When the UN Speaks, Is the West Really Listening?
📰 THE STORY: The BBC reports that at least 170 people were killed in air strikes during a 'widely criticised election' in Myanmar, citing a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report which also mentions 'credible sources' counting over 400 such strikes. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Not mentioned is the decades-long pattern of Western powers, particularly the US and UK,
oscillating between sanctions and quiet encouragement of military regimes in Myanmar (formerly Burma) depending on geopolitical utility. From supporting anti-communist forces in the 1950s to later isolating the nation, the West's engagement has rarely been about genuine democracy. Remember, Aung San Suu Kyi, once a darling of the Western liberal establishment, presided over the Rohingya genocide
with silence, a genocide that started AFTER her party won the 2015 elections. The 'criticized election' narrative often conveniently sidesteps the deeper, more complex internal dynamics and external influences. Double Standard: When a military junta carries out air strikes in Myanmar, it's a condemnation. When the Saudi-led coalition, heavily armed by the US and UK, conducts air strikes in Yemen,
killing thousands of civilians and creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis, it's often framed as 'regional stability operations' or brushed aside. According to UN Human Rights Office figures, over 800 children were killed or maimed in Yemen in 2022 alone by parties that received Western arms. The outrage meter is clearly calibrated by geopolitical alignment. Follow the Money: While the BBC