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Published on October 2, 2007

Last week, India (the self-proclaimed "world's largest democracy") made deals with the ruling military junta to take Burma's gas while protests, provoked ironically by inflationary fuel prices, spread across Burma against the military regime.

On September 24, the pro-democracy protests in Burma were peaking with almost 100,000 Burmese people including Buddhist monks marching on the streets demanding democracy. On the same day, India's Union Cabinet Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora scurried around Burma signing gas deals with the country's military junta.

The 69-year-old Murli Deora visited Burma's new capital Naypyidaw for a two-day visit along with officials from India's energy agency, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Videsh (OVL) of India. The deals included a production-sharing contract with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) for three deepwater exploration blocks: AD-2, AD-3 & AD-9. OVL is the operator with 100 per cent participating interest in all three deepwater blocks. The investment of OVL in the blocks for all phases taken together is slated to be about US$150 million (Bt5.1 billion).

India justifies "engaging" with a vile and brutal regime although it knows quite well that its investments support the military's arms buying and its violent crackdowns on democracy protestors. India's interest in Burma's oil and natural gas also explains the so far muted reaction to the protests in Burma.

So, now we know: India is not just the world's largest democracy but also the most hypocritical.

Rayar D

Bangkok

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Surayud must rally Asean action on Burmese crisis

While we all hope that UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari will be successful, he cannot work miracles while the UN Security Council itself remains divided - and Thailand must do what it can to push the junta to the negotiating table.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont says that Thailand has little influence over Burma. That is no excuse for doing nothing except talk. Prime Minister Surayud should heed Nelson Mandela, who, when trying to reverse the whole apartheid-based culture of his country, noted: "We must not become immobilised by what we think of as the 'hugeness' of our problems. Let us consider what can be done, and start finding practical ways of doing things".

Our prime minister should learn from Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest for over a decade, without a shred of legal power, yet so feared by the junta that they dare not give her freedom of speech and dare not charge her in court.

Thailand can take many actions. We should freeze our investments in Burma, and urge other Asean members to follow suit. We should lead the other Asean members to approach China and India, to see that their commercial interests are harmed by the exploding political situation in Burma.

We should note that the Asean declaration, Article 2, states that Asean's aim is "to accelerate the economic growth, social progress, and cultural development…to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law". We should hold the junta accountable for consistently and increasingly going directly counter to Article 2, by moving to expel it from Asean unless it immediately and convincingly reforms.

Instead of returning Burmese refugees to their country, even though the junta has shown no sign that they would treat them with justice, we should extend humanitarian aid, while ensuring that they do not use our territory to foster armed resistance.

Prime Minister Surayud, as Martin Luther King, Jr, said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy". With all due respect, Prime Minister Surayud, we do not call on you to be a Mandela, a Suu Kyi, or a ML King. Yet, you can, and must, stand up and be counted, sir - and act, not just talk.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Caution must guide Thai policy towards Rangoon

Re: "Thailand's policy of cowardice on Burma", Opinion, October 1.

Thailand as Burma's immediate neighbour has to be very careful when making any comments or coming up with any measures to deal with this situation, unlike other Asean countries that can bark from afar and use Thailand as a buffer.

Although Thailand should be ethical, the country does need to cause unnecessary conflicts, and in fact, no country in the world's history has ever acted without first considering its own benefits.

We Thai people have enough problems in our own country and should only use peaceful measures to pressure Burma and convince those generals, using any connection we may have, to be more generous to their own people for the sake of the future of their own country and its national prosperity.

Pongswan Sanguan

Bangkok

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China's past record makes it unlikely to offer help

In years gone by, it was Latin and South American countries that made the most coup d'etat news, with military brass taking over countries about as often as 7-11 opens new outlets. In more recent years, Southeast Asian countries have taken the headlines in the coup d'etat department. Perhaps it's just as well that Thailand's leaders don't speak too vigorously in regard to the lack of democracy in Burma - they would have to see the hypocrisy of doing so.

Many observers feel Chinese leaders should make stronger statements about the Burmese imbroglio, but China is no pillar of democracy. Even on the topic of Burmese authorities beating and imprisoning Buddhist monks, China would be well advised to think twice before making statements of condemnation. In its own backyard of Tibet, China has a decades-long history of abusing Buddhist monks and nuns, many of whom are imprisoned for indeterminate lengths of time - for no more of a crime than carrying around a little photo of the Dalai Lama.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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Samak following former premier's path to ruin

Re: "Samak's loose talk could sink PPP", Editorial, October 1.

Samak Sundaravej must be thinking he is in the prime of his career at the moment. As a veteran politician, he has yet to be challenged to an open debate on important issues - for he is famous for his propensity to intimidate as well as his ability to debate.

Yet there was something wrong with Samak's past political career. His Prachakorn Thai Party was virtually reduced to zero in terms of the number of MPs and was thus eventually dissolved, which reflected that something was amiss in Samak's ability to lead and cultivate friendships with others. Before his appointment as leader of the People Power Party, political observers thought Samak's political career was finished.

Now, by declaring he is Thaksin Shinawatra's nominee and that he would pursue Thaksin's populist policies because they are still popular among the poor, Samak has made another grave mistake that could wreck his party rather than boost its chances in the upcoming general election. Samak is now regarded as being too lazy to think up his own policy platform - or even to modify the former Thai Rak Thak party's flawed scheme.

Samak must ask himself this question: since Thaksin was driven out partly for his populist schemes that divided our nation, how can Samak survive using the same tricks? Or does he care only for Thaksin and not for his country?

Samak must be reminded that no politician can last long being too lazy to use his own head, no matter how experienced he is.

Chavalit Van

Chiang Mai

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BMA boasting about routine work in ads

I recently noticed a TV ad by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) boasting about installing lights in alleys. The ad shows a young woman walking home at night in a well-lit alley and says that she feels safe owing to the BMA's great efforts. Meanwhile, a food vendor in the ad says that since the alley is well lit, she can sell food late into the night and makes more money.

My question is whether this is to be considered a master achievement of the BMA under the Democrat governor? Isn't installing lights in alleys and streets part of the BMA's regular and mandatory work? Is it worth bragging about?

Somsak Pola

Samut Prakan