These issues will have to be sorted out because quite a few countries want nuclear electricity and may or may not have military applications in mind. Indonesia for example was at one time contemplating buying a floating reactor from Russia towed on a barge. I doubt that Burma would be able to enrich uranium to the required standard; even Australia with the world's largest uranium resources doesn't have the capability though an Australian invented laser process will be used in the US.

Therefore if the Burmese ore was enriched by the Russians perhaps they want a cut for themselves in lieu of cash. Australia as part of the Nuclear Suppliers Group recently refused yellowcake shipments to Russia because their paperwork and inspections weren't up to scratch. Strangely it may be in everybody's interests to help provide undemocratic countries with reactor types that can't be used by the military. This may be particularly true in a year or two if global warming makes a political comeback and coal prices rebound. However existing safe reactor types may be too expensive for small countries.

Thus is demonstrated the futility and impotence of the anti-nuclear brigade in Australia.

Let the anti-nuclear people march up and down Fremantle High Street waving their banners and amusing the populace. Nothing they say will influence Burma, Iran or North Korea.

Nothing in the essay by Bertil Lintner justifies the mindless Green opposition to a civil nuclear industry in Australia.

Maybe we ought to consider a greater weapons option as well and hang onto those F111's.

Its a 3rd world military that throws away her F111 bombers with all of the asian nations eying her land.

Indonesia wants us as South Irian.
China wants us as New South China.
I wonder what India calls us...and what does Burma refer to us as.

Best we arm fully and stop playing games.

http://whatwillbecomeofaustraliajackburrell.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas folks.

Gee, these Burmese guys sound really different, like they understand the concept of "responsible government" and offering some future for their people. No wonder the neolib fraudsters call Burma a "rogue state" (about the only view we ever get about the country). But good on them anyway, the Burmese. We'd be lucky here if the ruling degenerate snobs deign to offer us electricity infrastructure from bottled farts - and they'd privatize the hell out of it anyway!

The article piles up some fear on top of the more usual loathing, as typically done in articles about Indonesia and Russia (a similar joint projects where other nuclear power developments are far more advanced).

Help us, Gibo! Save us from the Threat! Or could we have a more waspy oligarch version of Gibo like his sloane and palace toady "Wellington Boot" counterpart on the Thornton site?

mil-observer, I visited Burma in 1980 and 2004 and have known many Burmese. The military has no interest in the welfare of the people, they spend money on self-aggrandisement, military hardware, a massive army and grandiose monumental projects of no value to the people, rather than water, sewerage, electricity, education and health services. In spite of oppression and state-controlled media, more than 90% of Burmese voted in 1991 for a democratic civilian government; the military responded with more oppression and long-term gaol sentences or worse for the democratic leaders and actvists. A beautiful people and a horrendous regime, interested only in preserving their power and privilege.

Yeah, right. As if the country is not under an imperialists' embargo, through which only a few daring states get through. Same deal with Zimbabwe and, in different ways, North Korea too.

A "massive army" you say! And scary spending on "military hardware". Get real. And the neolib apparatchiks just go along with these caricatures. The best one was the hype about the supposedly lavish wedding for the daughter of Burma's general commanding intelligence; patchy close-ups of an apparently gold necklace! Oh dear, the oppression...

As for "preserving power and privilege", take a good look at the British puppets and the Soros-backed NGO parasites they sponsor together. It's another sick farce all for the designs of a privileged oligarchy who want to see no justice or progress, but instead, their absolute subjugation and domination of honest people worldwide.

Go the Burmese Nukes! Go Russia! Go Indonesia! Resist and beat these bastards for good, and smash their stinking, bloodsucking empire.