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SCMP-Britons' protests 'political t (r)



Subject: Re: SCMP-Britons' protests 'political tourism'

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook was scheduled to tour two refugee camps on
the Thai frontier sept 9 then was called suddenly away on the East Timor
crisis. And that has been the last we heard of him.

Has he spoken out publicly about James and Rachel. And if not, why not?
Since when has Great Britain humbled itself so sheepishly to this kind
of official terrorism against its own citizens?

Has the credibility and integrity of the British nation fallen so low,
or are they, the current Blair government, trying to balance its booming
economy's windfall on more Burmese business?

It seems this post-colonial way of business is not just a French cup of
tea. Pretty weak, but compared to Clinton's dance with the Columbian
drug masters, its par for the course.

ds


Indiana wrote:
> 
> It is interesting to see the "diplomats" complaining about amateurs
> like Mawdsley and Goldwyn.  But in fact the diplomats have 37 years of
> failure to influence the military regime in Burma.
> 
> Britain is a particularly blatant case.  While Tony Blair's government
> continues to pay lip-service to democracy in Burma, Britain is the
> largest (or second largest?) investor of private funds in Burma, with
> regards to number of companies involved.
> 
> There is even a British government organization to facilitate
> companies wishing to do business with the junta.
> 
> What Mawdsley and Goldwyn have done, and what the diplomats and
> bureaucrats and even the well-intentioned NGO's have failed do, is to
> put an emotional impact into the rhetoric about the tyranny in Burma.
> 
> When a young British boy and girl are being imprisoned and perhaps
> tortured for what every Briton regards as normal and correct (or at
> least legal) social behavior, the average citizen is going to feel
> personally affected.  This personal involvement of the people (almost
> exclusively, sad to say) is what causes democratic governments to
> respond.
> 
> Many politicians regard these people's feelings and reactions on the
> part of the populace as "meddling" in their private business.  This is
> unfortunate.  Mawdsley and Goldwyn are most certainly heros, heros of
> the ordinary people's hearts and minds,  and the world wants and needs
> more heros.
> 
> More bureaucrats, however, are not the solution.
> 
> At 12:09 AM 9/23/99 +0900, TIN KYI wrote:
> 
> 
>      South China Morning Post
>      Wednesday, September 22, 1999
>        THE MEKONG REGION
> 
>                 Britons' protests 'political tourism'
> 
>         Jailed protesters: James Mawdsley and Rachel Goldwyn.
> 
>      BURMA by WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok
>      Two young Britons' attempts to highlight repression in Burma
>      by daring acts of open defiance have been described as
>      naive, silly, dangerous and even boring by some diplomats in
>      the region.
> 
>      The most barbed critic described their protests as
>      "political tourism" that deflected attention from the
>      oppression of ordinary Burmese.
> 
>      The bold in-country protests may also have split critics of
>      the regime who appear divided over the merits of such moves.
> 
>      Rachel Goldwyn, 28, was sentenced by a Burmese court last
>      week to seven years of "rigorous imprisonment" after
>      chaining herself to a lamppost and singing a protest song in
>      the capital.
> 
>      James Mawdsley, 26, with dual British-Australian
>      nationality, was given 17 years last month for posting
>      democracy leaflets up in a northern border town.
> 
>      His sentence was stiffer because he had been jailed twice
>      before for similar stunts.
> 
>      Even sympathetic envoys said such acts could put Western
>      governments in the awkward position of having to ask the
>      regime for "favours" - reducing their potential leverage
>      over "real" issues.
> 
>      Other critics of the regime, including members of the
>      Burmese opposition, praised the British pair's ideals.
> 
>      But many did not warm to the idea that Goldwyn and Mawdsley
>      may have set a fashion for risky in-country protests.
> 
>      "It's become a soap opera," John Jackson, of the Burma
>      Action Group in Britain, said. "The stories shouldn't be
>      about Rachel and James," he told London's Sunday Times.
> 
>      The real focus of international outrage should be the 500
>      Burmese who have been arrested in recent weeks, he said.
> 
>      Amanda Zappia, of the Australia Burma Council, said the
>      danger was "most certainly" that diplomatic energy would be
>      used up trying to get Western protesters released at the
>      expense of other initiatives.
> 
>      "For example, it is common for diplomats to have joint
>      actions in response to renewed repression or violent acts,
>      which have evoked international attention.
> 
>      "Diplomats could be very cautious about attacking the
>      military for fear this could foil attempts to have their
>      nationals released," she said.
> 
>      Ms Zappia hoped that no opposition group had encouraged the
>      duo to go in.
> 
>      A veteran Washington-based American activist said Goldwyn
>      and Mawdsley's protests were useful.
> 
>      He complained that although "the same murderous thugs" were
>      in power as in 1962, 1975 and 1988 - times of violently
>      repressed protests - "the news media have the attention span
>      of a three-year-old on speed".
> 
>      The activist argued that such selfless moves helped puncture
>      the complacency of privileged Westerners where other critics
>      - worn down by years of apathy - could not achieve this.
> 
>      "That they risk - or sacrifice - what is so important has an
>      impact on others for whom privilege and freedom are taken
>      for granted."
> 
>      He added: "Indians who non-violently lined up to be beaten
>      down by British colonial troops in Gandhi's salt march" two
>      generations ago similarly brought attention to problems in
>      the darker edges of the world's conscience.
> 
>      Buddhist monks in Vietnam who would immolate themselves to
>      protest against events in their country a generation ago
>      also focused world attention on what the world would rather
>      ignore, he said.
> 
>      Both Goldwyn and Mawdsley have said they were inspired to
>      act after stints teaching in refugee camps on the
>      Thai-Burmese border, where they learnt first hand of the
>      sufferings of ordinary Burmese.
> 
>      Observers say Mawdsley must have expected a stiff sentence
>      after being released with sharp warnings previously.
> 
>      Goldwyn is reported to have been visibly shocked at her
>      sentence. She may have anticipated being as quickly ejected
>      as the 18 Western and Asian activists who got received
>      five-year sentences for handing out pro-democracy cards
>      around Rangoon year ago, and were deported.
> 
>      The increasingly harsh sentences being handed out - for what
>      in most countries would be quite innocuous behaviour - were
>      revealing, said several observers.
> 
>      "What's next, jailing a tourist for carrying a Far Eastern
>      Economic Review? Arresting someone for humming We Shall
>      Overcome as they bike between temples in Pagan?" asked
>      Seattle-based activist Larry Dohrs.
> 
>      One US-based campaigner had this warning for others wishing
>      to emulate Goldwyn and Mawdsley: "Anyone going into Burma
>      for this should be aware that it is a sacrifice that may
>      last for years and that their families and friends will
>      suffer as well. Without, I should add, a choice in whether
>      or not to make the sacrifice."
> 
>      Embedded Content: 1Black.gif:
>      00000001,00000001,00000000,514e7fb3
>      Embedded Content: CBURM11.jpg:
>      00000001,00000001,00000000,3e1b28ca