American actress Mia Farrow said Friday the world should use the upcoming Beijing Olympics as a platform for demanding that China end its support for Burma's military junta.
Farrow also said US President George W Bush missed an opportunity to take a strong stand against China's ties with Burma by agreeing to attend the opening ceremonies of the August 8-24 games.
"If there is enough international pressure and if voices are raised loud enough, we can push China to change its position on Burma," Farrow told The Associated Press in Bangkok. "Using the Olympics Games as tool to effect change is important."
Bush, who plans to stay in Beijing for the first few days of the Olympics, said earlier this week he was "fired up" to watch some of the competition.
"I wish that (Bush) had not agreed to attend the Olympics, because that represents a missed opportunity for the United States to stand strong by its own principles," Farrow said. "A statement could have been made by skipping the opening ceremonies."
China is Burma's most important ally, providing economic, military and other assistance while Western nations shun the military-ruled country because of its poor human rights record and failure to restore democracy. China objects to Western criticisms of Burma's junta, saying conditions in the Southeast Asian country have improved since its violent crackdown on peaceful protests last September.
"China must use its unique position with Burma—its business alliance, its seat on the (UN) Security Council—not to protect Burma and its own interests, but to effect change and to improve human rights in Burma," Farrow said.
Farrow has campaigned around the world to urge China to help stop killings in Sudan's western Darfur region. China has been one of Sudan's biggest trading partners, buying oil from the African nation and selling it weapons.
Farrow held a news conference in Bangkok after visiting the Burma-Thailand border with a delegation from the Nobel Women's Initiative, a group founded by female recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The actress urged the United Nations and the international community to take action to protect women in Burma from sexual exploitation and abuse in areas hit by a devastating cyclone in May, which killed more than 84,500 people and left 54,000 missing, according to the junta.
Farrow also said US President George W Bush missed an opportunity to take a strong stand against China's ties with Burma by agreeing to attend the opening ceremonies of the August 8-24 games.
"If there is enough international pressure and if voices are raised loud enough, we can push China to change its position on Burma," Farrow told The Associated Press in Bangkok. "Using the Olympics Games as tool to effect change is important."
Bush, who plans to stay in Beijing for the first few days of the Olympics, said earlier this week he was "fired up" to watch some of the competition.
"I wish that (Bush) had not agreed to attend the Olympics, because that represents a missed opportunity for the United States to stand strong by its own principles," Farrow said. "A statement could have been made by skipping the opening ceremonies."
China is Burma's most important ally, providing economic, military and other assistance while Western nations shun the military-ruled country because of its poor human rights record and failure to restore democracy. China objects to Western criticisms of Burma's junta, saying conditions in the Southeast Asian country have improved since its violent crackdown on peaceful protests last September.
"China must use its unique position with Burma—its business alliance, its seat on the (UN) Security Council—not to protect Burma and its own interests, but to effect change and to improve human rights in Burma," Farrow said.
Farrow has campaigned around the world to urge China to help stop killings in Sudan's western Darfur region. China has been one of Sudan's biggest trading partners, buying oil from the African nation and selling it weapons.
Farrow held a news conference in Bangkok after visiting the Burma-Thailand border with a delegation from the Nobel Women's Initiative, a group founded by female recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The actress urged the United Nations and the international community to take action to protect women in Burma from sexual exploitation and abuse in areas hit by a devastating cyclone in May, which killed more than 84,500 people and left 54,000 missing, according to the junta.
Cooperate with UN or face more pressure: US tells Myanmar
In their hour of despair, Burma’s beleaguered people continue to find comfort in humor. New jokes reflect new frustrations. The latest target is Ibrahim Gambari, United Nations special envoy for Burma.
One revolves around the nickname that has been coined by local comedians for the Nigerian diplomat. He is labeled as "Kyauk yu pyan" (pronounced chow-u-peean), which in Burmese refers to a man who receives precious stones from the government as a bribe. (Burma is renowned for its gems.)
One revolves around the nickname that has been coined by local comedians for the Nigerian diplomat. He is labeled as "Kyauk yu pyan" (pronounced chow-u-peean), which in Burmese refers to a man who receives precious stones from the government as a bribe. (Burma is renowned for its gems.)
Other nicknames are harsher, like "Gan pha lar" (pronounced gun-pa-la), a play on the envoy’s name, which is the word for the receptacle that Burmese use to wash themselves after going to the toilet.
The jokes are a slice of a growing mood within the Southeast Asian country that reveal a contempt for Gambari’s mission to secure concessions from Burma’s military regime—chiefly an open and inclusive, free and fair political process to usher in a democratic culture.
The jokes are a slice of a growing mood within the Southeast Asian country that reveal a contempt for Gambari’s mission to secure concessions from Burma’s military regime—chiefly an open and inclusive, free and fair political process to usher in a democratic culture.
Gambari’s failure to produce even a whiff of change was confirmed on May 10, when the junta forced people to vote at a referendum to approve a new constitution that was drafted by a junta-appointed committee. The plebiscite, which was rife with fraud, was held as the country was getting over the shock of the powerful Cyclone Nargis that crashed through the Irrawaddy Delta a week before, killing tens of thousands and affecting millions.
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