Sanction policy hurt innocent Burmese Citizen, But not regime

A comment in response to the Irrawaddy’s commentary “A New Political Environment?” http://www.irrawaddy.org/opinion_story.php?art_id=17006

Burmese farmers

Yes this is a new phenomenon, mainly becoz Suu Kyi now shows up after such a long silence. Of course, sanction hurt ordinary citizen deeply and seriously. Meanwhile junta has survived unaffectedly. Regime even grew stronger and made oppositions and ethnic groups weaker over the past decades. So far, UN, US and Western powers have made no sense in real Burmese politics. We need to Be very cautious, Not to fail so many times again. Regime says one thing and does another. It did not care international community either.

What is the cost of sanction? How many more Burmese citizens have to die? We should hurt innocent citizen for any political purpose. Politicians, you can sacrifice your life if you believe in changing dictatorship to democracy, but you should not force citizens into poverty. Sanction policy driving Poverty should not be a tool to condemn the SPDC's wrong doing. Sanction policies should be clearly clarified between those hurt citizens and those effect on the military. Some sanction such as bans over Visa, opening bank accounts of the junta and their cronies and their natural resources export such as oil and gas are workable to restrict regime. But those sanction over such as investment and industries that create job opportunity and employment should be lifted but encouraged to solve the problems of illegal migration, human trafficking, and numerous human rights abuse over Burmese migrant workers such as underpaid jobs, unpaid jobs, forcing migrants as slaves, sexual abuse, inhumane race discrimination and murders happening around the world, especially Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

This is a crucial time. Something harsh or effective policy is needed. Is it the right time to talk about Sanction just a few months right ahead of election? Sanction will never be effective as long as China, India and Thailand trade with regime and are not interested to solve Burmese politics. So Sanction policy is failing, not beneficial to Burma's pro-democracy movement. Exploiters such as China, Thailand, India benefit from US and Western's sanction over Burma. The suffers and losers are Burmese citizen. Nobody care about ethnics or universal value. Nobody really have commitment to solve problem unless we see Oil. Burmese are sick of bala bala speech. We need a genuine and meaningful approach from both international community and Burmese junta.

Maintaining sanction policy without reviewing whether it is affecting the SPDC or hurting the ordinary citizen will be ridiculous. With the absence of western countries’ involvement, allowing China, North Korea and Russia (who are not interested in human rights, justice and democracy) to do business in Burma is like giving a death sentence to Burmese citizens. Permitted by the SPDC, these businesses orientated exploiters are simply easily sucking citizens’ blood and exploiting all natural resources. How can we ratify these sanctions to pressure Change in Burma? Should US and pro democracy leaders including Maung Maung allow this happen? At what cost? Is the sanction the only thing that the US and the UN can do change toward democracy in Burma? If say yes, then the question is are they effective? Answer is No because Burma has China and ASEAN to do business. My crucial point here is we need to do beyond these cycles?