Myanmar and the Responsibility to Protect

18 May

If there was ever any humanitarian reason to overrun a country, the Burmese ruling elite have certainly provided it. How else does one deal with a government that has allowed only a trickle of aid into a disaster-struck area? There are even reports that say that the government might not even know the scale of the disaster. China used to be the one to refuse help from any other country, but reactions to the recent earthquake – the openness in the rescue operations, and in the willingness to accept international help – has really impressed every analyst who has written about the case. This is such that even The Economist did one of their leaders on the issue.

China has had her mistakes too, no doubts. Ready examples are the cases of the 1975 earthquake in Tangshan, where over 250,000 people died because the magnitude of the incidence was kept under wraps, and the cover-up of the SARS outbreak. China seems to have indeed learnt from her mistakes.

What now?
The Economist has suggested it, just like I had thought about it, that countries that have ships close to the country could force aid on the country. Even Bernard Kouchner, France’s foreign minister, has hinted at it. I didn’t even realise that there was an international principle of ‘responsibility to protect’ until I read the story. The principle was agreed upon in a United Nations summit in 2005, and it says ‘that the international community has a responsibility to act when these governments fail to protect the most vulnerable among us’. Now may be the time to test the resolve of global leaders. If the Burmese government continues to be obstinate, and to sacrifice the lives of Burmese citizens, that option should be taken up.

  • http://shakara.wordpress.com/ Random African

    The problem is not the aid, it’s the aid-workers.
    Not only the Burmese military doesn’t really refuse shipments, but “stuff” can be dropped easily. It’s the people who can’t get in. And invading Burma so that aid workers can do their job may bring a bigger catastrophe. The Burmese army will fight back and even if they’re defeated, the aid operations will be disrupted.

    It’s simply not a solution.

  • http://shakara.wordpress.com Random African

    The problem is not the aid, it’s the aid-workers.
    Not only the Burmese military doesn’t really refuse shipments, but “stuff” can be dropped easily. It’s the people who can’t get in. And invading Burma so that aid workers can do their job may bring a bigger catastrophe. The Burmese army will fight back and even if they’re defeated, the aid operations will be disrupted.

    It’s simply not a solution.

  • http://www.nigeriancuriosity.com/ solomonsydelle

    That is a part of international law that any lawyer will warn against. I understand the sentiment behind it though, looking at footage from Myanmar breaks my heart and to imagine that children are continuing to suffer for no reason is painful.

    However, let’s look at Somalia and the recent Ethiopian invasion into the country. The basis for that invasio was… Well, honestly, i don’t know if there was a valid reason other than the mere fact that it was sanctioned by the Bush administration (ooh, I am going to get into trouble for that. i can just feel it…).

    The result was that Ethiopian troops destroyed a stable balance that had been created by the islamic courts, Ethiopian troops could not control the entire country and AU troops were forced to come in to maintain peace. That then led to the death of Nigerian soldiers and a threatened ‘strike’ by nigerian soldiers who had not been paid in months…

    My point is that entering a country like Burma will have serious unforseen consequences. Who will run the country? Who will clean up the mess caused by the tragedy? What will happen when various domestic forces choose to fight one another for power/control? There are too many factors. From a strategic perspective, it is better to figure out who the opposition is and empower them. I will admit, I have often wondered why the soldiers haven’t turned against the junta? After all, there have to be soldiers whose family members are suffering? The junta’s control of that country must be incredible. If that were almost anyother developing nation, well, I rather not say.

    Hope all is well.

  • http://www.nigeriancuriosity.com solomonsydelle

    That is a part of international law that any lawyer will warn against. I understand the sentiment behind it though, looking at footage from Myanmar breaks my heart and to imagine that children are continuing to suffer for no reason is painful.

    However, let’s look at Somalia and the recent Ethiopian invasion into the country. The basis for that invasio was… Well, honestly, i don’t know if there was a valid reason other than the mere fact that it was sanctioned by the Bush administration (ooh, I am going to get into trouble for that. i can just feel it…).

    The result was that Ethiopian troops destroyed a stable balance that had been created by the islamic courts, Ethiopian troops could not control the entire country and AU troops were forced to come in to maintain peace. That then led to the death of Nigerian soldiers and a threatened ‘strike’ by nigerian soldiers who had not been paid in months…

    My point is that entering a country like Burma will have serious unforseen consequences. Who will run the country? Who will clean up the mess caused by the tragedy? What will happen when various domestic forces choose to fight one another for power/control? There are too many factors. From a strategic perspective, it is better to figure out who the opposition is and empower them. I will admit, I have often wondered why the soldiers haven’t turned against the junta? After all, there have to be soldiers whose family members are suffering? The junta’s control of that country must be incredible. If that were almost anyother developing nation, well, I rather not say.

    Hope all is well.

  • http://www.aloofaa.blogspot.com/ Chris

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  • http://www.aloofaa.blogspot.com Chris

    Hi Loomnie,

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  • http://shakara.wordpress.com/ Random African

    “The basis for that invasio was… Well, honestly, i don’t know if there was a valid reason other than the mere fact that it was sanctioned by the Bush administration”

    Actually from the Ethiopian POV, the basis was that the Islamic Courts were a threat to Ethiopia because they were talking about getting involved in Ogaden.

    It’s very likely Ethiopia convinced the US to get involved.

  • http://shakara.wordpress.com Random African

    “The basis for that invasio was… Well, honestly, i don’t know if there was a valid reason other than the mere fact that it was sanctioned by the Bush administration”

    Actually from the Ethiopian POV, the basis was that the Islamic Courts were a threat to Ethiopia because they were talking about getting involved in Ogaden.

    It’s very likely Ethiopia convinced the US to get involved.

  • Stefan

    Haha responsibility to protect. They are referring to an Iraq or Afghanistan type protection. *WINK* Yeah, we know what is being protected there, don’t we? Seriously, where were the big outcries when Chevron and Pepsi came in and had those deals with the Burma military gov’t to yank the villagers into slave labor to build facilities for those companies. What will happen in Burma will be the same tragedy and disappointment that happened in the abovementioned countries. Read this and you will get a clearer view of what I mean.

    http://warofillusions.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/one-more-step-to-checkmate-the-us-burma-china-connection/

  • Stefan

    Haha responsibility to protect. They are referring to an Iraq or Afghanistan type protection. *WINK* Yeah, we know what is being protected there, don’t we? Seriously, where were the big outcries when Chevron and Pepsi came in and had those deals with the Burma military gov’t to yank the villagers into slave labor to build facilities for those companies. What will happen in Burma will be the same tragedy and disappointment that happened in the abovementioned countries. Read this and you will get a clearer view of what I mean.

    http://warofillusions.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/one-more-step-to-checkmate-the-us-burma-china-connection/

  • http://www.nigeriancuriosity.com/ solomonsydelle

    @ Random: You think that Ethiopia “convinced” the U.S. to get involved?

    I feel otherwise, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, does it? Ethiopian entered a ‘sovereign’ territory and the AU has to ‘fix’ the mess that was made with the U.S. sanction in the war against ‘terror’. Whatever the case may be, people are suffering and there is no resolution, that I am aware of, in sight.

    Thanks for your insight though.

  • http://www.nigeriancuriosity.com solomonsydelle

    @ Random: You think that Ethiopia “convinced” the U.S. to get involved?

    I feel otherwise, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, does it? Ethiopian entered a ‘sovereign’ territory and the AU has to ‘fix’ the mess that was made with the U.S. sanction in the war against ‘terror’. Whatever the case may be, people are suffering and there is no resolution, that I am aware of, in sight.

    Thanks for your insight though.

  • http://loomnie.com/ loomnie

    I am sorry I have not been part of this discussion… poor internet connectivity/been too busy. Anyways, the POV of many Southern Ethiopians is that the Ethiopian government and the US were working together.

    But back to the main topic. Yes, I know it is going to be controversial, and I know that it will be mighty messy… the post was an attempt at raising a moral discussion on the place of national sovereignty during humanitarian disasters.

  • http://loomnie.com loomnie

    I am sorry I have not been part of this discussion… poor internet connectivity/been too busy. Anyways, the POV of many Southern Ethiopians is that the Ethiopian government and the US were working together.

    But back to the main topic. Yes, I know it is going to be controversial, and I know that it will be mighty messy… the post was an attempt at raising a moral discussion on the place of national sovereignty during humanitarian disasters.