Features

External intervention and Myanmar’s mounting human costs

Published

4 years ago

2021/03/18

It ought to be abundantly clear that a major humanitarian crisis is shaping up in crisis-hit Myanmar. The latter’s anti-junta, pro-democracy protesters are doing well to stand up to the country’s repressive military but the human costs of this confrontation could prove to be prohibitively high.

For instance, more than 70 persons have died so far in the military crackdown on the popular uprising which explosively emerged on February 1 with the ousting of Myanmar’s civilian rulers by the Generals. Bloodshed is what the country would have as long as the junta is allowed to have a free hand.

Ideally, Myanmar should be allowed ‘to sort out its affairs’ by itself. But if the country’s military persists in its repressive course more and more civilians would be killed with impunity and increasing social and economic dislocation would be Myanmar’s lot. The most important posers that arise from this tragedy for the world’s ‘civilized sections’ are: Could they afford to ‘look the other way’ in the face of the blood-letting and for how long?

Going by the Myanmar military’s track record, it would be futile on the part of observers to expect the junta to easily relent in its bloody efforts at quelling the popular uprising. It would not relax its whip hand until the last protester is cowed into submission and all coercive means would be used to achieve this. For example, in the 1988 pro-democracy protests more than 3000 persons had died. The tragedy of those times was compounded by the fact that Myanmar was left to its devices. Would history repeat? It sure would as long as the military’s diktat goes unchallenged by effective, countervailing democratic forces.

Right now, it is the saving of lives that matters most. The UN should figure prominently on this score. It would need to explore every possibility of rendering humanitarian assistance to Myanmar’s civilian public. This is a paramount need in consideration of the strong possibility of the public’s material ordeals intensifying several fold as time goes by. Even some arm twisting of the junta by the international community would prove legitimate on this question since the well being of the people cannot be compromised.

However, piloting Myanmar towards peace and stability would prove an uphill challenge. Moreover, it is a political solution that is needed crucially since it is only the latter that could ensure the country’s long term political, economic and social stability.

Quite ironically, the UN system would not prove very effective on this score since such questions would need to be addressed by the UN Security Council(UNSC) and the latter body is bound to be almost hopelessly divided on Myanmar. That is, while the West is likely to call for a political solution and a return to civilian rule in the country, China and Russia would think otherwise. Being essentially authoritarian in character, China and Russia could be expected to side strongly with the Myanmarese junta and call for a solution that would uphold the military’s main interests. Given this backdrop, the road to a just solution through the UN system would prove to be long-drawn and pockmarked with pitfalls.

However, military intervention of any kind on the part of the big powers of the West on behalf of the pro-democracy forces in Myanmar should be unthinkable even for the powers concerned, considering the disastrous negative consequences that could flow from this course of action. Once again, the suffering of civilians would prove the factor of paramount importance.

If external military intervention happens to materialize, we would be confronted with yet another humanly costly no-win, prolonged civil war in Myanmar as well. A Syria-type quagmire could be expected to heart-rendingly unfold, although there are striking differences between Myanmar and Syria.

In all likelihood, while the pro-democracy forces in Myanmar would be backed by the US and its allies, militarily and morally, in a future case of external intervention, the junta would be staunchly supported by China and Russia in every conceivable way. Given the formidable strengths of the antagonists, efforts at a military solution would result in prolonged blood-letting. As is usual in all such situations, civilians would suffer interminably.

As this is being written, Syria is no closer to peace than it was 10 years ago. There are multiple interventionist powers in Syria, with the US-led alliance and the Russian-backed Syrian regime proving the pivotal antagonists. There are formidable regional powers, such as Iran and Turkey, which have a considerable interest in Syrian developments, who reportedly back rival political and military formations in Syria. While the UN has figured now and then in efforts at working out a political solution in Syria, these exercises have proved futile.

However, the human costs of war in Syria speak for themselves. More than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22 million are said to have fled their homes. The internally displaced number 6.7 million, many of them in camps, while another 5.6 million have reported as refugees abroad. By December 2020, the Syrian dead were said to number 387,118. Among the latter 116,911 are believed to be civilians. One million Syrian refugee children are said to have been born in exile. These are just a few of Syria’s ‘bleeding statistics’.

It could be argued that the conflict in Myanmar is a very far cry from the humanitarian crisis in Syria, which has a multiplicity of internal and external dimensions to it that are not found in Myanmar. True no doubt, but 10 or more years ago who would have imagined that seemingly stable Syria would implode into the horrendously disintegrating civil war situation that it is in today? This is what a mismanaged internal conflict does to a country. We in Sri Lanka know this best.

The pro-peace sections of the international community could only wish that Myanmar would not go the way of Syria. They need to act fast to help evolve a just political solution in Myanmar. The forces of democracy need to rally round Myanmar.

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Features

‘Silent Majority’ abandoned to Long-suffering in regional conflicts

Published

6 hours ago

2025/05/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

People of the Gaza strip gather to collect food. (Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock)

With reports emerging that India has attacked some ‘sites’ in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the question could be posed whether the stage has just been set for yet another costly India-Pakistan military conflict. Sensible opinion in South Asia could only hope that wise counsel would sooner rather than later come to prevail on both sides of the divide and that they would draw back from the brink of full-scale war.

The states concerned ought to know fully well the possible wide-ranging weighty consequences of another regional conflict. It should be plain to see that it would benefit none in the two theatres of confrontation, most particularly the relevant publics or the ‘Silent Majority’.

In fact, in connection with the mentioned initial military attacks, the Pakistani side has gone on record that some civilian lives have been lost. Such losses could burgeon in the event of full scale hostilities. These costs could of course be staggering and unimaginable in the event the nuclear option is resorted to by the sides, going forward.

Accordingly, the hope of the peace-loving world-wide is likely to be that India and Pakistan would give negotiations a chance and resolve their differences peacefully. It would be in the best interests of the world for the champions of peace to join their voices to that of UN chief Antonio Guterres and call on the sides to negotiate an end to their differences.

The utter helplessness and misery of the people of the Gaza ought to drive home afresh the horrors of war. Currently the news is that the Gazans are literally starving to death. Food and other essentials provided by UN agencies are reportedly being prevented by Israel from getting to the hapless people of Gaza. So dire is their situation that concerned quarters are calling on the compassionate worldwide to provide the Gazans with food, water and other essentials voluntarily. This SOS would need to be heeded forthwith.

Accordingly, it could be inferred that most formal arrangements, including those that are generally under the purview of the UN, geared to providing emergency humanitarian assistance to the needy, have, for all intents and purposes, been rendered ineffective in the Gaza. The UN cannot be faulted for this state of things; rather, Israel should be held accountable in the main for it.

The matter of accountability is central to the dramatic slide into lawlessness the world has been experiencing over the past few decades. As could be seen, International Law is no longer fully applicable in the conflict and war zones of the world because it is not being adhered to by many state and non-state aggressors. That the UN is hapless in the face of such lawlessness is plain to see.

We have of course the Middle East wherein International Law has fallen silent for quite a while. How could it be otherwise, when Israeli aggressions are being winked at by the US, for which the policy of backing Israel is almost sacrosanct?

Moreover, under President Donald Trump, it is difficult to see the US changing policy course on the Middle East. Trump made vague promises of bringing peace to the region in the run-up to his reelection but has done nothing concrete by way of peace-making. Consequently, complete lawlessness prevails in the Middle East. US policy towards Israel counts as another example of how the self- interest of US central administrations blinds them to their international obligations, in this case Middle East peace.

However, the commentator could be criticized as being biased if he holds only Israel responsible for what has befallen the Middle East. It has been the position of this columnist that Israel’s security needs should be taken cognizance of by its state and non-state adversaries in the Middle East and acted upon if the basis is to be laid for a durable Middle East peace. Inasmuch as Palestinian statehood must be guaranteed, the same should be seen as applicable to Israel. The latter too enjoys the right to live in a secure state of its own, unopposed by its neighbours.

The Ukraine of today is also sad testimony to the ill consequences of powerful, aggressor states wantonly disregarding International Law and its obligations. Nothing could justify Russia in invading Ukraine and subjecting it to a condition of Longsuffering. Clearly, Ukraine’s sovereignty has been violated and such excesses go to the heart of the current state of ‘International Disorder’. Of course the same stricture applies to the US in relation to its military misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, to name just two such modern examples.

There is no ducking the fact, then, that civilian publics in the mentioned theatres of war and outside, are being subjected to the worst suffering as a consequence of the big powers’ self-aggrandizement schemes and military misadventures. Longsuffering becomes the tragic lot of the people who have nothing to do with such unbridled power ambitions.

One would not be exaggerating the case if he states that civilian publics count for almost nothing in the present ‘International Disorder’. Increasingly it is becoming evident that from the viewpoint of the big powers and authoritarian governments the people are of little or no importance. Considering that self-aggrandizement is of the paramount interest for the former the public interest is coming to be seen as inconsequential.

Consequently, not much of a case could be made currently for the once almost reverentially spoken of ‘Social Contract’. For, the public interest does not count for much in the scrambles for power among the major powers who are seen at the popular level as the principal history-makers.

It is in view of the above that much is expected of India. Today the latter is a ‘Swing State’ of the first importance. Besides being a major democracy, it is one of the world’s principal economic and military powers. It possesses abundant potential to help to put things right in international politics. If there is one state in Asia that could help in restoring respect for International Law, it is India.

Considering the above, India, one believes, is obliged to bear the responsibility of keeping South Asia free of any more long-running, wasting wars that could aggravate the material hardships and socio-economic blights of the region. Thus, India would need to consider it imperative to negotiating peace with Pakistan.

Features

Memorable happening … Down Under

Published

6 hours ago

2025/05/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Lyceum swimmers at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

Under the Global-Ise Australia Advanced Sports Development Programme, a delegation of 15 swimmers from Lyceum International School, Wattala, had the remarkable opportunity to train and experience high-performance sports development in Melbourne, Australia.

The 10-day programme was carefully curated to offer intensive training, educational exposure, and cultural experiences for the young athletes.

The swimmers underwent specialised training through Swimming Victoria’s elite programme, held at some of Melbourne’s premier aquatic facilities.

Visit to Victorian Parliament

Each day began as early as 5:00 a.m. and continued until 7:00 p.m., ensuring a rigorous and enriching schedule that mirrored the standards of international competitive swimming.

Beyond training, the programme offered a wide array of experiences to broaden the students’ horizons.

Morning training

The tour group explored iconic landmarks such as the Victorian Parliament and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and enjoyed shopping at Chadstone – The Fashion Capital. They also experienced the natural beauty of Victoria with visits to Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, and Cardinia Reservoir Park, where they observed kangaroos in their natural habitat.

An academic highlight of the tour was the group’s exclusive visits to three of Australia’s leading universities: the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Deakin University. These visits aimed to inspire students and showcase the vast educational opportunities available in Australia.

Checking out the scene at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery

As part of the cultural immersion, Global-Ise hosted a traditional Australian BBQ at the Tim Neville Arboretum in Ferntree Gully. The students also enjoyed a variety of diverse culinary experiences each evening, further enriching their understanding of local and international food cultures.

The tour concluded with a celebratory dinner at the Spicy Wicket Restaurant, where each participant received a presentation in recognition of their involvement.

Enjoying an Aussie BBQ for lunch

The evening was made especially memorable by the presence of Pradeepa Saram, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Victoria.

Global-Ise Management—Ken Jacobs, Johann Jayasinha, and Dr Luckmika Perera (Consultant from the University of Melbourne)—did a magnificent job in planning and the execution of the advanced sports programme.

Coaches from Sri Lanka presenting a plaque to Global-Ise Management team
Ken Jacobs (centre), Johann Jayasinha, and Dr Luckmika Perera (on the right

Features

Bright, Smooth Skin

Published

6 hours ago

2025/05/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hi! How’s the beauty scene keeping with you?

Phew, this heat is awful but there is nothing that we can do about it.

However, there are ways and means to take care of your skin and I will do my best to help you in every way I can.

Well, this week, let’s go for a Bright, Smooth Skin.

Gram flour (also known as besan) is a traditional skincare ingredient known for its:

* Natural exfoliating properties.

* Ability to absorb excess oil.

* Gentle brightening and tan-removal effects.

* Suitability for all skin types, especially oily and acne-prone skin.

You will need 01–02 tablespoons gram flour (besan) and rose water, or raw milk, to make a paste.

You could add the following two as optional add-ins: A pinch of turmeric (for extra glow), and a few drops of lemon juice (for oily skin and pigmentation)

Add the gram flour to a small bowl and mix in the rose water (for oily/sensitive skin) or raw milk (for dry skin) slowly.

Stir well to make a smooth, spreadable paste—not too thick, not too runny.

Now apply this mixture, evenly, to your damp face and neck, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes (don’t let it dry completely if you have dry skin).

Gently massage in circular motions using wet fingers—this helps exfoliate.

Rinse off with lukewarm water, and then pat your skin dry.

Use it 02–03 times a week for best results.

Skin Benefits:

* Removes dirt, sweat, and oil without stripping natural moisture.

* Gently exfoliates dead skin cells, revealing smoother skin.

* Brightens the complexion and fades mild tanning.

* Helps clear clogged pores and reduce pimples.

* Leaves skin fresh and glowing—perfect for humid climates.