"The Onus Is on China To Save Myanmar"

China, struggling to cope with its own worst natural disaster in three decades, might not seem the obvious potential savior for up to 2 million Burmese facing unimaginable new horrors in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

Yet the Chinese leadership could be the best hope for persuading neighboring Burma's reclusive generals to open up to the massive relief effort that they so outrageously reject.

The situation in Burma, also known as Myanmar, is dire. Homeless or displaced cyclone victims are stalked by disease and starvation, but the military junta that has ruled since 1962 is more concerned about its own survival. It is letting in only limited aid supplies and workers, banning most foreign journalists and  — according to new reports  — expropriating some of the aid, all for fear that outside help might stoke unrest that could threaten its rule.

China could be the only country capable of getting through to the junta. It has unique leverage as Burma's main trading partner and arms supplier. At the very least, China could give Burma's leaders a realistic picture of the situation. Cut off in their northern palaces and surrounded by sycophants, they might not understand the full extent of the horror or the international outrage.

China's leaders could also offer their own country's experience as a powerful template. In 1976, China's equally secretive and repressive communist leaders tried to hide the extent of an earthquake that killed as many as 300,000. By contrast today, Chinese state news media are fully reporting Monday's devastating earthquake in Sichuan province, allowing in foreign journalists and accepting outside help for tens of thousands left homeless.

The change is a result of China's slow, painful journey to more openness. As it has gradually realized the advantages of opening up, particularly the economic benefits of its export-based economy, it has begun to grasp some of the responsibilities this requires  — such as giving full information about a bird flu pandemic or more rigorous inspections of its factories.

Like Burma, China wants to deliver outside aid itself. Unlike Burma, though, and unlike China in 1976, it has the capacity to do so. This points to a possible way forward: to offer Chinese military help in spearheading the outside relief effort in Burma. That could be less threatening to the junta than Western forces and help improve China's image before the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Most important, it could save thousands of lives.

    Though there is some talk of invading and occupying Myanmar to remove the repressive and callous military junta before hundreds of thousands more Burmese people die in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, there is a more feasible solution through the diplomacy and military might of China. China has very strong economic ties to Myanmar and the ruling military junta of that nation. China also has one of the world's largest military. China's military could bring aid to it's own citizen's and aid the Burmese people too. This is a good time for China to demonstrate that it is truly a "people's republic", not just for it's own citizens but for other people as well. Oriental people, a little more than the Western world, have a strong desire to "save face". Allowing China to administer the aid that countries in the Free World is sending to Myanmar will allow the sick military junta to "save face" and keep many more of the beautiful Burmese people from dying. The question is , will China show Herself to be a truly "moral power" and take the lead in rendering aid to Myanmar?

tags: china  myanmar  cyclone  burma  disaster  power  western  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit