If Myanmar's military leaders appear immune to internal pressure for change, and if they care little about the protestations of the "international community" unless such pressure can directly effect their interests, the two rising world powers on Myanmar's borders perhaps hold the last hope for influencing the junta. The conventional wisdom says that even if China is ultimately unwilling to play a positive role, India can be counted on. "I think India would be able to exercise influence on Myanmar. China needs natural resources so badly that it may not be willing to call for the use of force. As a democracy, India would be expected to support the democratic movement in Myanmar," Thai Prime Minister Suruyad Chulanont told World Politics Review after he spoke at the Asia Society in New York Sept. 26.
On Their Own, India and China Won’t Pressure Myanmar
