Sir, – Another international crisis, and more calls for Ireland to do something. Shane Brady (Letters, March 31st) suggests that Ireland supports a special emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly. This is reasonable. Such a move is unlikely to stop the Myanmar military in its tracks, but it would be a popular step, unlikely to offend any major nations, and won't cost the Irish economy much in lost trade.
I’m less sure of Michael N Brennan’s call (Letters, March 31st) for a UN force to intervene in Myanmar.
How long would it take to assemble a viable force? Which countries would contribute troops and equipment?
What exactly is the mission of any such force? What level of casualties would be acceptable? Would Ireland’s depleted Army send troops, assuming we overcame questions of neutrality and the vaunted triple-lock?
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Mr Brennan does not address any of these questions.
As usual in matters like this, the term “UN force” is code for a “US and British force”, and the call for strong action serves as a smokescreen for UN – and Irish – inaction. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN BUTLER,
Fairview,
Dublin 3.