In response to last week’s violent quelling of anti-government protesters by the Burmese military, a UN special envoy was sent to the isolated South Asian country for talks with military and opposition leaders. Ibrahim Gambari, a former Nigerian foreign minister, was able to meet with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years. However, Gambari has thus far been snubbed by the most powerful leaders of the ruling junta, suggesting that his attempts to smooth the way for compromise may not amount to much in the face of the resolute Burmese government (www.ft.com/cms/s/0/095442c2-6f5a-11dc-b66c-0000779fd2ac.html).

In the United States, House and Senate leaders drafted resolutions condemning the military government, and the Bush administration announced sanctions intended to affect those in charge of the massacres. These sanctions include the freezing of assets belonging to 14 senior Burmese officials who have been linked to serious human rights abuses and the barring of several dozen Burmese military and government officials and their families from visiting the US (www.voanews.com/english/2007-09-27-voa74.cfm and www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092802029.html).

In addition, both Voice of America and Radio Free Asia have doubled their daily Burmese language broadcasts, from 1.5 to 3 hours and 2 to 4 hours respectively, in an effort to get accurate information about the situation to the Burmese people.

The Japanese government specifically decried the shooting of a Japanese journalist during the protests. The man was reportedly shot through the heart at close range by a soldier in pursuit of the fleeing crowd (www.bangkokpost.com).

He was one of 13 official casualties–although reports from refugees and eyewitnesses suggest a far greater death toll (www.telegraph.co.uk).

But two countries have yet to come down hard on the Burmese government. China and India both have commercial interests in Burma and thus have refrained from criticizing the military too harshly (www.time.com).

China in particular has been reproached for its lack of decisive action, although the administration is seen as having influenced the Burmese government to allow the UN Envoy a visa. US officials are counting on Beijing’s concern over the 2008 Olympics to force China to play a more pivotal role in the peaceful stabilization of Burma (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092802029.html).

Meanwhile, protesters in the UK, the US, Japan and South Korea have taken to the streets (www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/30/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-World-Pressure.php).

One march in London drew more than 3,000 people. In San Francisco, activists targeted the Chinese Consulate to draw attention to China’s historic backing of Burma (www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/29/BASGSGDV7.DTL).