Moral fiber in foreign policy?
I had a very heated discussion with my close friend last night, and for a change this is was a very serious and mature discussion. After two hours of slapping arguments at each other, neither of us convinced the other to change their opinion. We agreed to disagree!
The discussion was about the upheaval about recent police brutality in Burma. The military junta, has an iron grip over the country and recently a peaceful rally by the Buddhist monks was dispersed using riot police. The police excesses were condemned by the leaders of the world. Subsequently, there were reports of police destroying Buddhist monasteries and committed crimes against humanity in these temples of peace.
These are terrible acts of violence, and has to stop!
Now, India shares its border with Burma, and has good trade relations with Burma. India supplies helicopters and small medium arms to Burma. It is a very unnerving, that India a peace loving country, supplies arms to a foreign Government that uses violence as a means to rule. India condemned the acts of violence but continues to supply arms to Burma. It looks like India is ready sell its soul for the sake of trade relations with Burma which gives strategic access to other countries in Southeast Asia and the far-East.
Many elite people and journalists are convinced that this is not how things should be, and they want India to follow the Arms Embargo issued by European Union and respected by the rest of the world.
India has traditionally had good relationship with Burma, and the trade relationship dates back to more than a thousand years.
My question here is, what are are trying to prove by stopping arms trade with Burma? Are we trying to prove to the world that we are against atrocities humanities will not be overlooked by the Indian Government?
A quick reminder here about our bloody past. About 2000 people were killed in Gujrat riots, and a few days back, 12 people were given life imprisonment (14 years in jail with chance of parole/remission after some period). I am completely flabbergasted that people are so agitated, that they are doing trade with a government that does this. But who are we really? What did we do to our people? Are we trying to show that we are suddenly very good at Governing our own people, that we start preaching our ideologies?
Second comes, EU and their ideologies. This is a real joke. If India feels like reacting to Burmese junta's activities, we will do it. We need not follow the EU. The EU might be a watchdog against many countries' activities, but India is a sovereign nation now and need not follow a Union of European nations.
India has a wonderful policy of non-alignment and the famous panch-sheel, states something, no western nation has followed.
The ridiculous nature of this idea of stopping trade with Burma is that, it is not going to make an iota of difference to Burma or its military government because Burma's main supplier of goods is China. So, the people interested in these kinds of foreign relation gimmicks are not really thinking about making a change, they just want to escape from the scene. They are creating a huge ruckus, to not help anyone but just to hog the media limelight.
That being said, the military Government is absolutely culpable for the atrocities, and the top brass will be personally held responsible! Their days are numbered!
What do you think?
The discussion was about the upheaval about recent police brutality in Burma. The military junta, has an iron grip over the country and recently a peaceful rally by the Buddhist monks was dispersed using riot police. The police excesses were condemned by the leaders of the world. Subsequently, there were reports of police destroying Buddhist monasteries and committed crimes against humanity in these temples of peace.
These are terrible acts of violence, and has to stop!
Now, India shares its border with Burma, and has good trade relations with Burma. India supplies helicopters and small medium arms to Burma. It is a very unnerving, that India a peace loving country, supplies arms to a foreign Government that uses violence as a means to rule. India condemned the acts of violence but continues to supply arms to Burma. It looks like India is ready sell its soul for the sake of trade relations with Burma which gives strategic access to other countries in Southeast Asia and the far-East.
Many elite people and journalists are convinced that this is not how things should be, and they want India to follow the Arms Embargo issued by European Union and respected by the rest of the world.
India has traditionally had good relationship with Burma, and the trade relationship dates back to more than a thousand years.
My question here is, what are are trying to prove by stopping arms trade with Burma? Are we trying to prove to the world that we are against atrocities humanities will not be overlooked by the Indian Government?
A quick reminder here about our bloody past. About 2000 people were killed in Gujrat riots, and a few days back, 12 people were given life imprisonment (14 years in jail with chance of parole/remission after some period). I am completely flabbergasted that people are so agitated, that they are doing trade with a government that does this. But who are we really? What did we do to our people? Are we trying to show that we are suddenly very good at Governing our own people, that we start preaching our ideologies?
Second comes, EU and their ideologies. This is a real joke. If India feels like reacting to Burmese junta's activities, we will do it. We need not follow the EU. The EU might be a watchdog against many countries' activities, but India is a sovereign nation now and need not follow a Union of European nations.
India has a wonderful policy of non-alignment and the famous panch-sheel, states something, no western nation has followed.
India does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs.
The ridiculous nature of this idea of stopping trade with Burma is that, it is not going to make an iota of difference to Burma or its military government because Burma's main supplier of goods is China. So, the people interested in these kinds of foreign relation gimmicks are not really thinking about making a change, they just want to escape from the scene. They are creating a huge ruckus, to not help anyone but just to hog the media limelight.
That being said, the military Government is absolutely culpable for the atrocities, and the top brass will be personally held responsible! Their days are numbered!
What do you think?
posted by The Kid at 6:34 PM
4 Comments:
can i become the ruler of India?i have done enough commenting,that i think it is the time,i get there and do it...
ha ha!
I just read this again... and I realized that it was written hastily and with a bad arguments:(
But, I still believe in the Panch Sheel! India should not interfere in other countries' internal affairs.
Firstly, I didn't know India had stopped suplying aid to Burma recently. I used to continuously wonder why India continued to support such a reckless regime!! So that's good.
I agree the assessment was a little flawed. SO what if China is the biggest exporter to Burma. India's refusal to support the military in Burma definitely helps in changing the dynamics, and it should.
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