Until we have a system that guarantees rule of law and basic democratic institutions, no amount of aid or investment will benefit our people. Profits from business enterprises will merely go toward enriching a small, already privileged elite. The effectiveness of economic sanctions is a controversial issue but one that must be evaluated on a country by country basis. The international community on the whole came to understand that foreign investment was propping up the White South-African elite more than anyone else in the country.
International pressure can change the situation in Burma.
Tough sanctions, not constructive engagement, finally brought the release of Nelson Mandela and the dawn of a new era in my country. This is the language that must be spoken with tyrants for sadly, it is the only language they understand. Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD urged the international community to cut off their commercial ties to Burma. Military Grip on the Economy International investment may help open societies and bring democratic change in some countries. In Burma, however, foreign investment helps perpetuate the cruelty of a repressive unelected junta.