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In the third episode of the “Burma votes 2010” vodcast and podcast series I interview Trevor Wilson who is a former Australian Ambassador to Burma and a Visiting Fellow in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. Trevor has recently returned from Burma where he watched the elections up-close. In this interview he shares his thoughts on Aung San Suu Kyi’s release and what her relative freedom might mean for Burmese politics. Trevor speaks at some length about Aung San Suu Kyi’s capacity to deal with the ethnic minority groups that are probably so key to the country’s future. This episode also includes some remarks about Burma that Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim made while he was on the ANU campus earlier in the week.
The podcast of this episode is available here.
Thanks Nich, good to hear Trevor’s thoughts. I wonder what will happen to the tourism industry post her release?
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Excellent initiative Nich, but would be fantastic if you could post it in a more Myanmar-internet-friendly format… youtube is blocked!
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Nick
Keep them coming.
Thanks.
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Thanks everyone,
We appreciate the feedback. We are very open to suggestions about formats. What do you all think will work best for potential viewers in Burma itself? Or is the podcast the only way to go given the country’s notoriously patchy ‘net?
Happy to hear your thoughts.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
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Nic
First of let me mention the good things:
1) Trevor Wilson.
2) Trevor Wilson.
3) Trevor WIlson.
4) An open ended querying,
5) Not giving weigh to any other sources with sponsors such as DVB or any commercial Western media.
Now that the independent nature of New Mandala is ascertained.
A wishful suggestion:
The true pathos of any common citizenry, with an added query of ‘Why’. Let them answer in Burmese, Karen , Akha or any know dozens of dialects within Myanmar.
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There was a report in yesterday’s (23/11/10) Sydney Morning Herald, from London’s Telegraph by Ian MacKinnon that the AIDS patients and staff ASSK visited are being ejected from their shelter only hours after her visit, as punishment for their “rapturous welcome”.
The same report says her youngest son, Kim Aris, has been granted a visa to visit his mother.
Do these apparently contradictory moves reflect a split within the Tatmadaw – or some sort of very cynical maneouvre ?
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chris beale
Any news concerning Myanmar will surely be under these 2 premises for the westerner consumers.
1) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is good SPDC is bad no matter what.
2) The sky is about to fall and cause the expected changes, whether 2╦Ъ to the Tamadaw or ethnic unrest.
As you can see none of the 2 premises reveal the true sentiment of The Citizenry.
My request to Nic was to hopefully reveal the status of common citizenry, not just the segment Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has chosen to visit.
Knowing her passive aggressive stance towards the present foe at any cause you can be certain that any of her acts that create controversy is exactly what she is hoping all the bias western media will do.
The usual speculations of the past 2 decades unfounded, but absolutely skirting the west useless careless approach that has blighted the well beings and hope of ALL CITIZENRY.
Myanmar Citizenry Plight is much more than what has been projected by almost all western media as:
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi vs SPDC
New Mandala’s has not jump on that wagon.
As for the question on AID as a pointer for the health care status of Myanmar, besides blaming the SPDC for it share what has Myanmar received from WHO or any organization besides JAPAN assistance in minimizing that scourge, let say compare to the neighbors??
In New Mandala you can find the reference by Turnell & Vicary bold assertions of “Why Health care aid for Myanmar ” is useless.
http://burmaeconomicwatch.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
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chris beale,
They are hoping to have the sanctions lifted after the release of ASSK even if they’d had to do it anyway in the absence of a plausible excuse to continue her detention. She’s a bargaining chip, but they have no intention of releasing the other political prisoners.
Notice the permissive atmosphere her party enjoyed in the run up to the election in relation to its boycott campaign. The generals were happy it was out of the race, determined to manufacture the outcome they desired regardless. But how much latitude they will allow her to achieve any goal in the scheme of things personally is already seen from this HIV/AIDS shelter visit episode. People are defying eviction BTW.
I reckon the generals are biding their time happy to wait and see for the time being before they decide the West is not going to be compliant and make their next move.
Than Shwe hasn’t the same aura or authority as Ne Win. The glue that binds them together is naturally self interest in enriching themselves and the fear of retribution. It’s very likely they will break ranks once they feel assured of a good deal on the table brokered and guaranteed by the West. It’s worth pursuing a war of attrition on the part of the US and the EU. But they should also be prepared to back the army dissenters (should they decide to defect to the opposition with their men) in the event of a mutiny and civil war.
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@Nich,
Vimeo is not blocked. But alas, you are right. the internet is never usually strong enough to stream videos. You can of course do it, but you usually need to leave a couple hours for something to load… you are right that the mp3 version is a much more manageable format.
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Dylan Grey #9
You must have been to a Myanmar internet café. mp3 is indeed the best form.
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Ko Moe Aung #8
Your speak as a matter of factly of THE SANCTIONS as the foregone given RIGHT, accepted Moses’s staff, is absolutely ludicrous!
1) By what principles thus USA, Great Britain and Australia base their audacious unquestioned right to pose such crippling, shameful, siege on a country like Myanmar without ANY historical precedent/comparison?
2) Has similar audacity EVER proven to work under any assumed intends?
3) What are and who is responsible for the proven beyond a reasonable doubt effects of such careless audacious undertaking?
And specifically in Myanmar case what has Myanmar ever done to the West that rise up to this level of vindictiveness its itizenry has to endure?
Until these questions are answered in New Mandala you are as responsible as SPDC and your lady in bringing on the unspeakable sufferings on the innocent Citizenry of Myanmar.
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plan B,
It’s a rather tiresome apologist argument you like to recycle in your own inimitably verbose, repetitious and convoluted way, blurring the lines between the military regime and ASSK in relation to the plight of the people.
Exploitation, ruthless or gentle, is of no concern to the capitalist West, but relentless and brutal repression of the citizenry you profess to care so much about is. And there is no sign of let up in either respect on the part of the regime.
No greater incentive exits for the West than market share and profits, and Burma remains very attractive as a potentially very lucrative untapped market for Western businesses dying for a piece of the action, only it’s politically untenable for them to even relax their stance to any significant degree thanks to the intransigence on the part of the regime. They do have to listen to public opinion, to their own electorates. It has nothing to do with vindictiveness.
If the generals genuinely seek détente with the West in order to reduce their dependence on China, they’d do what they already know they should do. It’s mutual interest after all, since the West also has a strategic interest to contain China. Instead they just keep digging when they are already in a big hole.
Much as ASSK personifies Burma’s democratic opposition, her inevitable release from detention is not the end all and be all.
The effectiveness or otherwise of the sanctions depends on a concerted effort or the lack of it as you well know. The South African precedent differed precisely in that country’s real isolation in contrast to the spurious one some people apply to Burma. And they did have de Klerk who actually talked to Mandela and the ANC.
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Tiresome, Old, verbosity, recycle, all these literal dismissive, not pertinent to the future of Myanmar may do well in The Irrawaddy.
Here in New Mandala;
Facts rule:
1) There is an air tight standing resolutions in USA and similarly in GB as well as Australia that absolutely preclude any form of “your détent” with the general. Thank to the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, The Irrawaddy and SOros effort.
2) If the exploitation and abuses by SPDC is not the west concern as you ruefully and flippantly assumed why continuing their useless careless way? Easier to let Unocal and Chevron go at it, Eh!
3) Myanmar is unique comparing to S Africa is ludicrous. More closer will be DPRK. Which is exactly the same measure what Myanmar has received, with similar result in progress!
If you think advocating for the future of the most vulnerable is tiring you should just do your dog and pony routine at The Irrawaddy where you do not have to answer legitimate questions posed succinctly.
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