Burmese may have been happy to hear US President George W. Bush, in his “State of the Union” speech on Wednesday, refer to continued American support for “the cause of freedom” in Cuba, Burma and Belarus, countries the administration has labeled “outposts of tyranny.”

But hold your breath-America is not sending any special envoy and is not increasing its pressure on the regime.

That’s it. Facing a cul-de-sac in Iraq, Bush and his senior administration officials will have little time to look into the situation in Burma. Yet the US president, who two years ago received Shan activist Charm Tong at the White House, still takes the moral high ground on the Burma issue and, whether you agree with him or not, he is certainly a winner.

Burma is not a threat to the US and is just a “mini outpost of tyranny” on the American radar screen of the country.  The embattled American president has few plans to devote his time to “regime change” in Burma. The quagmire in Iraq, increasing American involvement in the Middle East and the troubles with North Korea mean that the tyrants in Burma can expect better days ahead.

The generals in Burma may not be pleased at Bush calling them names but perhaps they have no need to worry.

Two years ago, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named six countries as “outposts of tyranny”-Cuba, Burma, Belarus, North Korea, Iran and Zimbabwe. Bush called Iran, North Korea and Iraq an “axis of evil” in his 2002 “State of the Union” address. Today, the tyrants in Burma find no shortage of friends.

On Tuesday, Snr-Gen Than Shwe met Li Tieying, the vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. China is not alone in cuddling up to the regime.

In the first week of January, the UN Security Council failed to pass a non-punitive resolution on Burma when China and Russia vetoed the US-drafted measure. They were joined inexplicably by non-permanent member South Africa.

The US had even softened the language of the original draft, which called for the freeing of political prisoners and speedy steps toward democratic reform. Even this could not persuade Beijing and Moscow. The double vetoes from China and Russia meant a victory for the regime in Burma.

The truth is that if India were one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the regime might even get more support, as New Delhi has increasingly forged  special ties with the regime.

Last week, India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee visited Burma and met with senior leaders, including Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye. It was disclosed that Burma made specific requests for military hardware, including parts for its MiG fighter jets.

On Wednesday, Malaysia slammed the failure of the UN Security Council resolution on Burma, saying it had hardened the resolve of the authorities in the military-ruled state.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said, after meeting Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller: “We are back to square one.”

The Malaysian Foreign Minister said: “Myanmar [Burma] has to be brought [back] on track again for discussion. Now they do not even discuss the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.”

The Burmese opposition leader and Nobel laureate, now in her third term of house arrest since 2003, is not likely to be released in the near future. She was allowed to meet visiting UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari twice. The regime was given credit for allowing the UN envoy to meet Suu Kyi, but the generals were also seen to be clever at playing soft diplomatic games with the UN in order to deflect pressure and deceive the critics and thereby to create false hopes.

Nevertheless, according to Syed Hamid, the show of support from China and Russia could embolden the repressive junta. “It just simply means to Myanmar [Burma] that they are very strong,” he said. “I believe Myanmar [Burma] will be hardened towards external influences.”

Sadly, Burma remains an outpost of tyranny, with an unchanged regime.