Burma update

Well, I guess the update is, there is no real update. News from within Burma has dried up significantly. And with a stem in the information comes a predictable down grading of the story from lead article to third, fourth or even more humble news piece by the majors.

On account of my recent visit to SE Asia, I have a good number of friends and contacts there, not least of which is Christina. But there's also Andrew & Kelly, Justin & Kerren and Guy and their families. Christina and the rest of the S. the C. crew seem safe from what I can glean.

My good friend and mother of my godchild, Ros, is in Rangoon right now as well. Not that it matters to the world at large but she's also six months pregnant. As a freelance journalist, she's feeding news out as best she can, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable, as it does her husband Dan who's in Bangkok. It wouldn't need a rocket science degree in Internet Research (and why would you get a rocket science degree in Internet Research anyway?) to find out who or indeed where she is and therefore the Burmese authorities could easily have her pegged. Obviously she's there on a tourist visa as journalists are distinctly unwelcome at the best of times. So even if things calm down, surely she's a sitting duck for some serious questioning when she tries to leave the country? 'Why were you here?' and 'Why were you quoted all across Sky News, BBC, CNN, etc.?'

So China and why isn't it using its political power to initiate peaceful dialogue and regime change? Well, here's an interesting take: why would they be interested in lending support to a Buddhist monk led rebellion against an oppressive regime when they have spent 40 years trying to keep a lid on exactly that in Tibet? Forget currently having a full order sheet for arms to Burma. I think they are shit scared about revolution in Burma being a blue print for regime change in Tibet - a country they are actively oppressing and have been for decades.

All in all, it doesn't bode well. Give Burma some thought and don't let it slip from your conscience.