Burma Blues

Burma, Thailand’s neighbor to the west, had a mixed week last week. Details about the “saffron revolution” are widely available. Look over this respected local source of Burma news, as well as coverage by the BBC, and The Economist.

The story is worth following and responding to. This century, unlike the last one, isn’t America’s. New superpowers are rising, and it’s instructive to watch how those countries will handle bullies like the ones currently in charge of Burma.

It doesn’t hurt to offer a few suggestions to the regional powers. Check out this petition, among many others making the rounds.

Thailand’s response to this past week’s events is also important. Historically, the leadership here has been reluctant to criticize a major business partner (nearly half of Burma’s exports end up in Thailand). But goods aren’t the only things that find their way across the border. Untreated diseases, drugs, and hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees give the Thai government countless reasons to get more involved in its neighbor’s business than it has in the past.