Former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik was right when he said Aung San Suu Kyi has been a remarkable source of inspiration for the Burmese people as well as other people around the world. The proof of this widespread feeling was the letter he initiated calling on the Burmese government to release Suu Kyi immediately, which was signed by 59 world leaders. It is clear that these leaders want the Nobel Peace Prize laureate freed from house arrest.
Among the signatories was former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad who was instrumental in Burma's admission into Asean in 1997. Back then, he argued against all conventional wisdom about the need to include Burma. Now he has had second thoughts. Last year, he called for the expulsion of Burma from Asean following news of abuse and oppression in the country.
The letter was released to coincide with the end of the incarceration period as pledged by the junta leaders. They have to decide if her term of incarceration will be extended. By the end of this month, she would have served a total of 14 years under house arrest. Despite pledges to free her, the junta has consistently broken its promises. This time, the weight of the international community and world leaders has brought the Burma issue and Suu Kyi's fate into focus once again. Beyond these leaders' call, other leading nations must chip in.
Three countries in particular - China, India and Thailand - play a crucial role in bringing pressure to bear on Burma. China and India are the top supporters of Burma these days. Their strategic and mutual interests with Burma have dictated their policies and actions.
China has refused to discuss the Burmese situation with any other country. Beijing has vetoed any call for debate on Burma at the UN Security Council, and it is an open secret that China is in a win-win situation because the current regime is almost totally dependent on Beijing's generosity in terms of assistance.
There have been some small shifts in China, as some Western diplomats have noted. It is now urging Burma to work toward economic progress and liberalisation. But more than pressure is needed to make changes. In the case of the Darfur crisis, China showed that it could go the extra mile if its interests are at stake - in that case next year's Olympics. While the Burmese situation does not have the kind of human drama and genocide of the Darfur crisis, it remains a serious problem. Since 1988, millions of Burmese have been relocated internally and externally. Most of them have fled to neighbouring countries, especially Thailand and Bangladesh.
India was a late comer in dealing with the Burmese regime, but its support has proved lethal. By abandoning its democratic principles, New Delhi has knowingly backed a regime that has repeatedly perpetuated injustice and committed human rights violations. Certainly India has to protect its national interests and contain the insurgency along its eastern border but it can do that without acting as an accomplice of the junta as it is now. It is a shame. The international community has had false hopes concerning India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has failed the international community. Competing with China over Burma is not productive and in the long run will damage the country's reputation and global interests. As it is now, India is being used as a pawn by the military junta.
Finally, Thailand, which shares a common border of 2000 kilometres with Burma, has to come clean about its policies. The current government's policy towards Burma is to do nothing about the situation there.
For many, that was a huge improvement from the previous government. When Thaksin Shinawatra was in power, he was a staunch supporter of the Burmese junta because of his huge commercial interests. While the current government does not have this kind of abattoir, it is still not courageous enough to call for an overhaul of Thailand's Burma policy. That explains why vested interests from the last government have been trying to undermine the ongoing policy toward Burma. Many cooperation ventures have been put on hold pending further investigations and recommendations. Thailand should be doing more.