melody - thank you for this really *good* article and for ensuring that burma gets some scrutiny from australian (and internet) readers. some of us recently wrote to aun sung soo kyi for her birthday, knowing that the junta would intercept all mail and read it. the hope was that this would indicate to the military that there is at least some scrutiny from the antipodes, the rationale being that the more letters, etc sent and received, the more the junta would know that scrutiny continues. i know more could and should be done. this was just a small gesture. thank you again for highlighting the need for attention to be paid and positive action to be taken.

“As an NGO worker stationed in Phnom Penh told me, “The people just walk around dehumanised. I have never been so shaken by a visit. They are so terrified they have forgotten who they are. To be safe, they chant mantras about the Burmese army being great: the same bastards who are killing their relatives.”’

You, of course, have proof of this; you are just not telling us!

There are over 50,000,000 Burmese. How many of them are actually in the government or in the military?

If the Burmese really wanted democracy badly enough, they could gain it by sheer weight of numbers - just like other ‘poor, suffering people’ in other counties the bleeding hearts in the West want us to save.

Democracy is not handed out. It is fought for

ASEAN is the weak link. Pressure should be applied to Singapore and Malaysia over the company they keep.

What a terrific article. Thank you.

I am recently returned from a trip to Burma with my husband and 5 yo daughter, a trip made after much indecision given Aug Sung Suu Kyi’s late 1990's request that the sanctions against Burma should extend to a tourism boycott. Burmese commentators in exile are however encouraging 'responsible' tourism; travel that puts money into the family run guesthouses and small restaurants, rather than the junta owned glitzy/shabby hotels and refraining from engaging anyone in political talk (whilst providing a listening ear to the many who approach you ). We are so glad we went. 'The Big Four' Yangon, Inle, Mandalay, Bagan were amazing. Had we not gone would I know or care anything about what is going on in Burma? Probably not.

The presence of tourists helps to protect Burmese in the areas you visit (but there are ears everywhere) and the trickle of money from even the budget traveller can make a real difference for the folk you stay and eat with. Tourism can make a real difference in many, small bites. It is a safe place to travel (as long you don't get sick and travel within the system). The Burmese we met were overwhelmingly delighted we came. They are deeply proud of their culture and rightly so.

Travellers who can discreetly take a suitcase full of stuff to distribute can help a lot; schools are terribly under- resourced; US$15 will buy a new blackboard, you can organise it while you're there, US$5 books and pencils for 20 kids. Deflated soccer balls from your local soccer club (and a few pumps), light-weight dictionaries and English language books........ Buy a heap of pencils and books from Yangon central market on arrival to quietly distribute where you go. It's better to buy them locally than to bring them in.

Next time we’ll go with a fuller suitcase and more US$ to share(you have to take it all in, pristine US bills - equivalent of $400AUD/week is enough per person).

A drop at a time we can make a real difference there.