Japanese Photographer Killed in Burma

[AssKissinger]

I think the coverage of this has been shitty. They need to get the real scoop on how many monks have been murdered.

[GuyJean]

I think the coverage of this has been shitty. They need to get the real scoop on how many monks have been murdered.

I'd think that would be tough, considering the current government in Myanmar. The US government doesn't even know how many Iraqis died in our invasion.. and we're the best country in the entire universe and world!

You might find this interesting:
How Many Burmese Monks Are There?
http://www.slate.com/id/2174604/
[quote].. It's pretty simple to become a monk in Burma. You have to be at least 7 years old, and you may need permission from your parents or spouse. Families who can afford it often have a big village blowout for a young son's ordination] Sound like a bunch of hoodlums to me.

GJ

[AssKissinger]

The problem is the too much of the media doesn't even bother with news that isn't spoonfed to them. So much shit goes on in North Korea that they don't know about, same with Algeria and Burma. I don't want to hear that they'll get killed if they try to go there. Fuck their excuses. Find a way! These guys need to take a page out of Sydney Schanberg's book. He was not to be denied.

The US government doesn't even know how many Iraqis died in our invasion

They just don't want to say

[GuyJean]

.. I don't want to hear that they'll get killed if they try to go there. Fuck their excuses. Find a way!

That's what iReport is for.. ]do[/I] feel personal reporting on the ground will revolutionize the media industry.. But the 'editors' are still the huge media companies; the general population still prefers to be spoon-fed, and the feeders are still the filters..

.. They just don't want to say

Kind of like Burma.

GJ

[L S]

Any real information is going to have to come from local activists at great risk. If it doesn't the story will only be about all the lame diplomatic measures and visits which will likely amount to nothing. At that point the story is off the front page.

Speaking of lame diplomatic measures...

Seems the J-gov't is "thinking" about cutting aid to Burma due to the crisis. Cutting 500million yen of a est. yearly 3billion. They don't want to cut more because..."There have been calls to freeze aid entirely, but ordinary people in that country are already suffering. So we've decided to narrow down humanitarian aid for now." .....as if the aid was ever actually trickling down to the poor masses at all in that type of regime.

[GomiGirl]

This is such crushing and devastating news I can barely stand to read about it.

I agree - it made me ill when I heard of it. I had flashbacks to Tiananmen circa 1989.

[Tommybar]

Seriously, when was there a large-scale demonstration in Japan last? In the 1960s?

Only a 100,000 "perverted dudes"/dudettes at this one held in July.

[Mike Oxlong]

Only a 100,000 "perverted dudes"/dudettes at this one held in July.

And a 110,000 in Okinawa last Saturday...

[halfnip]

Only a 100,000 "perverted dudes"/dudettes at this one held in July.

Ahhh...That must be right outside the base in Yokosuka.

[L S]

It seems UN Envoy Gambari will report to the UN Security Council, but China is opposing (read veto) any action b/c Burma is purely an "internal issue". (Note that China and Russia vetoed a Jan resolution demanding better human rights and less oppression).
China has also told the ASEAN body they have overstepped their bounds with their official condemnation of the situation this week. Again citing "internal affairs".

The interesting twist on how to "pressure" China to intervene in Burma more, is the growing grass roots call to boycott the Beijing Olympics. If you Google News "Burma" and "Olympics" you will see a lot of articles and opinions echoing this call globally. Opponents to this tactic say it will only further damage the relations with the Chinese public who see no issues with the Burma problem. They fear it will be perceived as just another western arrogant and hypocritical act (read Iraq) that is a slap in the face to the people of China.

I personally feel an attendance boycott (not athlete boycott) could be a big leverage point on China and serve to be a thorn in the side reminder throughout the games of the issues in Burma and China's tacit support of the regime's tactics. What would happen if no westerner tourist showed up?

[(1VB)freels]

Ahhh...That must be right outside the base in Yokosuka.

That is My ship that they are protesting!!!!!!:rolleyes:

[Buraku]

(Note that China and Russia vetoed a Jan resolution demanding better human rights and less oppression).

India (who Kissinger described as a commie stooge) would have vetoed if they could, they like Russia and China are allies and friends of Burma but like Japan Indians have so far failed to make the UN security council expand.
A lot of people have made the gamble that China will want to tell Burma to play nice because its trying to look good before the Olympics. Most likely it could be a short sighted gamble as firstly monk protest could soon run out of steam and secondly the Chinese won't want to change the status quo.

[Tommybar]

That is My ship that they are protesting!!!!!!:rolleyes:

Either you own the U.S. (it is an U.S.S. they are protesting) or you're not stationed in California anymore (the ship they are protesting is stationed in Norfolk, VA).

Or do you plan on being station on her soon?

Or did you think they were protesting the Indy?

[Adhesive]

The PRC government is so fearful of mass-protests in their own country that it is very difficult for them to openly speak out against the military reaction in Burma. They don't want to tie their own hands in the case of a future protests of monks/students in China.

[L S]

[L S]

[AssKissinger]

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1670876,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-world

[SIZE="5"]When the military and police moved to crush the demonstrators, they first went after the monks. Under cover of darkness, say several sources who did not want their names used, doors of monasteries were kicked in and the monks around Shwedagon, including some nuns, were bundled onto trucks and taken away. When asked where the monks had gone, one 30-year-old man who was at Shwedagon in the early days of the protests puts his wrists together in the sign of locked handcuffs[/SIZE]

Fuck their government

[L S]

[B]BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Hundreds of villagers living on the outskirts of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, marched in support of the country's military junta Saturday after being threatened with steep fines if they did not, a political activist leader hiding in Yangon told CNN by phone.
Nilar Thein -- a key leader in the Myanmar-based group '88 Generation -- said residents of Shwe Pyi Thar village carried pro-regime placards after junta officials on Friday demanded at least one person from each household march in the government's rally. Junta officials also approached local factories and demanded they provide 50 workers.
According to the report, which CNN cannot independently verify, those who refused to march would be forced to pay steep fines.

[/B]

<More>

[Mulboyne]

IHT: Myanmar media blames slain Japanese journalist for 'inviting danger'

Myanmar's state-controlled media said Sunday that a Japanese journalist, killed during a crackdown on recent pro-democracy protests, was to blame for his own death because he put himself in harm's way..."This was an accident. The journalist was not deliberately targeted," said an editorial in The New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a junta mouthpiece. "The fact that the Japanese journalist was among the protesters amounts to inviting danger." The editorial also said Nagai had entered Myanmar on a tourist visa. "He should have come in with a journalist visa, since he was a journalist," it said. "If he had behaved like a tourist he would not have faced this tragic end"...more...

[Greji]

IHT: Myanmar media blames slain Japanese journalist for 'inviting danger'

Sounds reasonable to me. You walk out on the street, you get shot, it was your fault for being there. If you would have hid in your closet as instructed, you would have been perfectly safe! Nice place!

[AssKissinger]

Too bad the UN is fucking worthless. Every fucked up shit hole in the world knows that if America won't do anything about it they can do whatever the fuck they want. The world is like a high school where only one teacher enforces the rules and everyone hates her.

[L S]

This is my favorite line from that article...

"If he had behaved like a tourist he would not have faced this tragic end"

How many overweight, reasonably dressed, expensive video camera holding people were in that crowd?!

[Mulboyne]

Too bad the UN is fucking worthless. Every fucked up shit hole in the world knows that if America won't do anything about it they can do whatever the fuck they want.

I get fed up with people who criticize the UN as if it had the scope of another country. It is an international body of which the US is a member. If the UN fucks up it is because the members can't agree. The US has a strong incentive to make the UN look like arseholes by withholding key support because it allows them to lay off the blame for their inadequacies by claiming that the UN can do no better. I recommend Linda Polman's "We Did Nothing" for some good examples of that.

[AssKissinger]

Looks like an interesting read.

[Greji]

The US has a strong incentive to make the UN look like arseholes by withholding key support because it allows them to lay off the blame for their inadequacies by claiming that the UN can do no better.

It looks like the UN does pretty well. e.g. The oil for food program among others. I agree with AK, but will check out your book.

[Samurai_Jerk]

West cranks up pressure on Myanmar

Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Tokyo would halt 550 million yen ($4.7 million) in aid following last month's suppression of Buddhist monk-led protests, in which at least 10 people were killed, including a Japanese video journalist.

Interesting title for an article that leads off with this:

"Japan cut aid to Myanmar on Tuesday"

[Samurai_Jerk]

P.S. I'm with AK and gboothe. The UN is worthless.

[Mulboyne]

The UN is worthless.

You won't get any argument from me that it is ineffective but I will take issue if people from the major member states believe that it isn't their fault. There's no point in members mandating the UN to conduct, say, a peacekeeping mission if they won't produce the money, troops and resources to carry it off. That turns into a vicious circle where people doubt the value of multilateral action, commit less and doom future efforts to further failure. That creates a crisis of confidence and leads to situations such as when most people seemed to believe the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq were just a bunch of gravy train bureaucrats having the wool pulled over their eyes. It turns out we should have had a lot more faith.

[L S]

P.S. I'm with AK and gboothe. The UN is worthless.

Are sure it is worthless? Are you aware of the good things it has accomplished?

I had similar sentiments as you until I moved in with a flat-mat who worked at the UN in Tokyo. He was himself a heavy critic of the UN for its large beaurocracy, its slowness and wastefulness. He practically spat venom when discussing the self-serving, innefectual nature of the power base, i.e. the Security Council. He admitted that is was in serious need of reform...if only memebrs could agree on a coruse of action. BUT, he pointed out that is has had successes, it has done good and created positive change.

Some examples I can recall include...

>> The UNs WHO led the fight to erradicate smallpox globally, realistically saving millions of lives. They also continue to fight significant diseases like leprocy, Polio, HIV, TB, etc.

>> The UN has helped bring about over 170 peace settlements including the El Salvador civil war, Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Iran/Iraq war.

>> The UN has led over 60 peace keeping missions. Admittedly some way more succesful than others. They inlcude Kosovo, Haiti, Middle East, etc.

>> The UN has brought significant awareness and impact to enviro-socio issue ranging from over population, clean water, global warming, etc. through summits and work done by it's internal groups lile the Climate Chaneg Panel (recent Nobel winners)

>> The UN works hand-in-hand with organizations like the World Bank to find and implement startegies to reduce endemic poverty and its socio-ecomic impacts on countries, regions and the global economy

>> The UN worked hard to establish sustainable global fishing practices to ensure fish populations survive and reduce enviromental, all the while teaching poor fishing communities/cultures new ways to fish and economically survive.

And the list go on...

I don't think the UN is worthless.

[American Oyaji]

I wonder if you guys know how much dues money the U.S. has NOT paid to the U.N.