Speaking of foreign “meddling” in Southeast Asian affairs Forbes has published an article on the funding that American multi-billionaire George Soros ploughs into Burma. This piece – which quotes a number of big players in the Burma activism scene – has a raft of important and interesting details.

In the context of New Mandala‘s earlier discussion of foreign backing for political agendas, there is much to commend analysis of such “meddling” that looks beyond Thailand’s western border.

The Forbes‘ article describes (in part) how:

George Soros spends $2 million a year trying to pave the way for democracy in Burma. It’s a tricky operation. Naturally, the head of his Burma Project is banned in Burma, where ruthless military dictatorships have ruled for decades. And Soros is unwelcome in neighboring Thailand, home to 2 million refugees who have fled Burma. What’s more, Thailand won’t recognize these people as refugees, making them that much harder to help.

Thailand blamed Soros and his hedge fund for setting off the Asian financial crisis in July 1997, which started when the Thai baht plummeted…

…So how does the Burma Project handle these obstacles? It keeps a very low profile, employing just a few people on the ground in Thailand…

…In the lingo of the nonprofit world, the Burma Project puts its money into “capacity building.” This means that rather than provide food or water, it seeks to foster the economic, legal and media skills needed to run a country. One reason? It’s cheaper…

…After 13 years of grants, scholarships and lobbying, is the Burma Project any closer to a liberated Burma? Evidence would say no. Last year 10,000 more refugees arrived in Thailand from Burma, and the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, a nonprofit that monitors the border, noted that due to “the systemic violation of human rights in eastern Burma, it is unlikely that the population of the camps will decrease significantly in 2007.” It adds: “Hopes for political change in Burma look as bleak as ever.”…

…After all, maybe democracy can’t be bought. But it’s still not a bad investment.

Do read the full version if you want to learn more about the details of Soros’ Burma funding. A list of recent grantees is available here.