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1. Now people are dying is it best that the monks stopped taking to the streets? Should they find other ways of communicating their message that won't lead to people dying?

2. Should the UN try and influence what is happening in a sovereign country?

3. If you think it should try and influence events in Burma, what exactly should it do? Do you want sanctions, speeches, military action? Let's have the specifics of what you'd ask the UN to back and why.

4. If the world is so outraged now, why haven't we heard this level of disapproval before? After all, human rights abuses in Burma are well-documented and by and large the world's politicians have said relatively little about them.

PUTTING MY FEET UP
Well not quite, but after today's show, I'm going to be taking a few days off before our trip to South Africa. In fact with one thing and another you'll be hearing as much of Peter and Anu as you will of me over the next six weeks. If you want to get hold of me about any of the shows we're doing on the road, email the show and the team will pass it on to me. Otherwise, behave yourselves on the blog and I'll speak to you today, and then from Musina on Monday week. Cheers, Ros

WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, WHICH IS MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR MOST PEOPLE TO POST ON THE BLOG. WE'RE PUBLISHING HERE THE COMMENTS WE'VE RECEIVED BY EMAIL:

I really want to hear more about Burma. There is an author that would be interesting, though he is not Burmese, named James Mawdsley who would be very interesting for a guest. He wrote The Iron Road: A Stand for Truth and Democracy in Burma, which is about his own experiences imprisoned in Burma. I would also like to pose the question as to what we can do as your normal citizen to make a difference for these people and refugees from Burma. I know there are about 200,000 in Thailand. There is a book called A Memoir of Burmese Workers: From Slave Labour to Illegal Migrant Worker which is a personal account of such refugees. It is absolutely the most heart wrenching book I have ever read. The person who compiled that book is also in Australia I believe.
Thank You,
Jon
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Hi WHYS!
I hope you all are fine.
I appreciate Rani Moorthy's effort to highlight the issue. Prejudice against dark skins is really creating a lot of complications in the socities of indo-pak. Many young girls fall prey to inferiority complex and many of them go unmarried.
My religion Islam teaches that all human are equal even then in my society this issue is amongst the major issues and people treat darker complexions as another creature. This issue is the mother of many psychological problems in my society.
With Regards,
Muhammad Asim Munir
Gujranwala, Pakistan.
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What is happening in Burma now is showing the grievances of all the Burmese who survive their difficult lives under the dictatorship for years. EU is considering the economic sanction to Burma which in my opinion will not affect the dictator and his group because unlike other countries, Burma has internal resources which will enable the dictator to prolong his dictatorship by the use of these resources to control the country even under sanction. They are very manipulative and tactical. Once the UN special envoy is going to Myanmar, the military is clearing out the protests through different violent actions in Yangon and Mandalay in order that the special envoy might not have chance to meet the real protesting situation. The dictator would never give up his authority unless the international intervention is made in time. Twenty years time has been given enough by the international communities and the UN, to the dictator to make changes. UN has been used its diplomatic approaches to improve the relationship between Aung San Su Kyi and the junta but nothing happened. Now it is the time for the UN and the international communities to save our country from the dictatorship from which we suffered enough. Pressure of nearby Asean countries will not be workable to remove this brutal, stubborn and tricky government. Only the solution is to send the international troops to capture the junta and handover the authority to Aung San Su Kyi. Please take action in time. We all are here to support the international troops. Even many of soldiers will be with the international troops once you come into the country. In a short period of time, this junta will be gone if you help us this time.
Cho Cho Khaing
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Hi!
We are 24 swedish journalists studying at The London School of English this and next week. We got this message from collegues around the world:
"In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma: May all people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday, september 28.
Please forward!"
All the best!
Catarina Berggre'n

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1. Now people are dying is it best that the monks stop taking to the streets? Should they find other ways of communicating their message that won't lead to people dying?
I guess it's time to stay home and declare a general strike

2. Should the UN try and influence what is happening in a sovereign country?
Definitely! They should recognize the governement in exile and declare the military junta an illegal regime.

3. If you think it should try and influence events in Burma, what exactly should it do? Do you want sanctions, speeches, military action? Let's have the specifics of what you'd ask the UN to back and why.
Put pressure on China, Russia and India who are selling arms to the military regime. Put pressure on the transnational corporate companies to stop dealing with the military regime.
And impose financial sanctions on the regime they can't buy arms.

4. If the world is so outraged now, why haven't we heard this level of disapproval before? After all, human rights abuses in Burma are well-documented and by and large the world's politicians have said relatively little about them.

Because it would take 24/7 to fight against the human right abuses on that planet...
Isabelle Grynberg
Antwerpen, Belgium
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Stop? Are you kidding? Because people are dying? What if Americans stopped when people were dying during the revolution? Freedom can not be given to you by another government, society, or community. It must be take by the sacrifice of the people who desire it. The question is not what should we do? But rather, what do the leaders of the movement want from the world community?

Dwight
Lord of logic
www.logicandpolitics.blogspot.com

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No Sovereign country's rights and limits supercede staged murder dressed up as an attempt to «maintain public order» particularly when the protests are peaceful. This unjustified shooting of innocent people gives the UN and the world community the right to invade and arrest the junta generals.
Soren, Lille, France.

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Invade ! They've got natural gas, they're crushed by a cruel dictatorship, they're in one of the world's strategic hotspots...sound familiar ?
Nicholas Varley

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I am pradeep from Nepal
The revolution of april the burmese should learn from the revolution from their neighbor and revolt against the autocrats.
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If China has the power to stop the Junta in Burma and will not do any thing about the situation there in the UN. Then we the general public world should no longer buy products from China any more. So that china feels economic pressure to change its policies in the UN.
David Redfern
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I think they should hit the streets again. And again. And again. Until they get -- earn -- the freedom they want. And deserve.

And I know many people may die. Maybe thousands, if the Burmese Government is that stupid. But the only way military governments and tyrannical administrations can be confronted id head-on. It's all they understand, apparently, but if that is what it takes to get what you want, then it is a path that must be tread.
thanx-
wil ferguson
traverse city, michigan, usa
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As an American, I can agree that the West has gotten fat and lazy thanks to the exploitation of third world resources. However, any individual who does not feel outrage when a dictatorial government fires upon peacefully protesting civilians has gone from lazy to spiritually bankrupt.
Josh Fidel
Network Engineer
Lavely Computer Services

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Ros,

Don't expect China to assist or intervene in Burma. Remember that this was the government that turned its tanks and guns on its own people in 1989. Their official line is that they do not wish to interfere, which they have done so surreptitiously in nations around the world. Add to that the fact they have a lot of economic interest invested in Burma and would, of course, not want to jeopardise this.
Andrew
Australia
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The west always gets a bad rep now when trying to help others with democracy. We need to remember the creation of democracy happens by a mixture internal and external forces. It's an organic process, and history has proved you can't force it.
Eric
Los Angeles
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hi, I agree with the David who says "stop buying Chinese goods". Everyone who is outraged at the actions of the Burmese junta and the inaction of the Chinese and Indian governments to influence them can take a personal decision not to buy Chinese or Indian goods. So look before you buy, and when you see "Made in China" put it down, and tell the shop keeper why..
And if you are outraged about American actions in Iraq, you can do the same with US goods. If everyone who is outraged took this action, then in the next ten years we would change the world.
David Ingram,
Auckland New Zealand
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Nothing changes

the people are poor ... the ruling group is rich ...
foreign countries and foreign businesses rape the resources
always hiding behind we do not interfere with internal situations
... the UN spouts uselss words as the Majority of countries in the
UN are part of the problem ...
no ethics in the business world ... sadly life goes on
the day people protest freely with no violent governmental
opposition in China, is the day we may have a chance for world
peace
Glenn Vancouver Canada
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As a Chinese, I'm amazed by the censorship imposed by ´óÏó´«Ã½ "Have Your Say" which is even worse than some online forums of Chinese Government controlled media when it comes to having an opinion different from theirs in certain areas. Their way of stifling comments defending China and thus silencing Chinese's voice on this issue is so typical of your arrogant western democracy and freedom of speech.

So what's the big deal of showing those comments that have nothing to do with abusive languges but only non-´óÏó´«Ã½-HYS opinions?

Everything discussed there anyway linked to China turns to a feast of China bashing. And you don't see many comments made by Chinese or defending China. Why? Because they are not allowed to be seen.
China is so evil in trading with Myanmar that its 1.3 billion deserve being robbed of Olympics? And that'll shame its government/people and make everything (global warming, Myanmar, Sudan, Tibet) better? Stop the naive and vain talk of extorting China with Olympics which we do care but with a limit.
Why don't we boycott London Olympics too for the sake of their unlawful invasion and thus the deaths of tens of thousands in Iraq?
And for some people, nobody imposes Chinese goods on you. Don't shout, just do without them.
Bing
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I do not like to see people killed or even hurt, so believe the marches should stop. Such demonstrations are too overt and predictable anyway.
Instead, the Burmese people should give their money and labor only to people who are ethical. Let unethical leaders of Burma work the oil fields by themselves.
ken
cleveland, ohio
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The button that could push China is Beijing Olympics 2008, why not also focus on the Olympic Committee and the key participants to threaten boycott pending China's immediate suport for the monks of Burma? Please transmit this to the world at large and to key players involved. With hope and prayers.
Burmese nun
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Perhaps India should remember how it was freed - through peaceful protest at the risk of the protesters own lives - before the Indian government refuses to intervene because of economic interests
Sara Holden
currently in Amsterdam