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We must all speak out for Myanmar's people

In the past two weeks, Hongkongers have been gripped by dramatic television pictures of Myanmar's Buddhist monks and pro-democracy protesters marching through the streets in defiance of the military junta.

Scenes of brutal beatings, soldiers firing into crowds and indiscriminate arrests not only unnerved many viewers, but also brought back nasty memories of the bloody crackdown in Beijing in 1989.

As members of the international community, Hongkongers should express their anger and outrage, and condemn the Myanmese military regime for treading on the basic human rights of its people for so many years. Last Thursday, I went to the Myanmese consulate with several dozen protesters to present a joint statement condemning the junta for its use of force.

We offered our support for Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, and called for her release. We also hope that free and fair elections will be held.

On the same day, China and Russia blocked a proposal urging the UN Security Council to condemn the violent crackdown and to co-ordinate sanctions against Myanmar. The unrest was an internal matter that should not be on the council's agenda, they said.

Members of The Frontier do not agree. Human rights transcend national boundaries, and members of the international community are duty-bound to take action against them. On Sunday, The Frontier presented a letter to the Central Government Liaison Office, calling on President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to stop supporting the brutal Myanmese dictatorship.

We are aware that Beijing has no qualms about its close military and economic ties with the junta. In recent years, that economic relationship has been transformed by Beijing's hunger for energy and its involvement in big infrastructure projects. China has also given the junta diplomatic support, helping for years to keep its behaviour off the Security Council's agenda.

In spite of such a close relationship, we hope recent events will make Beijing think twice. If China wants to join the league of major powers, it must dissociate itself from the barbaric junta.

After a decades-long monopoly on power, the junta shows no signs of being willing to give it up. Reports say many locals are pessimistic about the prospect of a peaceful transformation to a democratic government. Some people are increasingly convinced that the blood sacrifice of innocent protesters and pro-democracy activists is an inevitable, and possibly necessary, part of the struggle for change. This may be a realistic prognosis, but I hope a less-bloody outcome is possible.

However, judging from the recalcitrance of the junta and the lack of any political opening in the past two decades - mainly because of the reluctance of Myanmar's neighbours to step up the pressure - bloodshed maybe the price that Myanmar's people have to pay for freedom and democracy.

Emily Lau Wai-hing is a legislative councillor for The Frontier

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