Note: Much of the media is going along with the dictatorship's decision to rename the country to Myanmar. The Burmese opposition still refers to the country as Burma.

India's government is betraying human rights and endangering their own democracy by blatant pandering to the dictatorship in a country on it's own borders. From the Times of India 10/10/09:

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor will be leaving on Sunday for Myanmar, a country with which India has ramped up diplomatic as well as military ties to counter China's deep strategic inroads there.

Gen Kapoor, who is also chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, will seek to further boost bilateral defence cooperation as part of the continuing efforts to ensure China does not manage to outflank India once again in the region.

If this eventually leads to a military coup in India, the Congress Party will only have itself to blame by allowing this to happen. It's disturbing that the oppressed Burmese people are being used as political footballs by China and India.

The Obama administration's approach to Burma has been dubious as well. They are legitimizing a murderous government by engaging in dialog with them rather than strengthening US ties to the opposition. But, at least Obama isn't engaged in military cooperation with the bloodthirsty military regime in Burma.

Map: Thomas Roche