Burma Dialogue

News sites like S.H.A.N. have been reporting for the last year that the Burma military have been working on such a project, well now it is quite forwardly official, with the assistance of Russia. This cooperation with Russia will help aid the growing international cooperation with Burma so they are no longer the daughter of China, and more of a legitimate investment for the international community. You can see my last post for a few opinions on how that is happening.

The U.S. State Dept. deputy spokesman Tom Casey stated semi-resolute disapproval of the plans citing lack of accounting and security

This is clearly a huge development, one wich will certainly introduce most of the world to Burma
but it is of very little surprise to the those of us who follow developments in Burma.

Reports state,

a 10-megawatt light-water research reactor will be built and that 300 to 350 specialists will be trained to run the nuclear center, which will be located in the “central Burma township of Pwint Phyu in Magwe Division” and is “protected naturally by the Arakan mountain range to the west and the Irrawaddy River to the east".

Some are maintaining a calm approach to the matter,

One thing to keep in mind: Talks over the reactor are "only preliminary."

I would say such hopes show a lack of familiarity with the junta.

The week Bush expressed his intentions to extend sanctions on Burma for another year. This looks more and more to me like a cyclic permissiveness. (see last post for explaination).

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's current term of house arrest ends May 27 with still no word from the junta on what they will do. More that 50 world leaders have united in a call for her release.