US sanctions alone did not work. Why? The country has many natural resources- rubies, jade, teak, gas among others that countries such China, Thailand, Singapore and India need. Businesses conducted in Burma are allowed only with partnerships with families or relatives of the junta. The only way it will work is through tightening their wallet-stop trading with the country and freeze all their bank accounts.

Lin, Champaign, USA

The most important thing in this situation is that Buma remains in the public eye and not be forgotten. The junta is systmeatically and methodically controlling and shutting down Burma's ties with the outside world and waiting for the storm to blow over. Pressure must come from the bottom up, to force organizations, countries, politicians and businesses to take action.

Kiera, Ireland,

I sincerely hope that the ruling Junta is pressured into becoming a more democratic form of government that gives its people the freedoms it deserves.

Angelikka, Johannesburg, South Africa

Very simply, China is the regional power and supports the military. Let us put pressure on China by popular threat to boycott the olympics.
Joseph Bucharest

Joseph, Bucharest,

China is getting uneasy, don't kid yourselves. Start saying it loud, say it a lot: Boycott the Olympics. If you have Chinese stock, dump it and then email them (good luck with that they keep sending all mine back)

I have been sending daily emails to senators, to any newspaper with an article, to the UN demanding the immediate action to protect the people of Burma, and to bring the Junta up on human rights charges.

Governments are responding but only because the media and people are embarrassing them. So don't stop, keep embarrassing the pants off the politicians we elect into power until they move.

MichelleH, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

China and India have to be brought on board. Hopefully they will not deny their moral obligation to the people of Burma. The military government is being completely exploitative and is no different in effect from an invading military force in its suppression of the population, so to say this is just an 'internal affair' is to deny the rights of the civilian population of Burma. Governments should reclaim all Burmese military Junta assests.

What YOU can do:
1. don't buy oil from TOTAL (French company who get Burmese oil)
2. If China and India do not force Burmese government to allow president to be reinstated, or if they veto UN resolutions which could assist the burmese population BOYCOTT indian and chinese goods.
3. KEEP THIS ISSUE ALIVE. Keep talking about it.

Ian Dodkins, Coleraine, N. Ireland

there are so many things that burma's neighbours can do but the problem is they are hunger for the resources in burma... the military regime is selling the resources in the name of people...they were owned by the ppl...not the junta...Buying those resources from junta without agreement from the ppl is just a kind of stealing...

It's enough to give "lip-service". It's time for real action.

Moe, San Francisco, United States

CREATIVE COMBAT; TARGET JUNTA FRIENDLY COMPANIES;
The Burmese Junta can be defiant because friendly "rogue" companies continue to support them. Their answer is "OR ELSE WHAT??" meaning for as long as Chevron, Total of Thailand, French, Indian, Singapore companies continue to support them...it is business as usual folks. When the media coverage dies down..so will the outrage. That is what the junta is banking on and taking to the bank apparently. "UNLESS"...GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY...focuses its attention on action that can really hurt them. 1. Picket not the Burmese embassy in India, France, Singapore , and Thailand but the companies that do business with them. 2. Reporters without Borders or instant I citizen Reporters can follow CEOs and billionaires of these companies around paparazzi style to ask them about their support for the junta. I guarantee that getting their faces plastered all over the world as "rogue businessmen supporters of monk killing junta" will not go well in their golf games, country clubs, their daughters' debutant balls and pretensions or aspirations at high society... 3. Organize "stock sell off" demonstrations in front of the "stock exchange" buildings of junta friendly countries and ask investors to threaten "mass sell off" of stocks unless junta loving companies apply pressure on the junta to stop the killing and restore democracy...that's just for starters...I'm sure others can think of other "creative combat" strategies to answer their brazen response to world outrage of "or else what?"...that's what..

Maria Gracia Yllana, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

The whole world is watching the horrors being committed in Burma, but nothing is being done. As the Burmese people are crying out for help and intervention, from anyone, and hundreds of Buddhist monks are being beaten and probably killed, the governments of our world just stand by wringing their hands. Than Shwe must be stopped, period.
France, China, India, and the countries of ASEAN -- the ones that can truly deliver an impact -- must find a significant way to hold Burma's junta accountable and stop the violence NOW.
How can human "civilization" still tolerate such primal behavior in Burma or anyplace else in this world?
How is it that we, the peoples of the world, most of whom I truly believe want peace, cannot seem to muster the strength and organizational skills to create a better existence for ALL?
What's happening in Burma is appalling, repugnant and needs to be stopped ASAP. Unfortunately, it is only the most recent egregious example of our inhumanity to each other.

Debi, Bigfork, USA/Montana

Well France can demand that Total pulls out of Burma, Singapore can refuse to give medical treatment to Than Shwe and his cronies and also refuse schooling to the children of the junta and the other hangers on who attend school there and fly home on the weekends. Airports can refuse landing rights to Air Bagan run by a person who is described as Than Shwe's dog, who is also an arms dealer. The list is long....
I worked in Burma last year and when flying up country via Naypidaw it was always of interest to see which dignitiaries were on the same flight - high ranking Indian Military were common as well as various other Business UN/NGO people. All trekking up to Naypidaw to do business with these mass murderers. So what to do? Just hope that the military divides and the hardliners fall and the decent people there prevail. Unless China, Russia and India weigh in it will be extemely difficult to effect any real change. Also in the time I took to write this how many more people have died?

Katharine, Thailand,