The mess that the army has made

摘要

For proof of how grim things have become in Myanmar, consider how locals talk about America's invasion of Iraq. There is no griping about violations of Iraqi sovereignty, no carping about the mysterious absence of weapons of mass destruction, no horror at the bloodthirsty insurgency that has ensued. Only one criticism is ever voiced: why hasn't America in-vaded Myanmar too? A monk, a taxi driver, a student, all shyly ask your correspondent whether America might not be prevailed upon to topple their dictatorial regime next. The country is stuck in such a rut that the prospect of a foreign invasion is a fond hope, not a fear. It is against this backdrop of military misrule that the Association of South-East Asian Nations meets next week in Laos to decide what to do about Myanmar's impending chairmanship of the regional club. On the one hand, ASEAN is first and foremost an economic grouping, which does not normally concern itself with the political conduct of its members. Several other members, including Laos, the summit host, are hardly models of democracy. On the other hand, it would be enormously embarrassing for Myanmar's internationally reviled and economically illiterate generals to represent South-East Asia to the world. America, which has denounced Myanmar as an "outpost of tyranny", has said that it will stay away from any events hosted by the military regime.