DSIF TRIUMPHS AGAIN

[darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx]

DSIF TRIUMPHS AGAIN

Just as the diplomats in New York begin to prepare their draft resolution
on the situation of human rights in Burma, the State Peace and Development
Council's most competent agency, the Department of Shooting Itself in the Foot
(DSIF) has once more achieved a major triumph. By blocking the car of the
Secretary-General of the party which won the 1990 elections, and preventing 
her
from meeting NLD party members, DSIF has succeeded in highlighting:

*  the lack of freedom of movement in Burma, in contradiction to the claims of
the "authorities";

* the junta's continued suppression of the NLD;

* the regime's political insecurity within the country, despite its 
military supremacy;

* the international concern for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, not only from the 
media, the
general public, human rights organisations, the United States and Britain, 
but also
from France, which the SPDC has viewed as less unfriendly than some other EU
countries. Even the official Chinese wire service, Xinhua,  covered the event;

* the incompetence of the junta in not learning from its public relations 
catastrophe
two years ago when, in similar circumstances,  Daw Suu stayed in her car for
13 days, and only returned to Rangoon at the insistence of her doctors;


This confrontation, which has returned Burma to the forefront of world 
attention,
is also likely to embarrass ASEAN, as Kavi Chongkittavorn argues in ":The 
Nation"
of 28 August, adding that it could also affect the scheduled Asean-EU 
ministerial
meeting in Vientiane later this year, and that if there is any harm caused to
Suu Kyi's physical condition and to that of her entourage, it will 
certainly draw
tougher retaliatory measures from the EU.

What we must admire in this DSIF action is how all these consequences follow
a simple act of physical obstruction by the "authorities".  A wonderfully 
economic
strategic coup.

Well done, Well done, Well done.


[TO ENJOY PREVIOUS EXPLOITS OF THE 
DSIF,  OPEN  gopher://gopher.igc.apc.org:2998/7REG-BURMA
ON YOUR WEB BROWSER,  PUT DSIF IN THE SEARCH WINDOW AND PRESS ENTER]