Democracy Extinguished !

 The sad history of Myanmar rolls on.  Shortly after it gained independence from Britain its military staged a coup and seized control.  The" Tatmadaw " as the military are called ran the country for their own profit and the people were reduced to peasant status.

The icon the people looked to with hope was Aung  San Suu Kyi who had formed a political party called the National League for Democracy ( NLD ),.  For fifteen years she suffered house arrest. " The lady " as she was called, regularly spoke to her nation from this prison and the military began to fear her growing power.

Eventually, sanctions imposed by democratic countries caused the military to propose a deal.   Myanmar would be granted democracy with  Aung San Suu Kyi as its leader, but that deal was heavily weighed in the Tatmadaw's favour.   The parliament would have twenty-five percent of its seats reserved for the military and they would hold all the important ministeries.  In essence, Aung San Suu Kyi would reign over what was left over.

For years this lockstep with the military worked and the lot of the people improved.  Myanmar is essentially a Buddhist country and without warning the military attacked a small group of Muslims that had lived for centuries close to its border with Bangladesh.  Enthusiastic mobs of locals joined in and villages were burned, women were raped and survivors streamed over the border into squalid refugee camps.

To world horror, Aung San Suu Kyi sided with the military. Her status diminished, and a peace medal awarded her was withdrawn.  But her standing with the peasants of her country continued to grow and last November an election resulted in a landslide win that threatened the hold on power enjoyed by the military, and they responded with another coup.

Overnight, Aung San Suu Kyi and her compatriots were arrested and tanks rolled through the streets.  The military claim the election was spoilt by cheating and they would only hold power until a new election was planned in a years time.  The fate of Aung San Suu Kyi is unknown, but she is accused of what is clearly a trumped up breach of import regulations.

What happens next is unclear.   The world democracies are considering the situation, but apart from imposing sanctions, no military actions to reimpose democracy are planned.   This situation in Myanmar will suit democracies enemies.  China, Russia and Iran will continue to trade with the military leaders and sell armaments to bolster its firepower.   If the Myanmar military is feeling nervous, it may seek a nuclear option in conjunction with North Korea.

Once again, that world body we call the United Nations allowed a democratic regime to be crushed under tank treads without an armed response.  Another clear illustration of just what a dangerous world is the place in which we live.