Despair?

[PeteC]

Perhaps an editorial, if so sorry.

Without thinking tonight I recommended on another thread for a person to go to Ranong to renew his visa. With that suggestion I just may have contributed more money into the coffers of those animals running Burma at present. If me and please if you, spend the extra 2,000 and go to Cambodia, Laos or Malaysia.

The coup leader, General Sonthi has now retired from the CNS. One of his last statements was that Burma should do what it needs to do to restore order. Political perhaps as if he said something different, it could be a green light for the southern Thailand insurgents to justifiy what they are doing. If he said something different about Thailand's position on the issue, it could also cause a million refugees streaming across the border from Burma into Thailand.

At the same time, starting even before Thaksin, Thailand has done deals with the junta in Burma concerning business, especially natural gas and energy. I think the yearly bill Thailand pays Burma is about 2.8 billion dollars, not baht, dollars for energy, about 20% of Thailand's requirements. Thailand puts more money into the junta's bank than any other country in the world at present.

China and India are vested in Burma's resources and they're not going to stop either. Planned expansion is massive, regardless of the plight of the people there. Everything these days is about business and money, not people. China, the most powerful in the region, will never do anything as if they did, it would undermine their own system of government.

With the middle east, the USA, UK and most of EU can't or won't devote the time and resources concerning Burma, Africa or anywhere else. Russia has returned to nothing but a needle in the side of everyone else, they couldn't care less.

So here we sit, especially you people in HH, on the doorstep of a humanitarian disaster in the making and none of the world powers or anyone in the ASEAN group seems to be willing to do anything about it.

Does anyone remember the Monks burning themselves to death in the streets of Saigon in the 1960's? We may see that again in Burma if they feel strongly enough and have had enough of the hell they are living in. What will the world say then...oh my, oh my...how did that come about?

Yeah, I despair and feel so damn helpless about all of this as we can't do shit and our governments home and here won't do shit. Pete

[buksida]

Totally agree with you Pete - I actually travelled there a few years back and had to pay $150 for a visa - straight into their pockets. Something I'm not proud of but I had to weigh it up against the opportunity to dive on one of the worlds last untouched marine habitats ... the fish won!

[PeteC]

My partner just wandered in to my little office/computer room and asked what I'm still doing in here so late tonight. I explained this thread.

The reply, "cheewit sahn" or "life is short", in addition, "what can you do about Burma and Thailand's big power guys doing what they want to do...."

Good points. I guess the answer is nothing, except to voice opinions and hopefully someone, somewhere will read them and pass them along. It just may generate an earthquake and a tsunami of thinking and action. Long live forums, unless Burma type dictators start to rule the world....has it already started??? Pete

[lomuamart]

There's so much I could try and say. So, I'll try
I must have supported the regime in Burma about 50 times over the years. Well, that got me another entry into Thailand. So what?
I don't feel good about it and there are friends who are simply banned from Burma - from a long time ago. I mean it. One is a journalist.
So, what is Thailand doing about it?
Basically, it's making sure that "fuel/electricity" prices here are affordable. Hence the gas pipeline!!
Until ASEAN countries tell Burma to piss off, nothing's going to change.
However, my friend asked me 10 years ago not to support the regime of Burma with my dollars.
I'm still doing it in Ranong. I'm a bad person
C'mon Thailand, I've seen your gas deal with Burma slagged off on the BBC.
Wow, do you think that Thailand, China, Russia, India -
CARE?

[DawnHRD]

Pete, I did one last Friday & weighed it up before going.

There were 11 people on the trip I went on. Yes, each paid their $10 to the junta, but at least 8 of them bought booze, cigarettes & -aherm- those funny shaped blue pills from the touts.

Take away the $110 and you're also taking away the money that goes to the already poor people who produce the goods, sell them & the ones who tout to the foreigners. Seems to me that we can't take away from the government without taking from the people as well.

[redzonerocker]

very true dawn
thats why sanctions from the asian countries wouldnt help matters. it would have little or no effect on the junta. but it would cause more suffering to the poorest people of burma

[lomuamart]

The only thing I'll say is that you must realise that all the little "touts/bodyguards" at the pier are army mafia anyway. Nobody of any worth gets anything from us in Burma, full stop. I'm pretty certain of that after the numerous times I've been there. The same is true up in Mae Sai and I've crossed that border a few times as well.
And, it's illegal to travel more than a few kilometers around town to spend your money - I've tried it. And Immigration there keep your passport to make sure you don't.
I hate having to give them 10USD every now and then, but the option is a much longer journey to Malaysia and I'm just not politically sound enough.
Our 10 USD and other purchases are but pissing in the wind. As I said before, if the ASEAN countries don't impose their own economic/social sanctions, then the ones the west make are worthless.
Again, I appreciate that sanctions of any sort will hurt those that they are meant to protect. But what's the answer - invasion?

[lomuamart]

And BTW, when I was there a couple of weeks ago, my "bodyguard" told me that there had only been 7 visa runs done the day before.
The reason seems simple to me - the new visa laws Thailand has imposed regarding 30 day visa runs. Immigration in Ranong would bear this out as well, I'm sure. Almost year ago, the Captain there was moaning about the lack of 30 day visa runners.
Maybe they're economic sanctions from the Thais???? Somehow I don't think so as they're only shooting themselves in the foot anyway - the Thais I mean. How long before some Immigration Officers aren't necessary?

[klikster]

Nobody of any worth gets anything from us in Burma, full stop. I'm pretty certain of that after the numerous times I've been there. The same is true up in Mae Sai and I've crossed that border a few times as well.

If that were the case, then the government is behind the volume smuggling of Mong Hsu (ruby) rough to the market in Maesai?

[lomuamart]

Probably

[Roel]

Our 10 USD and other purchases are but pissing in the wind

I think the yearly bill Thailand pays Burma is about 2.8 billion dollars, not baht, dollars for energy

2.8 billion: an awful lot of visa runs indeed.

I know it is acting on principal but I think the Junta is not really going to panic because we go to Penang instead of Ranong.

[lomuamart]

Nobody of any worth gets anything from us in Burma, full stop. I'm pretty certain of that after the numerous times I've been there. The same is true up in Mae Sai and I've crossed that border a few times as well.

If that were the case, then the government is behind the volume smuggling of Mong Hsu (ruby) rough to the market in Maesai?

I can't quite remember why I made that post. Probably something to do with the fact that the "deserving" never get our dollars in Burma.
BTW, I bought a bottle of Burmese champagne up in Tachiliek (sic). It was opened in the bar I frequented in Pai at the time and was still sitting there after it had gone off a week later. More like cider than champagne, but at 300 Baht, I had to give it a go