East Timor versus Burma

When we were travelling, I noticed that there was a considerable amount of positive international sentiment for Australia's involvement in East Timor. Australia restored order in the region after a guerilla offensive reportedly backed by the Indonesian military. Hoorah for Australia, boo to Indonesia. Unfortunately, it seems that this military action draws considerable parallels with the original Gulf War.

East Timor, like Kuwait, has considerable oil and gas reserves that both Indonesia and Australia were quite interested in. A cynic could therefore suggest that Australia only saved the East Timorese because of its economic interest in the region. If Australia is truly the World Police's Asian representative, why haven't we intervened in Burma.

My parents and brothers have all visited the Karen refugee camp on the Myanmar (Burma) / Thailand border and returned with sad stories of their treatment. The Burmese State Development and "Peace" Council have committed genocidal attrocities against the Karen over a long period of time whilst Thailand (perhaps due to telecommunications interests in the area) and Australia (due to a lack of economic interest) sit on their hands.

http://www.jubileecampaign.co.uk/world/bur5.htm
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/38/Myanmar_Refugees.html

One only hopes that Australia's "human rights driven" devotion to the East Timorese will eventually be replicated in this situation, or that one of the refugees stumbles upon a resource supply of international significance in the near future.