US should enter into Burma

Khonumthung News recently interviewed U Phyu Win, a former political prisoner and a graduate from the Rangoon Institute of Technology, on his views on the withdrawal of US ships off the coast of Burma, where they were stationed to provide aid for the cyclone victims. He had participated in the U Tant uprising in 1974. He is among those political activists, who are keen on the United States' humanitarian intervention in Burma.

U Phyu Win is the son of U Sat Suu, who is the founder of the Sino-Burmese Friendship Association in the pre-independent period. U Sat Suu is also a working partner of General Aung San, former prime minister U Nu and former UN General Secretary U Tant.

U Phyu Win occasionally writes historical articles for the Burmese media in exile and even in the country under his pen name 'Lan Thawn Sat Suu Lay'. Currently, he is residing in New Delhi, India, as the Principal and computer teacher of the Prospect Burma School.

Question: Why were you dissatisfied with the withdrawal of US navy ships laden with relief supplies for the cyclone victims, off the coast of Burma?

Answer: I think the US navy ships could have found access to the Burmese coast within a few minutes, if they felt like doing so. It was a big loss for Burma when the US navy decided to withdraw their ships, after incurring a huge expenditure for shipping the relief supplies for the cyclone affected areas. On the other hand, the people are desperately in need of help. When they heard the news, they felt that all their hopes had been shattered.

Question: Would it be possible for USA to anchor its ships on the Burmese coast without getting the green signal from the junta's regime?

Answer: Of course, there is an international rule that any country cannot invade another country unless the UNSC passes the resolution to do so. The US also needs to consider this fact; however, the Burmese regime has been the one, who has broken international norms several times. However, the International body has also failed to take action against Burma's military regime according to international law. For USA, if they were willing to intervene on humanitarian grounds, I think that country can.

At the same time I would like to say that it would not be feasible to ignore the regime, which has such an inhuman attitude and turned a blind eye towards its own citizens when the people were in trouble. The worst is that the regime would be sure to take advantage and propagate that even a superpower like the US does not dare to wage war against them. They would keep on torturing and repressing the people.

Question: If so, what do you think would be the consequences of the withdrawal of US navy ships?

Answer: Recently, Zargana, a famous comedian, and other social workers were arrested by the authorities for their active participation in social work and for helping the cyclone victims. Similarly, I am sure that there would be a series of crackdown on the local relief workers, who voluntarily penetrated the cyclone-hit areas and helped the survivors with whatever they could. In this way the regime would kill most of the people, who were in need of help.

Question: Instead of waiting off the coast of Burma for so long, if the US had chosen a way to channel its relief supplies through the World Food Program (WFP), don't you think it would have worked?

Answer: It is almost over a month now that the Cyclone Nargis slammed into Burma. Even now it is too late to save thousands of lives in those areas. Although the WFP is in the process of reaching aid to the victims, it would take time. Meanwhile, the people would have succumbed to death or perhaps starved.

Question: What about the 200 aid expert teams from ASEAN and UN, which recently flew into Burma to make an assessment in the areas swept by Cyclone Nargis?

Answer: I do not think it would be an effective way to solve the problems that the cyclone victims are facing. It would only benefit the regime and prolong the problem. It is another means for the junta to stop the social workers from assisting the helpless people.

Question: It seems that you are really out of patience and want the US to intervene in Burma as soon as possible, why?

Answer: This phenomenon has not only occurred in the Irrawaddy Delta region but across border areas. In Chin, Karen, Karenni and Shan states, there are thousands of people facing shortage of food. Even now in Wa areas, the people are considering re-growing poppy as the rice supplies have been cut off by China. So, the only way to save these people is if the US and the international community airlift and distribute aid to the cyclone-hit areas. Burma is in a civil war like condition. Therefore, without taking a look at international laws or rules, the US needs to begin humanitarian work in Burma as soon as possible.

Question: Finally, as a veteran pro-democracy activist and historical writer what do you really want the US and the international community to do in tackling the starvation of the victims of this natural disaster?

Answer: UN General Secretary Mr. Ban Ki Mon himself has already said that there are a lot of survivors and there are areas, which still have not received aid. The people still lack food, shelter and medical care because the regime had imposed restrictions on international aid workers. I request the United Nations and NATO to immediately intervene in the situation in Burma on humanitarian grounds. The international norms are no more valid in the face of the cruelty of the Burmese regime. Intervention is the only option left to solve Burma's problems. Come into Burma by force! The people of Burma are waiting for you.