by Margaret Chen, 9 OCT 2007

Last month the military government in Myanmar/ Burma shot and killed Buddhists monks who were peacefully demonstrating against price increases in this poverty stricken Buddhist nation.

Beyond the obvious injustice of firing on unarmed peaceful demonstrators (most of whom were Buddhist monks in robes, the military junta - these so-called ‘leaders’ of Burma - showed a total disregard for its citizens, the country they rule and also for the International Community’s plea for a peaceful resolution. Under this regime’s rulership, Burma has plunged into poverty where once it was the highest rice producing nation in SE Asia.

World response to this brutal crackdown is still shockingly quiet. More people are talking about the stock markets more than they are outraged by this act of pure Evil, that of a hugely repressive military leadership ordering troops to shoot Buddhist monks.

“What can we do?” I hear some say.

“This sort of thing happens all the time, it’s just history repeating itself. Nothing will change,” says another.

But no. This particular incident - this shooting of monks by Burma’s overlords, who did not even bother to make an attempt to hear out the greiveances of its own gentlest of citizens, is no less than a litmus test of what remains of our collective humanity.

If we don’t stand firm and correct this travesty - especially those who trade with, profit and protect this ‘ruling’ regime - YOU will have contributed to the real erosion of our collective sense of Justice (of Right and Wrong) and hope-for-the-future just as if YOU pulled the trigger on those monks.

We need to take ACTION to correct this imbalance to the rightful order or else all insidiously end up living under the belief that ‘Guns equal legitimate Power’ where guns should really only be used to serve and restore Peace so that Humanity can flourish.

Human history has not been perfect, but this time, we have a chance to rise above our past mistakes, and to show the world what best defines us as humans in the 21st Century, wiser by our collective experiences and knowing that in this globalized world, if we lose our Humanity, we lose all.

Any wise rulers knows that a Leader must lead with care and respect for his country and his people, and in this globalized world, rogue players dangerously upset the harmony of the whole system of human interactions.

If nothing is done to correct this imbalance to the natural order of life, Humanity will whither, and with it, fades our human spirit - that innate sense of being able to tell Right from Wrong - that guiding light for our souls.

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“All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.” [Edmund Burke]

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