December 1-20, 2003

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READER'S FRONT

MUL WARY OF NMSP'S INVITE TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION

ETHNIC PARTIES OPPOSE THE JUNTA'S ROAD MAP

THE INFORMATION AGE: BURMA STANDS ALONE

OBSTACLES TO ICT IN BURMA

DEATH PENALTY REVIVED TO PUNISH DISSIDENTS

13-YEAR-OLD GIRL ASSAULTED AND RAPED BY LANDLORD

AMERICAN MON WOMEN ORGANIZE

POPPIES BLOSSOM IN THE NORTH AGAIN

SHOULD WE FORGET THE PAST?

ANNAN PRESSES BURMA TO WORK ON DEMOCRACY

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READERS' FRONT

Dear Readers,

We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao-Woo newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Woo News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice in Burma. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. Above all, we hope the newsletter will be used as a vehicle for those who want to share their views and experiences. We reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include your full name and address.

Regards,

Editor

kaowao@hotmail.com, kaowao@shaw.ca

www.kaowao.org

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Dear Editor,

Congratulations on your 2nd anniversary!

We are well informed by Kao Wao news especially Mon issues. I am really proud of Kao Wao that as Mon group, this channel can make a loud voice and share the information to other sources.

Best Wishes,

Min Thura Wynn (Toronto, Canada)

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Myaingkalay cement factory damages Mon cultural site

Dear Kao Wao,

Regarding the Myaingkalay cement factory near Paon, as well as the serious human rights and environmental concerns which you mention, the factory is also having a devastating affect on an important, but not well-known, Mon cultural treasure. The factory is situated close to the Kawgun Cave, on the West bank of the Salween (Thanlwin) River. Early every evening the nearby quarry is blasted with dynamite, to extract materials for the factory. The blasting can be heard & felt in Pa'an town (the first time I experienced this, I thought it was the Tatmadaw shelling the KNLA!).

More alarming, the discharge causes substantial vibrations and damage at the cave. Artifacts at the Kawgun Cave date from the Pyu era, and the site has been a centre of religious devotion ever since. It consists of a long corridor-like fissure in the rock, which runs along the base of a huge limestone outcrop, semi-open to the sky & elements. This opens out into a small cave, with Buddha images. Like other Buddhist sites in lower Burma, the cave and associated structures are incredibly beautiful, and possess an air of great spirituality, and age-old religious and cultural significance. The Kawgun Cave is particularly noted for its thousands of magnificent (16-18th century?) terracotta plaques, which decorate the walls, to a height of up to 30 meters. These are often extraordinarily well-crafted and beautiful, and include many Buddha images, as well as episodes in Mon sacred and civil history (e.g. one group of large plaques depicts King Manuha of Thaton).

If this were Thailand, the cave would be a source of national pride, protected by the government, and promoted as a site for religious merit-making and tourism. However, this being Burma, the cave has been neglected. Until recently, this may have been a good thing, as the site's charm has not been eroded by over-exposure: there are no stalls selling trinkets or cold drinks.

However, the daily blasting at the nearby Myaingkalay cement has caused many hundreds of plaques to be dislodged or otherwise damaged (also, as insurgency raged over this part of Burma in the 1940-70s, historically important elephant figures and other pieces were looted). Unless the blasting stops or the damage is alleviated, I worry that this wonderful religious and cultural site will be damaged beyond repair.

Best regards,

Ashley South

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On Kanbawza Win's Are the Burmese People Fit for Democracy?

Dear Friends,

Kanbawza Win's _expression seems too extreme though part of it is the reality of the double impact of the military regime's 4 decade long impressive-human-mind-programming. The nature of the human being is attached with certain bad or negative attributes that cultivate bad behaviors that are not necessary or needed to express publicly. For example, all intelligent adults may know what a person does inside a restroom but it is not necessary to tell everyone about it.

The important thing to keep in mind is that we ourselves are susceptible to doing bad and necessary political evils, even though we claim in having and following the best policy for the good of the most. So, if the negative aspect of our activity beyond our control offends someone, it is important (our selves) not to be offended by his or her _expression of such in-depth feeling. If we believe in self-perfection and self-glory, we may make the same or similar mistake many people have done.

For any democratic lover/activist to have political tolerance toward dissents and ability to work together even with the people who are impressed by our weakness or negative aspect of our activity is essential. And this must be one of our most important differences from those of the regime leaders' political practices. To value other's ideas, opinions, and feelings is an essential leadership quality for our needed political and historical challenge.

What we do may be singled out as good as what others do or even better. But when someone evaluates the whole scenario, there could be a potential aspect that our overall performances are not that good for the overall progress of political change. "Good" is not enough but for the "best" we all struggle. It is good to remember what Hudson Taylor once said, "Good is the enemy of the best." Everybody has at least some idea what he or she thinks is good but only a few people possess the capacity to comprehend the Best.

So, when we are doing what we think is good, a simple good, lets also remember the potential existence of the best for which we all should struggle to in order to reach the end goal, not just spreading ourselves around the means.

Sincerely,

Hre Mang

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I'd like to respond to Kanbawza Win's article and to clarify KNU's position on the current political situation. As he mentioned the SPDC is using its same old tactic of divide and conquer as another form of deception to divide all opposition groups. We all know SPDC's strategy. SPDC started its major offensive against KNU and others opposition groups when Daw Aung San Su Kyi was released and trapped in another deception of confidence building secret talks. The objective of SPDC was to divide the ethnic nationals and DASSK by creating rumors of secret talks. After over a year of phony confidence building, DASSK realized it to be another phony confidence building tactic and consequently proceeded with her favorite action of mass campaign against the SPDC supported by NLD party and thousands of civilians. Unfortunately it led to the Depeyin incident and DASSK ended up in house arrest again.

On November 22, 2003, SPDC's delegate colonel Sann Pwint went to Maesot and approached KNU leaders and stated that there would be no precondition to restart peace talks between KNU and SPDC. However, he mentioned that the meeting must be inside Burma only and refused to meet in other countries.

Padoh Mahn Sha, the secretary of KNU clearly stated that KNU will not buy into the road map for democracy and a national convention prepared by SPDC due to lack of honesty, sincerity and the fact that it is without DASSK. Furthermore, KNU today does not stand alone, but closely works with other opposition alliances of democracy for Burma as well as the National Democratic Front. KNU clearly understands the SPDC's strategies of divide and conquer and its random attacks against the NLD parties led by DASSK and other democratic opposition groups including NDF and DAB.

I understand professor Win's concerns and appreciate his article. We will not be defeated unless we surrender by ourselves. Therefore, please continue our struggle to reach our objective of democracy and federal union without any confusion or misunderstanding. KNU will not abandon the DEMOCRACY BOAT until we reach our goal.

Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to you all,

Mahn Kyaw Swe (Canada)