely to make things worse? What is the best approach?

[maxximus]

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/articl e_2473.shtml

[4GS]

Burma was once part of the British Empire, it achieved indeoendance in 1948 so if the UK was to intervene, then it would give the Burmese (?) junta an excuse to say the we are trying to rebuild our empire, and unfortunatly the British are having a hard enough time playing the world's policeman whilst we are shackled to America's foregin polocy. The best approach (in my opinion) is to persuade China to put economic pressure in Burma to:
1) stop the killings
2) release all political prisoners
3) hold free elections
4) hold trials of any soldier,or member of their government who ordered the killings to start

[andy-hughes]

No oil - no point!

[andy-hughes]

Seriously though -

diplomacy has to be the best approachh at this stage, although the Junta are unlikely to listen. No one with any power ever used that power to give themselves less of anything - that's just human nature, but we have to try and sort out this situation without military intervention.

Hopefully after Viet Nam, and now Iraq, the wider world will realise that simply thinking you are right and having a bigger army does not give you the right to go barging into another country and telling it how to run itself.

[anotheoldgit]

If the Burmese are dissatified with the way their country is being run then it is for the Burmese people to get themselves organised and topple their oppressive rulers themselves.

It is not our job to get involved in other countries affairs, look what has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. We would not take kindly to any other country interfering into our affairs, neither would the U.S.

[SKA]

Oh please!!
I reckon if Burma did have Oil people would have intervened years ago!! But for now they�ll just make comments in the press to make it look like they care!!

[Gromit]

AB Ed, try to keep up.

We already did this last Tuesday.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question46 0333.html

[kwicky]

Burma if it is to survive needs help from other countries. The West has very few dealings with this Junta and communication is poor. But they rely heavily on China so any outcome would depend on their involvement. More soft power could be expected this way but don't expect to see screaming headlines because most discussions are held in secret. The Chinese are probably just as disturbed about the situation as the West but realise the only solution is to talk softly with a big stick.

[Zeddy]

If yes, why do we (the rest of the world) continue to let Zimbabwe go to hell?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_ gallery/07/africa_urban_life_in_zimbabwe/html/ 1.stm

[sambro]

I think the "no oil-no point " hits the nail on the head in this case and also in the case of Zimbabwe. If a white Zimbabwian farmer could find some oil on his land, the Americans and the Brits would be in there like a shot with their HUMANITARIAN HATS on.