MYANMAR
Politics
Sept 5, 2007 
Bush Condemns Myanmar's Crack Down on Activists
The Bush administration and lawmakers from both parties are pushing for the U.N. Security Council to condemn Myanmar's recent crackdown on activists.

But with China and Russia likely to block a U.N. resolution against a country with which they both have strong economic ties, and India clamoring for access to Myanmar's vast energy resources, U.S. options to force change appear limited.

Priscilla Clapp, who was chief U.S. diplomat in Myanmar — also called Burma — from 1999 to 2002, said U.S. and European pressure is important. But, she said, "when you hear the president and others talking about that, it's because they've got nothing else they can do; it's just such a conundrum what you do about Burma."

The ruling military junta in Myanmar has detained scores of activists and used gangs of hired thugs to snuff out protests that began Aug. 19 over higher fuel and consumer goods prices.

In response, President Bush urged the government to "heed the international calls to release these activists immediately and stop its intimidation of those Burmese citizens who are promoting democracy and human rights."

The State Department has said U.S. officials will work to raise the subject at the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September.

Michael Green, Bush's former senior adviser on Asia, said U.S. rhetoric condemning the regime shows Myanmar's "democracy movement that major powers like the United States stand with them. That has meaning. But in terms of affecting the behavior of the regime, I don't think that will happen until the big parties around them start working together."

China and Russia, both of which have veto power on the U.N. Security Council, are the major barriers to a resolution on Myanmar. They argue that the council should deal with matters of international security, not the internal security of a country.

Even a successful U.N. resolution, however, "doesn't solve the problem in Burma; it just gives it a high level of international attention," Clapp said.

The most important pressure on Myanmar probably would come from China, which probably would welcome stronger economic policies in Myanmar as better protection for its investments. Clapp said China covets Myanmar's huge energy resources and in coming years will start making large hydroelectric and gas investments.

The White House and State Department are watching events in Myanmar closely; the country also is of special interest to Bush's wife.

First lady Laura Bush telephoned U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday to urge him to condemn the junta's treatment of dissidents and to press for the Security Council to prevent more violence in Myanmar.  AP Reports