tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post900929869057083042..comments2023-09-21T16:17:51.838+05:30Comments on Law and Other Things: India, Burma and History's JudgmentAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348738084817273397noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post-17946099224791223032007-10-14T05:14:00.000+05:302007-10-14T05:14:00.000+05:30An article by Shashi Tharoor in the Times of India...An article by Shashi Tharoor in the Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/S_Tharoor_Ethics_and_foreign_policy/articleshow/2456205.cms) also makes interesting reading.Umakanth Varottilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438677982004444359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post-91995770120993664222007-10-09T01:22:00.000+05:302007-10-09T01:22:00.000+05:30Vikram,We are not a great power. We are a very po...Vikram,<BR/><BR/>We are not a great power. We are a very poor and "weak" one, as it happens. And in any case, why is that relevant? If it is morally right to support the monks and Aung Sang Suu Kyi, then we should do so, irrespective of whether we are "great" or not.<BR/><BR/>It ought to be noted that there never was a time when we took foreign policy decisions purely on moral grounds. In 1956, we failed to condemn the Soviet invasion of Hungary; in 1968, the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and in 1979, the invasion of Afghanistan. We condemned the apartheid regime of South Africa rightly but we might also remember that we sold that regime our outdated Centurion tanks from World War II (in 1969?) We never condemned the Chinese takeover of Tibet - and haven't done so till now. Or for that matter, Saddam or Mugabe or...<BR/><BR/>So where does this leave us? Yes, it would be nice if we could take a moral position and live with the consequences, unpleasant as they may be. If I remember rightly, the last time we tried that with the **** (fill in favourite expletive) in Rangoon, they retaliated by offering the Chinese naval bases in the Bay of Bengal! We immediately toned down our rhetoric.<BR/><BR/>The Burmese generals may be unscrupulous but they don't seem to be dumb. They have some strategic assets (ports, oil etc.) which are coveted by two large rival countries. The Burmese generals have essentially played off one rival against the other to get the best for themselves. It is a game that we were accused of playing ourselves - indeed, one American interpretation of our "non-aligned" policy is exactly that. (sorry, can't remember reference.)<BR/><BR/>It is easy to criticise the Indian government, and yet, I cannot bring myself to say that I would do anything very different than what Pranab Mukherjee and the foreign ministry have done.<BR/><BR/>What might have helped is if China had a shared commitment to democracy. In that case, the two countries could have jointly told the Burmese generals that to restore democracy was paramount and playing off the two rivals was a game that was not going to work. Unfortunately, the Chinese regime is not committed to democracy. And we, for all our "great" power pretensions, are no US, or even, the UK or France or even close to them. We are a "weak" power and our wishy washy actions characterize that predicament.Sureshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12270071532015895732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post-329938782838115612007-10-05T06:12:00.000+05:302007-10-05T06:12:00.000+05:30Very good post and a very eloquent one. I do thin...Very good post and a very eloquent one. I do think the government's position on Myanmar is an important litmus test of whether we really could be the great power we want to be. After all, strong moral values and democratic credentials have been the hallmark of India's participation in global civic life. What was especially interesting to see was the CPI (M)'s unequivocal stance on Myanmar, which did not really get the attention it deserves. As much I disagree with the party personally, I commend their stance on this issue.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09348738084817273397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post-4223729406490447632007-10-04T14:58:00.000+05:302007-10-04T14:58:00.000+05:30Here is a link to a petition to PM Manmohan Singh:...Here is a link to a petition to PM Manmohan Singh:<BR/><BR/>http://www.petitiononline.com/burma123/petition.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com