Letters to the Editor
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who said Burma doesn't have oil?
It may not have much oil now but it's one of the oldest oil exporting countries. There may still be plenty left if anyone invests in off shore exploration along the coast. However, it has plenty of natural gas. Read the quoted text below excerpted from here. http://www.nautilus.org/~rmit/forum-reports/0630a-kolas-tonnesson.html
In 2004, Burma exported natural gas (through the Yadana pipeline) to Thailand for nearly US$1 billion, which is claimed to be at least twice as much as Burma could have earned from trade with the USA and the EU if they had not applied sanctions. [36] The oil and gas sector continued to grow in 2005, owing to Chinese, Thai, South Korean and Indian investments. Thailand's imports from Burma, mainly consisting of gas from Yadana and Yetagun, rose by more than 50% that year. [37] Gas is now by far the most important source of income for Burma, and one-third of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Burma is in the oil and gas sector. The combined FDI in Burmese oil and gas since 1988 is approximately US$2.5 billion, 33% of all of Burma's FDI. [38] From the newly discovered Shwe field alone, the Korean Daewoo International has predicted at least US$86 million in net profit annually for 20 years from 2010, while Burma is projected to earn a minimum of US$800 million a year, and potentially up to US$3 billion. [39]
In short, no matter what kind of sanctions EU and US are imposing on Burma, its government does not care since they are getting the money from the neighboring countries with no respect for human rights. China, Thai, South Korea and India should be the countries that need pressure from the western powerhouses. They might actually get affected by the damage of economic sanctions. Burma has found a way to survive without economic transactions with the west.
Calling Japan to stop its humanitarian aid isn't going to help anyone either.