On 20th November 2007, a group of 50 burmese people staged a short peaceful protest at downtown area of Singapore, Orchard Road. The protest came about due to their disappointment after hearing ASEAN's non-interfering stand towards Burma and ASEAN's decision to respect the so-called wishes of SPDC (Burmese military junta). The protestors wore red t-shirts with wordings such as "Please save the monks and people of burma" .. "We pursue peace, justice and democracy for Burma". They also held pieces of paper urging ASEAN to "act with honour". They stood in rows of 3 and the first row of 3 people held a banner that stated as such: "Listen to Burma's desire. Dont follow junta's order".
Click below to see the video footage of the protest.
Protest by Burmese people in Singapore against the outcome of ASEAN SUMMIT
27 November 2007 Labels: News, Videos
Rumor or Hoax of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi' Health
Labels: EssaysRecently, people have received one circulation, which written rather shocking news about Burma national leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
It strongly mentions that she was under the attempt to assassinate with mysteriously arranged poisonous water supply.
That's not the fresh news actually. Rumor had been surfaced in October that she was given lethal injection which weaken and die gradually without cause. But after a few phone enquiry and confirmation by undependable sources, instantly aired by some media, the bad news was temporarily gone away from worrisome minds. People are very cautious for the fact that injection seems impossible for the one who has been always looked after by trustworthy personal doctor.
This time, the mode was just briefly changed to water supply instead of injection. Believed that source of the news is reportedly released from government side.
Surprising is that all of the media including official radio services are silent for this second time.
why?
They may think of just rumor or hoax speculated by authority make to confuse and complex among the pro democracy groups.
On the other hand, people are really confused and worried with the thought what if it's real.
In this lastest public seen photo, she looks so pale and frail. We just simply don't know exactly she is in good health or not. She is drinking contaminated water or not.
Why not to be serious!
Undoubtedly, it is likely to be possible. Because Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the only one who can influent to Burma political changes and the whole world put credit and tipped her name for that changes. It seems like all pressure and responsibilities are on her shoulder. For that sense, the stupid and wicked generals may realize that she is the one they have to destroy for their survival. Like their nature, they really won't care whatever the consequences.
More evidently, some stories about Burma notorious prisons were widely known among people. So many instances were shown unknown deaths shortly after the release from imprisonments. Some medical professionals doubted that these political prisoners had consumed lead (or) mercury contaminated water for specific period.
We are here to highlight these possible atrocities and make know the world to give first priority to immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners. We are wondering any of expert advice to form a team examining whether there is such a torture using chemical and biological weapons in Burma.
Please save our leader and political prisoners.
Encouragement from Poland
26 November 2007 Labels: StatementsBurma letter initiated by Lech Wal ๊sa
and published in Gazeta Wyborcza on September 27 2007
This is a rough translation:
We, the participants in the negotiations, which in 1989 enabled Poland to
move without bloodshed from dictatorship to democracy, express our
admiration and our solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of Burmese
people who through their brave demonstrations have shown that they want the
same for their own country. Just as Poland's democratic movement could count
in its struggle on the support of democrats around the world so You can now
count on us. We call on the military authorities in Burma to enter on the
path of negotiations, as did the Polish authorities in 1989. In Burma today,
as in Poland then, only a peaceful transition to democracy lies in the
interest of the whole of society. Those of us who were on the official side
in 1989, can assure you that today we consider it a good thing that we had
enough courage to hand power over democratically. Those of us who in 1989
were on the side of the opposition assure you that today that it is a good
thing that we had enough courage to set aside the temptation to take
revenge. Both one side and the other consider that the crimes committed in
the past should be justly punished but the future cannot be built on acts of
revenge. Should the Burmese society and authorities wish it, we are ready
to serve them with our experience and help.
Signed:
Lech Wal ๊sa, former Polish president, leader of the Solidarity movement from
1980 to 1990
Bronislaw Geremek, MEP, former Polish foreign minister, one of the leaders
of Solidarity from 1980 to 1989
Aleksander Hall, Polish oppositionist from 1977 to 1989, participant in the
1989 negotiations
Wojciech Jaruzelski, retired general, Polish Communist leader from 1981 to
1989, imposed martial law in Poland in 1981
Czeslaw Kiszczak, retired general, Minister of the Interior from 1981 to
1990
Aleksander Kwasniewski, former Polish president (two terms: 1995-2000 and
2000-2005) Communist party youth activist from 1978 to 1990
Tadeusz Mazowiecki, former Polish prime minister, one of the leaders of the
Solidarity movement, 1980 - 1989
Adama Michnik, editor of Gazeta Wyborcza, former oppositionist, served long
prison sentence in 1980s
Janusz Onyszkiewicz, MEP, former Defence Minister, Solidarity activist 1980
to 1989
Mieczyslaw Rakowski, the last head of the Polish Communist Party, deputy
premier during the imposition of martial law
Janusz Reykowski, profesor of social psychology, Communist party supporter
from 1980 to 1990
Marcin Swiecicki, former communist party member, participant In 1989
negotiations
-----
(Many thanks to a friend of mine who forwarded this statement to me.)
FTC
Letter from the heart of a burmese national
23 November 2007 Labels: EssaysTranslated by graw (BBWOB)
Original Source in burmese
No place for generals
As days go by, the generals' brutality began to shape up. It is not a
gentle picture from the elite. It is like a dog, which defends itself
restlessly when it is locked in the corner. Then a friend of mine
jumped in and said, "Please do not compare with dogs, which will
commit suicide if they hear they are compared with the generals." What
a pathetic life you have, generals! Your lives are inferior to dogs!
Lives of generals, Nothing to envy!
You, generals, can exploit the country's rich resources and spend on
the latest technology to your pleasure. How far you can go free in the
vast land! Do you dare to walk around freely among the civilians whom
you claim to protect! Who in the streets ever welcome you sincerely!
Do you even dare to take steps on the roads of China and ASEAN, whom
you said you are good friends with! You have no place to go freely,
run peacefully, and breathe fresh air. Even if you plan to give up,
there are many generations of your brutal youth waiting to gun you
down. What is left for you to do! You intimate your followers by
killing innocent civilians, lie to the world with your ineffective
diplomatic skill and broken English, and give up Burmese's rich
natural resources and vast soil to your father-figured China. What a
pathetic life you have, generals! According to the Buddha's teaching,
you will suffer from what you have done to the others. It is a form of
Karma for you to live fearfully everyday and take grudge against one
another within your organization.
Suffering Karma by your behaviors
Let’s look at why you are living your life with one eye open at night.
You have spent millions of tax dollars building school in the edge of the capital so that you can destroy the lives of students who always were the forefront of the fight for freedom. While the country’s education is deteriorated, you have been giving out fake master and PHd Diplomas to people. Even your sons and daughters been awarded with fake Phd degree. Even Dr. Than Tun has said that while our universities were lack with facilities, researches and books, professors were busy putting up fences, painting the walls of the lecture halls and also serving as security guards. The country’s education is so bleak that students can’t even write their own Thesis in English. They have to hire and pay someone to do it for them. Principle of the universities was hand picked by you so that they can constantly serve you as the informers. Everyday they have to guard the main gate and pick out students who didn’t wear properly or have a name tag. Your generations hate the educated people so much that you efficiently and effectively eliminated the generation of higher educations for students and make them suffer by not offering quality education.
The slogan “sixth grade educated generals is worse than a wild bull” like a stab in your heart. That’s why you have decided to avenge by not offering quality higher education. Ask yourself, was it successful? Everyone knows that the books that been donated by international community for students has been diverted to your military colleges around the country. Are your sure that your modern day army lives up to your aforementioned standards set by you? How can next generation of Defense personals can have clear minds and thoughts if you don’t offer the truthful news and media of the world? Everyone knows that any military personals whom were caught red-handed reading world news, they been dishonorly discharge from their unit and their pensions have been cut off. Why can’t you even root out the KNU rebels even though your army outnumbered them 10 to 1 ratio. It’s because you don’t have the modern day weaponry and the tactics use by the modern army. Since you can’t defeat the KNU, you turned to your attention to the people of Karen and then slaughtered them. Was this torture method successful? Not only the Karen tribe is still standing but also the other tribes who has withstood your brutality. Why don’t you use the nuclear weapon on its own citizens if you think that it is the only way to get the peace and stability?
Method of madness by Astrology.
Believing everything to what fortune teller and astrologer told to do is like digging your own grave. Are you feeling the moment of sickness when Burmese literary used the slogans that rhyme with a plant name and leader Suu Kyi? Spending millions of dollars on cultivating that plant to avoid the fate of having the leader Suu Kyi must be disastrous for you. Now not only that plants you have cultivated has died, it also serves as pee place for the dogs. Now you have another method of madness, using three sons to divert the disaster. You been shooting yourself in the foot for so many times that is there any flesh and blood left for you to bleed out? You have been feeding the public with lies such as only 2% represents the authentic monks who participated in demonstration. The world and public knew that the streets of Rangoon were flowing with Maroon color during the time of demonstrations. How can you lie like that? The only thing that you have to fear most is the Angels and the Hell’s army because people have been seeing and hearing the thunder and lightning even there is no heavy rain. You should admit that it’s an security breach by your over sight for failing to foresee this demonstration by the monks. No matter how hard you try to suppress the monks by shooting, hitting, detaining and lastly killing, there are still monks left to defend their rights and freedom. Public already knew your fear even though you didn’t admit it. Everyone knows that there are fingerprints left by you and your men for trying to put a wedge between Christian and Buddhist Karen so that you can eliminate the threat of KNU. No matter how hard you try to avert this fate by using any voodoo or fortunetelling, there is no denying that you will never win. Even you tried to bride people by giving the luxurious cars such as Land cruiser and also throwing money at them.
Now you have no where to run since your plan back fire. According to your beloved astrology and fortune telling you have to kill three sons. To kill the three sons, you forgot to take in a count of solider is also the sons of publics. What will you do? Since you are the one responsible for all this actions, I suggest you do as what Astrologer told to do. So, don’t left anything behind. Just finish your job by eliminating soldiers since it’s part of your job now. Now public is standing on the side as spectators for the damages that you have done since Karma will come and haunt you.
Karma suffered by your sons and daughters.
Please excuse the languages that I am going to use. Because of the public outrage that was caused by the generals, I am going to use a very foul language. The daughters of the generals who were wearing those diamond studded necklaces are like hookers wearing diamond necklace. Now the daughters you loved most is the daughter that made you lose your face most. No matter how hard you try to cover up her ugly looking family faces with diamonds and jewels, there is no hiding of her ever swelling tummy that is ripe with pregnancy. Everyone knows that his pregnancy is not by the groom who is agreed to marry your daughter. The child that she’s carrying is the grandkid of the general that you got rid of earlier, General Tin Oo. When your daughter was working in the ministry of Foreign affairs, she’s been following the son of General Tin Oo everywhere he went. Even though he got a wife and family, your daughter didn’t care. Everyone knew about that situation. I can’t believe that you can put this dirt under your rug and pretend like nothing to you. Now the blood of the person that you got rid of earlier is permanently in your family blood line. Talk about having Karma.
Karma given by your father
Now you had been kissing the feet of the Chinese to get your family economy going, which in turns making the China rich rather than the country you are in. You are suffering the Karma because once Socialist leader Nay Win forcefully seized the property of Chinese owned business and declared the state owned. Now in your hands, the Chinese has been treating you like a door mat for their greater prosperity.
Losing war in Media
Even though I used the word battle, you don’t even have a defense to put up this battle. Now you are losing landslide in this war front. Now the whole war has seen your brutality of violently suppressing the monks and people. Your fear of not wanting to lose power has been very unique and original. You can even sentence the long jail terms to the country next generations that is beamed with full of future. You been sentencing them 7 to 52 years prison terms for people who are peacefully participating in the march.
Even you are scared of old people. You wanted to detain their sons and daughter but you can’t catch them. Therefore you used a very cunning method by threatening their families. Since your wives whom were bored playing cards and spreading gossips, they have created a women association to pretend do goods on public. But in the uprising, women from all walks of life have participated courageously. Even though you have weapons, you scared of the unarmed civilians so much that you elected to shoot and kill them. You are the one who is responsible for forcefully separating the women and children. Where is the women association to protect those women in need in time like this? Where are your wives who always asked for women protection? The world knew that they been putting on a show and pretending like nothing is happened.
The country that has strong belief in Buddhism and also the country that believed in donation towards monks had watched in horror when you elected to use bats and bullets towards monks. Not only had the publics, the world also seen the incident where you have used a brutal force towards monks and tore down their robes with arms and bats.
Now because of the shooting by one solider, who didn’t even have boots to wear, toward the Japanese reporter has created a huge back lash for you. Now Japan has cut off all the economics ties that eventually went into your pockets. Your lame excuse for telling the world that the reporter looks similar to Burmese did not bode well because your excuse is the proof of admitting killing its own citizens.
In this media war, your state run three public newspaper and two tv stations can’t even effectively persuade or let alone win the hearts and minds of 60 millions Burmese with their lies. Not only that your lies can’t even put a dent in the world. You are just wasting the money on spreading the lies by using printing press and precious air time. Everyone has internet, a dish network now a days.
Now people understood the meaning of patriotism by looking at your defeat in this media war. No one needs to ask or begged for this. Everyone is doing this news spreading with their own decisions because they knew that it’s their time. Now the news has spread to the world.
You been using the shadow writer’s names to spread your propaganda in state run newspaper because you were too scared to come out and admit your real name. Since public didn’t believe your lies, you have to rob spaces from the private sectors newspaper and has to put those fake news stories in there so that people will read it. Now you need more than one page to spread your lies in this private newspaper. So, you were robbing their business without paying the fair price. Everyone knows that a page worth of full ad means a lot of money in the publishing industry. So what you are doing is robbing the business from public so that you can have your power indefinitely.
Freedom from Karma.
To free from this public shame and humiliation, not to mention karma, first you have to unite all of your arm forces. If you succeeded, then you have to ask for forgiveness from the monks and wash your blood stain hands by offering alms to the monks. After that you have to admit your mistakes to the public and the world courageously.
You have to get rid of the ideas of, what if we lose power and What if we were put in the mercy of public hands, and come forward. You have to open up dialogues with oppositions and ask for forgiveness from public. Ask for truth and reconciliation. If you do that, I am sure public will able to put your mistakes as water under the bridge.
If you don’t do that, then you and your followers will be haunted by the actions and you will not be able to get free from the blood of the monks and publics. Even the once merciful public is sickened and saddens by your cunning actions. There will be new generations who will keep on fighting you and your people no matter how hard it is. This is the consequence that you have to live for the rest of your life. This is the victory for the public because no matter how hard you try public will never give up the hope for democracy in their hearts and minds.
(Written by “Min Thit Ti”)
Give our Rights back!
20 November 2007 Labels: ArticlesWe were told that some big media companies (e.g AFP, Getty Images) are now copyrighting records of recent movement in Burma, which include photos and video footages taken by our citizen journalists. We also heard that when the people from inside Burma requested one of the Burmese exile media groups for the purpose of inspiration in upcoming activities, the Burmese exile media group could not air the documentaries of 1988 movement as they have to pay copyright fees in order to air these documentaries.
From now on, do the people in Burma/ Burmese exile media have to pay the copyright owners, i.e. big media companies, for the photos taken by our citizen journalists or the video footages uploaded to internet by our bloggers if they want to republish them? The people in Burma, who are under the Junta's tight control of the information in Burma, had risked their lives to share information while these media companies copyrighted it for profits. Is it fair?
Such big media companies usually offer the public to submit the most current news and photo/video records. They usually have set certain terms and conditions for IP rights which are written in tiny fonts on their websites. Once submitted, it is considered that the submitter has agreed those terms and conditions.
In fact Burma is at its infancy stage in Intellectual Property (IP) Rights. The existing IP laws are not realistic enough to come into force. Amendments of laws are still on-going and will not be coming soon as the extension of time given by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to finalise the IP legal reform is only by 2015 . Since people in Burma do not have enough knowledge in IP rights, there should be a specific consideration in solving international IP issues for a country like Burma.
During the recent protests in Burma, we can obviously see that the aim of a citizen journalist for risking his own life and posting news materials on the internet is to distribute the information as widely as possible so as to receive the world's attention to save Burma. It is not for sale. Copyrighting such materials will serve as a kind of barrier and it will defeat the purpose of the free flow of information.
The original idea of having copyright is to award incentives to the owner so as to encourage further creations. Now, ironically, the big media's copyrighting the materials of a citizen journalist will make him less motivated to risk and get the news in future events. Again, in such crisis situation, Burmese citizen journalists have to be kept anonymous for security reason and hence, the big media can take advantage of the situation to put their brand on the bare materials.
On the other hand, copyrighting should not necessarily mean commercialising. Even though the media will collect the materials and copyright them, they can equally distribute the work (for free) as intended by the original author, something similar to Creative Common License non-commercial share-alike.
Hence, we see this as a need to introduce new policies and regulations under such a special condition/ crisis situation if there is none yet.
Shall we call a campaign to return the copyright to the real owners? Shall we sue these media companies? We seek your suggestions.
From now on, do the people in Burma/ Burmese exile media have to pay the copyright owners, i.e. big media companies, for the photos taken by our citizen journalists or the video footages uploaded to internet by our bloggers if they want to republish them? The people in Burma, who are under the Junta's tight control of the information in Burma, had risked their lives to share information while these media companies copyrighted it for profits. Is it fair?
Such big media companies usually offer the public to submit the most current news and photo/video records. They usually have set certain terms and conditions for IP rights which are written in tiny fonts on their websites. Once submitted, it is considered that the submitter has agreed those terms and conditions.
In fact Burma is at its infancy stage in Intellectual Property (IP) Rights. The existing IP laws are not realistic enough to come into force. Amendments of laws are still on-going and will not be coming soon as the extension of time given by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to finalise the IP legal reform is only by 2015 . Since people in Burma do not have enough knowledge in IP rights, there should be a specific consideration in solving international IP issues for a country like Burma.
During the recent protests in Burma, we can obviously see that the aim of a citizen journalist for risking his own life and posting news materials on the internet is to distribute the information as widely as possible so as to receive the world's attention to save Burma. It is not for sale. Copyrighting such materials will serve as a kind of barrier and it will defeat the purpose of the free flow of information.
The original idea of having copyright is to award incentives to the owner so as to encourage further creations. Now, ironically, the big media's copyrighting the materials of a citizen journalist will make him less motivated to risk and get the news in future events. Again, in such crisis situation, Burmese citizen journalists have to be kept anonymous for security reason and hence, the big media can take advantage of the situation to put their brand on the bare materials.
On the other hand, copyrighting should not necessarily mean commercialising. Even though the media will collect the materials and copyright them, they can equally distribute the work (for free) as intended by the original author, something similar to Creative Common License non-commercial share-alike.
Hence, we see this as a need to introduce new policies and regulations under such a special condition/ crisis situation if there is none yet.
Shall we call a campaign to return the copyright to the real owners? Shall we sue these media companies? We seek your suggestions.
A Rescuer for the U.N. -- and Burma
13 November 2007 Labels: ArticlesBy Fred Hiatt (fredhiatt@washpost.com)
Monday, November 12, 2007; Page A21
Repost from washingtonpost.com
Last Thursday, U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari looked sure to be slinking out of Burma in humiliating failure. The secretive general who runs that Southeast Asian nation had kept Gambari cooling his heels for six days, finally refusing to talk to him. Any semblance of a U.N.-sponsored diplomatic process seemed about to sputter to an undignified close.
Then Gambari, and the diplomatic process, too, found an unlikely rescuer: Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the democratic forces in Burma and daughter of Burma's independence hero. Having been escorted under police guard to a meeting with Gambari from the house arrest where she has spent the past 4 1/2 years -- and most of the past two decades -- she gave Gambari a statement to read on her behalf once he reached Singapore.
The statement validated his efforts and expressed something between hope and confidence that a dialogue between her and the dictatorship might ensue. Suddenly it seemed possible that the peaceful uprising of the people and the monks, which the junta brutally sought to crush in September, might yet lead to a negotiated political process for long-suffering Burma and its 50 million people.
How did the weakest actor in this drama -- one who has been almost entirely cut off from the world, from her supporters, even from her family -- manage to become its animating force? Why did she choose to throw Gambari and the faltering U.N. process a lifeline? And how might she expect the world to respond?
We have to guess at some answers because the junta is too afraid of Aung San Suu Kyi's popularity and legitimacy to allow her to speak freely. In 1990 the National League for Democracy, which she heads, won a landslide victory in national elections, but the junta never honored the results. In May 2003, the regime nearly killed her when a mob of government-sponsored thugs attacked her and her supporters in the town of Depayin. The statement read by Gambari is the first public expression the regime has allowed her since then.
Aung San Suu Kyi is often compared to Nelson Mandela, and not only because they share an otherworldly forbearance and are both recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Like Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi is savvy as well as saintly; she is playing for results. So her lifeline to Gambari probably indicates that she believes there is at least a chance the regime will enter into serious negotiations this time around.
Why might that be true, given how often the generals have played at dialogue only long enough to allow international attention to drift away? Because after the bloody crackdown on revered monks, even the generals may understand that they crossed a line that the majority of Burmese will not forgive. Just Friday, as Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with her advisers for the first time in years, it was revealed that the regime was frantically dishing out promotions and raises to riot police officers while also reshuffling top military ranks. That could be a response to discontent in the ranks. And yesterday a U.N. human rights investigator was allowed into the country for the first time in four years.
But a close reading of Aung San Suu Kyi's note shows that she is hardly naive or sanguine about success. She stressed her willingness to cooperate but said that a dialogue must be "meaningful and timebound" -- it can't stretch on forever.
That is where the outside world must come in. U.N. officials are busy congratulating themselves and preparing for more visits, while other countries happily name new envoys and core groups and discussion panels. But what's needed is pressure, not celebration or more talk. The U.N. Security Council should implement an arms embargo. The Bush administration, which announced targeted banking sanctions against top officials and tycoons, needs to accelerate their implementation, and the European Union has to join in.
These are things Aung San Suu Kyi is not free to say, negotiating as she is from isolation and confinement. But having saved the U.N.'s bacon, the least she is owed is some tangible support to strengthen her position -- and the chances that dialogue might succeed.
Burma’s Suu Kyi discusses sanctions with party
11 November 2007 Labels: NewsRe-post from this link
IANS : Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and senior members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party announced Friday that they were in no position to persuade Western governments to drop their sanctions against the country’s junta.
‘Sanctions imposed by other countries are not the concern of Aung San Suu Kyi. It is a concern of the authorities and related countries,’ said NLD spokesman Nyan Win, after he and three other NLD members met with Suu Kyi at the government’s Sein Le Kan Tha State Guest House in Yangon.
In what was deemed a breakthrough, UN Special Envoy Imbrahim Gambari persuaded Burma’s junta to allow Suu Kyi to meet her fellow-politicians as part of his efforts to start a political dialogue between the military and the opposition.
It was the first such meeting Suu Kyi has been permitted in more than four years. The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been under house arrest since mid-2003, and kept in near total isolation.
Senior General Than Shwe, Burma’s military supremo, on Oct 3 told Gambari that he would personally launch talks with Suu Kyi on the preconditions that she stop her ‘confrontational’ tactics and end her support for economic sanctions against Burma.
The preconditions were seen as a tactic to scuttle a political dialogue and place the blame on Suu Kyi.
Burma’s Minister of Relations Aung Kyi, who also met Suu Kyi Friday, told reporters that he would ’smoothen out the matters regarding preconditions set by the government for the dialogue between Aung San Suu Kyi and Senior General Than Shwe.’
Suu Kyi met with Aung Kyi twice Friday afternoon, before and after she met with the NLD leaders.
So far, the arranged meeting between Suu Kyi and her NLD followers has been the most positive sign of progress Gambari has achieved in his efforts to bring about national reconciliation in Burma.
Gambari departed Burma Thursday after spending six days in the country. It was his second visit since early October, when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon dispatched the special envoy to Burma in the wake of a brutal crackdown on monk-led protests in Yangon that left at last ten people dead. Others estimate up to 200 died in the melee.
Suu Kyi passed Gambari a statement Thursday that he released in New York.
‘In the interest of the nation, I stand ready to cooperate with the government in order to make this process of dialogue a success and welcome the necessary good offices of the UN to help facilitate our efforts in this regard,’ her statement said.
There is great scepticism in Burma about the junta’s desire to open a political dialogue with the opposition. Burma has been under military rule for the past 45 years.
Under General Ne Win, who seized power in a coup in 1962, the country was virtually closed to the outside world for two decades as it pursued its disastrous ‘Burmese Way to Socialism.’
In 1988, after a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations that left an estimated 3,000 dead, the army discarded its socialist ideology but has maintained its wariness about the international community, especially Western democracies.
Statement by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Labels: StatementsReleased on Thursday by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari
"I wish to thank all those who have stood by my side all this time, both inside and outside my country. I am also grateful to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his unwavering support for the cause of national reconciliation, democracy and human rights in my country.
"I welcome the appointment on 8 October of Minister Aung Kyi as minister for relations. Our first meeting on 25 October was constructive and I look forward to further regular discussions. I expect that this phase of preliminary consultations will conclude soon so that a meaningful and timebound dialogue with the SPDC leadership can start as early as possible.
"In the interest of the nation, I stand ready to cooperate with the government in order to make this process of dialogue a success and welcome the necessary good offices role of the United Nations to help facilitate our efforts in this regard.
"In full awareness of the essential role of political parties in democratic societies, in deep appreciation of the sacrifices of the members of my party and in my position as General Secretary, I will be guided by the policies and wishes of the National League for Democracy. However, in this time of vital need for democratic solidarity and national unity, it is my duty to give constant and serious considerations to the interests and opinions of as broad a range of political organizations and forces as possible, in particular those of our ethnic nationality races.
"To that end, I am committed to pursue the path of dialogue constructively and invite the government and all relevant parties to join me in this spirit.
"I believe that stability, prosperity and democracy for my country, living at peace with itself and with full respect for human rights, offers the best prospect for my country to fully contribute to the development and stability of the region in close partnership with its neighbors and fellow ASEAN members, and to play a positive role as a respected member of the international community."
By The Associated Press
One Shot in life
Labels: PoemIf you have one shot
To seize everything that you want,
Will you capture it or just let it slip?
Don’t fear when the enemies criticize you.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
It’s never too late to be what you long to be.
Nothing in life is frightening...!
There’re only things to be understood.
Various kinds of people may walk in and out of your life,
Some just come across and walk away.
No one can intimidate you without your consent.
There’s nothing stronger than your heart.
Time and tide wait for no man…
“Endure hardship, like the way the earth does not become unhappy when
covered with either good or rotten things”
That’s the sermon by Phra Rajabhavanavisudhi.
If you can do this..!
You can do anything as desired.
You will succeed.
So… life isn’t too bad, as you may think..!
You should grasp important moment,
And hopefully it never passes you by…
March 26,
Copyright 2003 by Kanmunee Srivisarnprob
Re-post from this link
Sentiments of Burmese Blogger, May Nyane
06 November 2007 Labels: EssaysOriginal post in burmese by may nyane
Translated by Burmese Bloggers w/o Borders
For the whole of last week, I was unable to do anything. With every moment, my mind was filled with various emotions: prayers, expectation, and loving-kindness. There was bloodshed in Burma on the full-moon day of last week. The sorrow that I felt since that full-moon day, has been so devastatingly overwhelming that in my entire life of 40 years, never have I found myself feeling such extreme emotions of grief, agony, embarrassment and frightened anxiety.
During the 1988 uprising, there were only feelings of anger and sadness. However, with the current situation, there is also an alarming feeling of worry.
Everything has begun to stumble down in Burma since 1995. The educational system for the new generation of students has been systematically ruined under General Khin Nyunt's (chairman of the Burma Education Committee) organized projects which I will not elaborate further. Basically, his main intention was to systematically suppress the national spirit of new generation of students. As a result, the standard of Burma’s education slowly disintegrated after a decade and in 2005, it stood almost at zero level. Burma currently ends up with academically under-developed new generation of students.
In 1995, the military junta revamped the images of stupas in Bagan which is a place, well-known for keeping the ancient culture of Burma alive. They hoisted the new “Htees”, the umbrellas on the top of the stupas, re-painted the stupas and applied plastic paint over the precious mural paintings which were drawn on the walls inside the stupas. In an interview with BBC regarding the matter, the famous Burmese historian, Dr. Than Htun, bravely said; “Historians still cannot say for sure who established Bagan. But we now certainly know who has destroyed the essence of Bagan”. He went on to explain the facts as to how Burma’s ancient culture was being destroyed. Upon hearing his words, I couldn’t help but to cry.
Theravada Buddhism was introduced in Burma by the Venerable Shin Arahan in 11th century, Bagan Era, during the King Anawrahta’s kingdom. Many centuries have passed by and during the thousand years, Burma has become a country where the spirit of Buddhism shines the brightest among all the other Buddhist countries in the world. Not only has the junta ruined the standards of Burma’s education and health systems, but also shattered the spirit of Buddhism by carrying out unimaginable actions of crackdown on the monks’ peaceful movement. If they can even take such actions against Buddhism, which they always declare to be most faithful of, they will surely carry out worse things against other religions. It seems as if the military junta is trying to reduce the lives, dignity and values of Burmese people to almost nothingness.
Right now, I and my fellow Burmese people cannot raise our heads high in the world because of our country’s predicament. Even those countries which are gaining from the natural resources of Burma, tend to look down on Burma and take advantage of Burmese people.
I feel that everyone in Burma needs to be part of the current peaceful protests and it is high time that we start a general strike. Only with the active participation of every single person, we will be able to triumph over the junta. If we do not succeed in this movement again, there will be more dire consequences than 1988 uprising and the national identity of Burmese people may even vanish.
If we look back at the events of Burma’s struggle for freedom, we can see a series of suppressions against the students’ peaceful movements. Under General Nay Win’s rule, there were suppressions against students’ movements on 7th July 1962, U Thant’s movement in 1974, a student-led commemoration of the 100th birthday of Thakin Kodaw Hmaing (the revered veteran nationalist leader) in 1976 and finally, the most devastating 1988 uprising. After General Nay Win, under General Khin Nyunt’s rule, more repressions against the students and civilians occurred, namely during 1996 movement. After 1996, the military junta adopted a very cautious and repressive nature against the students in Burma. Not only have they tried to instill fear into the minds of Burmese students, but also made attempts to degrade the intelligence and inspiration of the students.
If the movement against the military junta is to fail again this time, Burma will end up losing even the essence of Buddhism and enter the complete dominance of the junta. The junta will strongly discriminate between the pro-junta and anti-junta groups of people. I am extremely worried that the junta may even set up a practice of worshipping the military instead of paying homage to Buddha. As a result, the whole of Burma will be thrown into complete poverty and even risk becoming military slaves, with the exception of the supporters of junta having the comfortable and privileged lifestyles.
Burma, which has been ruined since General Nay Win’s rule in 1962, will even end up being guarded upon with caution by other nations in the world, as a country where ruthless killings of its own people and revered monks had occurred. Eventually, future generations of Burma will come to a point where they do not even dare to reveal their own national identity in the world and Burmese nationality will gradually dwindle away.
As such, Burmese people inside Burma will end up being the uneducated and uncivilized group of people, driven by poverty and the need for survival, prompting them to surrender to the military junta. Many years of isolation from the rest of the world will also take its toll over the Burmese people. There will be no escape but to kneel down in front of the military junta and accept the influence of China. We will end up leading lives with no national identity and no rights to any form of freedom.
By echoing Dr.Than Tun’s words, if we cannot achieve our endeavor to freedom this time, there may become a historical milestone that states the following; “Though it is unsure whether the beginning of Burma was in Takaung or Sri Ksetra (Thayekhittayar) eras, it can be said with certainty that the end of Burma was caused by the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council)”. The same is true for the Buddhism in Burma. Theravada Buddhism was introduced to Burma by the venerable monk Shin Aharan in 1044. The King Anawrahta found peace under the Buddhism and further developed the Budda Sarsana to a broader level. Now the historical records will show that the culprit, who brings an end to the Buddha Sarsana, is the SPDC led by Sr.General Than Shwe in collaboration with some like-minded leaders of Sanga Mahar Naryaka, who have also played a part in the bloodshed of the protesting monks from 25 September 2007 until now.
At this point, I recall what Aunty Su (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi) has said before: “The people of Burma are also responsible for allowing the BSPP (Burma Socialist Programmee Party) to rule over them for 26 years”. She is completely right. And now, SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) has been ruling Burma for almost 20 years. If we let them continue to rule over Burma, our future generations will definitely blame us for allowing our country to sink deeper into the abyss of darkness. Hence, I would like to implore everyone to use all ways and means to free Burma during our generation.
Time to Think about Major Strategy Change
Labels: EssaysRe-post from ko htike's blog
Recent developments in our homeland and the attention it gets in the
international community give Burmese another hope for a democratic
change. And the change of tones from world capitals especially from
neighboring countries makes us rethink our strategy how to topple the
long-rooted authoritarian rule.
First and foremost, it is no surprising for us to hear more
condemnations and sanctions from the West including the United States.
It is natural for western democratic governments to support any
democratic movement worldwide. However, we should also note that the
sanctions imposed so far failed to act on companies that are currently
benefiting from Burma, eg. Total. The sanctions also missed the
individuals and groups that support the regime financially, eg. Max
Myanmar. In my opinion, the opposition groups in exile are depending
too much on the west that leads to suspicions from some Asian
capitals. The best strategy with the west is to convince them that
future benefits after the democratic change in Burma is much greater
for western firms and some sacrifices have to be done presently to
achieve our common goals. At the same time, the opposition groups
should have access to lawmakers and government officials to discuss
about expanding the list of sanction. With those changes, it will be
very difficult for the regime and its cronies to call the "business as
usual".
Secondly, let me discuss about the two giants, China and India,
surrounding our country. The Dragon and Tiger found the common game
field, Burma. It is not in their interest to have a democratic Burma
nor a Western supported government of any kind in their backyard.
Their main interest is not to let the other dominates the game field
and to prey on scarce food, here it refers to resources. China is more
important for military government because it is a permanent member of
UN Security Council and is providing logical and material support for
the SPDC. The opposition groups in exile should admit the fact that
their initiatives on boycotting Olympics will result in nothing but
the media attention and applauses from the oppressed Burmese. No
western government will support the idea and it will push Chinese
government to continue defending SPDC rather than pushing SPDC to
change. Opposition groups in exile should continue talking to China
and use conciliatory measures to keep China pressure the regime. In
case of India, we have nothing but to let India stay neutral as long
as it does not promote SPDC. It yields no power on Burma and it will
take whatever it gets from the regime to keep its mouth shut. The
ideologies are the same for Russia and it is natural to see Russia to
counter the West. We should never expect the moral values from these
three countries.
Lastly, and most importantly opposition groups should increase their
relations with ASEAN countries especially with its current president,
Singapore. Recent changes in their stance toward the regime are
plausible especially from Singapore. Today, I have read an article
from Channel News Asia, a semi-government mouth piece, about Ministry
of Foreign Affairs' response to 88 Generation Students Group's letter.
Never did they recognize the existence of such a group before. I am
sure it is time for the opposition groups to grasp the opportunity to
contact Singapore government to exchange views. It is obvious that
Singapore and other ASEAN governments don't want to see an outpost of
China in Burma.
Let me conclude by saying that it is time for us, especially the
opposition groups in exile under different banners, to rethink the
strategic plans according to the developments happening rather than to
stick our old strategies. The world has changed in its response and so
must we.
An Ordinary Burmese Analyst
Letter from a group of responsible citizens in Burma
05 November 2007 Labels: NewsThe signed petitions, which the military junta (SPDC) provided to UN representative, Mr. Gambari, were obtained from the civil servants and civilians in Burma through forceful means by SPDC.
[SOURCE]
Translated by Burmese Bloggers w/o Borders
(http://bbwob.blogspot.com)
We thought long and hard about this matter that we are about to say in this letter. We have to reveal it as otherwise; we will feel guilty for being untruthful towards our country and fellow Burmese people.
We want to inform you about our actions that were carried out against our own will on a certain day which ended up as being the saddest day for us.
We are attending the technical institute of education for professional engineers which is under xxx Ministry in Burma.
We are students-cum-civil servants on xxxx Ministry’s payroll (or rather, on the payroll of Burma and its people). Being considered as civil servants, we sometimes have to undertake orders against our own will and without being able to consider the consequences that our actions may have on our country and fellow citizens.
We don’t resist in carrying out their orders because we are worried that our parents and relatives will be implicated and the military junta will take action against them if we don’t follow their orders. We have to sign agreements stating that if we have not completed our assigned duties OR if we have not compensated back the necessary amount for our bonds, the Ministry under the junta can take any action against us.
Despite being aware of all this, we still must say out what is needed to be said.
Before 4th October 2007, we were forced through our department heads to sign petitions stating that we support SPDC, we do not want western countries to interfere in our country’s affairs, we just want to have peace in our country and study peacefully, and we do not want any unrest in our country. After that, we were asked to send in the petitions to UN. However, we fully understand the true situations in Burma and none of us signed the petitions.
In the meantime, though all of us wanted to sign the petitions in internet urging UN to help Burma, none of us dared to take any action.
When we asked other full-time students from other universities, they told us that they were also asked to sign such petitions. When none of the students agreed to sign, the officials issued threats of not allowing students to sit for exams. At that point, some students unwillingly gave in and signed.
Then, on 4th October 2007, our Head of University summoned all the students into the convocation hall and persuaded us to sign by saying “Don’t you love your country? If you love your country, you must sign”. Though none of us wanted to sign, we eventually relented as we were worried that our Head of University might get into trouble and she tearfully implored us to sign. On top of that, we were also worried about our future and our families’ future.
However, when we signed, we only stated the following without any mention of support for SPDC:
(1) As we love our country and people, we would like to have peace in our country.
(2) We would like to have a chance to study peacefully.
We are certain that all the petitions unwillingly signed by students and civil servants in Burma will be presented to UN’s special representative, Mr. Gambari who will be in Burma to negotiate for a genuine political dialogue.
That is why we would like to inform about our true situation through various media to UN representative, UN, and other important organizations that are supporting the freedom of Burma, before Mr. Gambari leaves Burma. We hope that all of you will give us support. Please inform Mr. Gambari that all the signed petitions presented by SPDC were obtained through forceful means on students and civil servants in Burma. Our true wish is for UN to interfere in Burma’s affairs so that we can move forward for our country’s freedom.
In this letter, we have stated nothing but the truth. As such, may Burma obtain freedom and peace in the shortest amount of time without much bloodshed.
A Group of Responsible Citizens
A New Approach to Burma
01 November 2007 Labels: Articles[Extracted from the article, Michael Green and Derek Mitchell," Asia's Forgotten Crisis", Foreign Affairs, November/December 2007 ]
The international community needs to act now to begin a process of concentrated and coordinated engagement for the benefit of the Burmese people and of broader peace and stability in Asia. As with the six-party talks on North Korea, a multilateral approach will require some compromise by all participants. The United States will need to reconsider its restrictions on engaging the SPDC; ASEAN, China, and India will need to reevaluate their historical commitment to noninterference; Japan will need to consider whether its economics-based approach to Burma undermines its new commitment to values-based diplomacy. But all parties have good reasons to make concessions.
None of them can afford to watch Burma descend further into isolation and desperation and wait to act until another generation of its people is lost. In addition to humanitarian principles, there are strategic grounds for stepping up diplomatic efforts on Burma: it is now the most serious remaining challenge to the security and unity of Southeast Asia. Of course, change will eventually come to Burma. But without the coordinated engagement of the major interested powers today, that change will come at a great cost: to the stability of Southeast Asia, to the conscience of the international community, and, most important, to the long-suffering Burmese people, who languish in the shadows as the rest of the world concentrates its energies elsewhere.
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