One step forward, two steps back. That’s how it goes in Burma.

Brutal Protest Crackdown Injures at Least 27 Monks – Irrawaddy Magazine

Sad news after the vaunted Obama visit of less than a week ago: a peaceful protest by monks and civilians at a Chinese copper mine was broken up by police armed with incendiary weapons. At least 27 monks have been injured, and the images are deeply unsettling.

Aung Sang Suu Kyi, rather presciently, put it well last week:

“The most difficult time in any transition is when we think success is in sight, then we have to be very careful that we are not lured by a mirage of success, and that we are working toward its genuine success for our people and friendship between our two countries.”

Just because we’d like to believe that the Thein Sein government has instituted true and lasting reform does not make it so. Especially if one happens to be Rohingya.

As the New York Times piece pointed out, this crackdown will do exactly nothing to improve the status of China in the eyes of the Burmese people as an uncaring resource extractor, either.