New York
Myanmar’s military coup d’etat overthrowing the democratically elected government has provided the stage for a new morality play in Southeast Asia. We already know the players. On the one side we see the seemingly virtuous young democracy led by a Nobel Peace Prize laureate being pushed aside by the powerful and corrupt Burmese military. Then there’s the International community, Britain, the United States and the European Union who quickly condemn the coup makers and demand a return to democracy. Additionally, the neighboring Southeast Asian nations, notably Thailand (with its own military junta), who basically shrug. But the crescendo quickly builds when the United Nations Security Council with the United Kingdom at the helm, tries to mobilize a powerful condemnation of the military power grab, only to find that key veto holding members, especia...