Burma - a case for nations to stand up & be counted. Why not simply boycott the Chinese Olympics next year?

Question

China and India are the countries which hold the key to Burma's/Myannmar's future.

China is the junta's main political backer and both China and India have pursued significant investments in oil and gas projects as well as supplying arms to Burma [by by- passing an EU embargo ] .So their interest in this country has been based upon placing their economic interests first and simply ignoring the human rights infractions.

Of course it is not India who will be hosting the Olympics next year but China.. so why not boycott the Olympics to place pressure on China and other ASEAN [Association of South East Asian] countries to take firm action on Burma?

Olympics have been boycotted in the past. This is not a new phernomenon.

Warrik - I am sorry but if the major Western powers did boycott the Olympics it would have an impact. Thi is no longer the 1960's or whatever...

Red_Chrome - I do not know whether Burma has oil or not and I could care less. I am not American. Regime change is needed as the people there are oppressed simple as that or would you rather wait for several thousand people to be killed again before you become outraged?

Answer 1

Something has to be done. Boycotting the Olympics would at least send a message. I'm horrified to see what's going on there. Peaceful protest met by a bloody crackdown. It's going to get messy.

Answer 2

Up until very recently the French petrochemical industry was a major dealer with Burma for oil. The rest of Europe and some other countries have had embargoes in place on trade in that country.

If you keep track of things in that region, you will find that China has been having unofficial meetings with the Democratic party and with ethnic groups along their borders. Even the Chinese government are beginning to realise that the junta's days are numbered. They also know that they need a good relationship with whoever rules Burma to maintain their gas and oil supplies.
The Chinese cannot come out openly against the Junta because it would leave them open to comments about their own occupation and oppression of Tibet and its people.

The only way this will be resolved without major bloodshed IMO is for a group of Army officers in Burma to see the light and stage a coup that will then set a quick timetable for handing over power to the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and her party. If this does not happen, all I can see happening is an increasing level of protest by poorly armed people against an oppressive, well-armed army.
If this leads to civil war, the UN will move in a peace-keeping force and then a major international problem will develop as China and Russia try to veto the action.

Answer 3

Regardless of the situation in Burma I am appalled that the Chinese are hosting the Olympics anyway given their atrocious human rights record. For the atrocities in Tibet alone we should be boycotting these Olympics.

On the issue of Burma I really hope that India recognises the error of its ways in supporting the junta and comes into line with the West in its condemnation of those old thugs.
By the way, until the point comes when a democratically elected Govt is in charge and the people get to choose the post-colonial name of their country, then it is Burma not Myanamar - a fact that the Yanks don't recognise, somwehat bizarrrely.

Answer 4

I can't see a threat to boycott the Olympic games in China causing a regime change in Burma. This would only damage relations between China and the west when there are signs that relations are improving. All countries have delicate interdependencies which mean that forcing another country's hand not so straightforward. The UK trades fully with Burma for example. Look at the USA and their dependency on Saudi Arabia - a country with values equally abhorrent to the west. Politics is a murky and hypocritical arena.

Answer 5

No the U. S. group does no longer be the main concentrated. What suitable to the Israeli group by utilising the Iranians, the stress between the North and South Korean communities, China and Taiwan, etc? "Plus England is a semi Islamic state." - what variety of silliness is this? you're conscious that Muslims make a a techniques larger volume and share of human beings than in comparison to the British, precise? The London Olympics are nonetheless 6 months off. I submit to in recommendations by utilising this time in 2007, Beijing hadn't even began construction countless key homes yet, and there grow to be an undesirable lot of human beings saying we could continuously boycott because of the pollutants in China. issues became out ok nonetheless. provide London a raffle.

Answer 6

Red-Chrome has made a valid point and if it does have oil guess what country will try and get their ore in first. Lol.

No a Boycott would serve no purpose other than to create a great big vaccum between the East and West again.

However, I do think that the UN ought to step in here not with troops but round the negotiating table before the mass slaughter of the monks begins. Surely the world will not stand by and watch this time round.

Answer 7

They should boycott anyway. Burma is an awful place to live with the current military rule.

Be interesting to see what happens over this.

Answer 8

Because if "civilized" Western "democracies" (who behave in the Balkans as if it were their own toilet) do, then Greece (who invented these games), together with countries who have most of the world's population, would boycott the West's "Olympic games".

Answer 9

I think it will be interesting to see how a possible regime change in Burmha will be influenced by the wests reactions and lessons hopefully learnt from Iraq.

Answer 10

....because boycotts of previous olympics have worked so so well.......Not!. Politics should be kepted out of sport.

Major Western powers did bycott the olympics. USA bycotted The Moscow Oylimpic. Fat lot of good that did to Afganastain