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In September when Burmese monks chose to peacefully rise up against the military junta ruling Myanmar (Burma), Asia Society was uniquely positioned to provide leadership on this critical situation.

With the Open Society Institute, we organized “Monks, Media and the Military: The Saffron Revolution,” an emergency town hall in New York that drew together eyewitness accounts from inside Burma, as well as perspectives from the United Nations and human rights groups. To offer audiences around the world access to the event, we presented the program live on Skype, the audio-streaming website. Beyond our regular outreach channels, we utilized our presence on Facebook, the social networking website, to connect with the Burmese diaspora, letting them know this program would feature, among other participants, a live call-in from the leader of the monks in Burma.

Afterwards, we engaged our new media resources to continue the discussion. One Asia Society video chronicles the event for Newsweek.com and our YouTube channel, receiving tens of thousands of views so far. In partnership with TIME magazine and TIME religion correspondent David Van Biema, we produced an interview with renowned Buddhist peace activist and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, talking about Burma and “engaged Buddhism,” which he has advocated since the war in Vietnam. The video appears on Time.com and Asia Society’s YouTube channel. Our podcast, the Weekly Fix, revealed more perspectives on the evolving story with comments from the Society’s leadership and Thailand’s Prime Minister, General Surayud Chulanont (Ret.), at a speech at the Society criticizing the situation on the ground and discussing the role of ASEAN.

The Society’s network of experts shared their perspectives through a series of op-eds. Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl’s article “Burma Road Goes Through Beijing” appeared in the South China Morning Post. Asia Society Fellow Mira Kamdar’s “India’s Burma Dilemma” appeared in Britian’s The Guardian while Asia 21 Fellow Roby Alampay’s “Saffron Through the Firewall” appeared in the WashingtonPost.com’s “Think Tank Town” series.

Asia Society’s diverse resources offer you an unparalleled opportunity to gain a greater understanding of Asia. We look forward to welcoming you to our upcoming programs and online. Stay tuned!

Vishakha N. Desai
President

(Letter from the President)

Download Asia Society, January/February 2008

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The Saffron Revolution: The Major Players in Burma

For the fi rst time since 1988, Myanmar (Burma) saw mass demonstrations in September 2007 against the ruling military junta. The regime, which came to power in 1962, is known for brutally silencing all opposition and is accused of widespread human rights abuses. While the demonstrations led by Buddhist monks and the pro-democracy community drew attention internationally, major players include ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the United Nations (UN), and most importantly, India and China.

At Asia Society’s October emergency town hall meeting, the leading spokesperson for the Burmese monks called in from Burma, saying that without international pressure the government is unlikely to answer calls for direct talks with the pro-democracy leaders. “International assistance is needed urgently because our military junta is trying every way, every brutal method to hold onto power.”

While the UN envoy has met with the junta, the UN Security Council has faced opposition to meaningful action from members Russia and China. In September at Asia Society, Thailand’s Prime Minister, General Surayud Chulanont (Ret.) spoke of his frustrated efforts to persuade the Burmese to end their harsh treatment of protestors. As for ASEAN involvement, he continued, “I think we have exhausted our resources at the moment…We need help from other neighbors.”

India’s relationship with Burma hinges on both security and economic issues. To deal with rebel attacks along their shared border, India has supported Burma’s military. Seeking to quench its economy’s thirst for energy, India has long coveted Burma’s energy reserves, ultimately in competition with China. In her op-ed “India’s Burma Dilemma” (The Guardian), Asia Society Fellow Mira Kamdar cites India’s investment of $150 million in gas exploration off Burma’s coast, as well as its 30% stake in two offshore gas fi elds. ...

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