Since 1997 the world's only superpower United States of America has been brutally imposing various economic, financial, and trade sanctions against one of the world's poorest countries Burma in the name of human rights and democracy. The devastation and suffering in Burma is horror in a grand scale.
At the beginning I thought the Burmese exiles groups and ASSK were the only reasons US is actively engaging in a devastating cold-war against Burma as no one in his or her right mind would believe that the United States is simply acting for the moral principle of democracy and human rights.
U.S. often pointed out the heroin and other illicit drugs coming out of Burma as a reason for their sanctions. But thinking of it the heroin was basically introduced and produced large scale in the Golden Triangle by CIA and its mercenary armies (KMT, Laotians, and Shans) there to supply US troops during the Vietnam War in 1960s.
Please do remember Mel Gibson's movie Air America about the CIA airline transporting heroin from the Golden Triangle to Vietnam during the Vietnam War!
They just can't turn around and accuse Burma of being a drug producer as once the drug trade has rooted it is very hard to get rid of. Drug problem in Burma is clearly the long lasting legacy of CIA and America's Vietnam War.
Just compare Burma with Communist Vietnam a former US foe but now a good friend and a very good trading partner. No political freedom in Vietnam and no body really knows how many political prisoners in Vietnam and they shoot the opposition there. And the Vietnamese Communists kicked US arse well and truly in the Vietnam War.
In terms of democracy and human rights Burma and Vietnam are the blood brothers as both the Vietnamese Communist Party and Burmese Army have been ruling their people with iron fists since the sixties.
Only difference between Burma and Vietnam is their relationships with China. Vietnamese once tried to kick Chinese arse and China invaded there in 1979 and showed the Vietnamese their right place while Burma is now quickly becoming a satellite state of China.
The stark difference between respective US treatments to Burma and Vietnam makes me think of US hypocrisy.
U.S. often pointed out the heroin and other illicit drugs coming out of Burma as a reason for their sanctions. But thinking of it the heroin was basically introduced and produced large scale in the Golden Triangle by CIA and its mercenary armies (KMT, Laotians, and Shans) there to supply US troops during the Vietnam War in 1960s.
Please do remember Mel Gibson's movie Air America about the CIA airline transporting heroin from the Golden Triangle to Vietnam during the Vietnam War!
They just can't turn around and accuse Burma of being a drug producer as once the drug trade has rooted it is very hard to get rid of. Drug problem in Burma is clearly the long lasting legacy of CIA and America's Vietnam War.
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| Execution by shooting in Communist Vietnam. |
In terms of democracy and human rights Burma and Vietnam are the blood brothers as both the Vietnamese Communist Party and Burmese Army have been ruling their people with iron fists since the sixties.
Only difference between Burma and Vietnam is their relationships with China. Vietnamese once tried to kick Chinese arse and China invaded there in 1979 and showed the Vietnamese their right place while Burma is now quickly becoming a satellite state of China.
The stark difference between respective US treatments to Burma and Vietnam makes me think of US hypocrisy.
And also this quote from a US GAO - Government Accountability Office - Report on the Jade Act basically made me start thinking that maybe US is waging a cold war against Burma as a proxy for China since China holds too much US sovereign debt (about two trillion dollars last count) to directly engage in a trade war with China.
"China would not support implementing a ban on Burmese jade because they oppose all sanctions against Burma; China fundamentally opposes the concept of sanctions against Burma as a policy tool."
My conclusion is that the obvious reason for US sanctions against Burma is to give the new rising power China an American middle finger as Burma suffers. Americans are simply saying, "Up Yours, Bloody China!"
But IMHO U.S. is achieving undesirable results from their economic war on Burma. Instead of pushing Burma away from China Burma is now totally reliant on her neighbor China. Please do not forget China and Burma were bitter traditional enemies before.
Once that Trans-Burma Oil & Gas Pipeline and the only Chinese Naval Base on the shore of Indian Ocean have been built China will never leave Burma which is strategically far more important than Tibet or Uighur for China as Burma could be their only access to Indian Ocean and the supply of crude oil in very near future.
Constructions have been going on full swing and the Chinese security personnel are now guarding the Chinese construction crews. And, believe it or not, China has already requested Burma to allow PLA to position 20 armed-battalions along the pipeline route to protect the Chinese interest.
Will these PLA battalions go home after the years long construction if they are allowed into Burma now? Scary, isn't it?
Once that Trans-Burma Oil & Gas Pipeline and the only Chinese Naval Base on the shore of Indian Ocean have been built China will never leave Burma which is strategically far more important than Tibet or Uighur for China as Burma could be their only access to Indian Ocean and the supply of crude oil in very near future.
Constructions have been going on full swing and the Chinese security personnel are now guarding the Chinese construction crews. And, believe it or not, China has already requested Burma to allow PLA to position 20 armed-battalions along the pipeline route to protect the Chinese interest.
Will these PLA battalions go home after the years long construction if they are allowed into Burma now? Scary, isn't it?