Having had a long acquaintance with Burmese people and having visited the country in 1980 and 2004, it is my view that the military government sees no gain in fostering democracy or nurturing its people, and no external inducements or pressure will change this view. Regime change would require a massive invasion force, something which is neither in prospect or feasible and which would incur horrific costs given the size and equipment of Burma's armed forces.

The saving grace is that Burma is the Land of the Dhamma, where the main practice taught by the Buddha was maintained by small groups of monks after it was lost elsewhere and has gradually become more widespread in the last 150 years. Since my teacher S N Goenka returned to Burma in 1990 after twenty-one years' exile, there has been a vast increase in the numbers practising Vipassana. The positive force of the Dhamma may over time lead to change.