Benson
2008-05-16 20:24:46
Not going won’t change a thing. If the economy of Burma were a bit smaller because no visitors brought money, the triumvirate running the place would still be highly motivated to hang on to power. The ethnic Chinese merchants cooperate to monopolize import/export, wholesale and retail; the richly-rewarded generals have the guns and police power; and China has long-term plans for Burma’s resources and geopolitical position. Each of the groups ruling Burma can confidently share power with the other two because they do not compete for the same benefits. If this were just a matter of generals who staged a coup, Burma would almost certainly have shed its dictators long ago.
