Burmese Thugs Have Become A Little Educated

Kanbawza Win

Witnessing the success of the Junta, some describe it that it has become sophisticated but a thorough research will reveal that they have become a little educated. Even though their hearts still harbours evil always intending to use brute force wherever opportunity favours them, the Depayin blunder has instilled them a little second thought and instead wearing a lan qute te (a Burmese for short underwear) brandishing a cudgel, is now wearing suits and ties and appeared smiling in public. However, it is a fact that it had succeeded in bringing the Karen, which is the backbone of the armed resistance movement to a de facto ceasefire and neutralized the biggest lobbyist organization, the Free Burma Coalition. Judging from these two factors alone, the Burmese pro democracy movement cum the autonomy fighters and the international community should be very, very careful about the Junta's move and could not be taken anything for granted.

One must not underestimate its strength now that ASEAN countries (the leadership by Harry Lee and Dr. Mahirthir was now taken over by Thaksin Shinawatra) together with China and India are endeavouring to legitimise the Burmese thugs backed by the opium warlord and multilateral corporations. We should take note that each sector of players on the Junta side is successfully implementing their own duty as expected. In the say for Burma the neighbouring countries have successfully ousted the US and EU as can be seen in the Bali and Bangkok Conferences. The UN has come out strongly for Khin Nyunt's road map. At the advise of the Junta, the drug war lords have shifted their routes and instead of pure heroine has become more sophisticated by switching to Ya Ba (ecstasy pills) pills and the laundering of narco-dollars has become less transparent.

But it was the multilateral corporations, its agents and the Junta sympathizers that tackle the grass root level people of Burma residing in overseas and won them one by one with economic and other incentives. In microcosm let me show a classic example of Vancouver where thousands of overseas Burmese reside. There are two categories of Burmese residing here, the ones who came here for greener Pasteur usually work hands in glove with the multilateral corporations doing business with the Junta and the other usually composed of grass root level people belong to the pro democracy groups and ethnic nationalities. The former wants to maintain a status quo for their economic gains while the latter composed of dissidents and even though against the Junta is very much segmented and hopelessly divided. Seeing this situation the former take the lead in social and religious work of the Burmese with the resources impute from the multilateral corporations and slowly won the dissidents by giving visa to visit Burma, provided they promised not to indulge in politics, helping them to start small business with Burma and discouraging them to participate in pro democracy movement events and so on. Even in the last Independence Day ceremony they could successfully prevented a Buddhist abbot and a Christian pastor from chanting myitta (praying) for those who have been killed in Depayin massacre. This indicates that the Junta is not only successful in the battlefields but also in the diplomatic field winning the hearts and soul of its former dissidents.

Knowing full well that the ethnic nationalities are simple honest people and not sophisticated as the Diaspora the Junta approach in another way. Sensing that they judge things by the battle field result and is not in a position to realise that the Burmese army is far more advance politically they craftily hoodwink them e.g. the KNU is unable to draw the lessons of cease fire when Bishop Ah Mya initiated a ceasefire between the Karen and the U Nu government way back in the 50s? The younger leaders know very little how the central government had exploited the situation? When KNU was controlling Insein, Taungoo, Loikaw and most of upper Burma, how the Burmese army organize the Kachin and Chin by labelling the Karen as racist, separatist and so on? Last but not the least is how did the Junta manage to widen the wedge between the Christians and the Buddhist and exploited the situation that lead to the downfall of Manaeplaw? This all indicates that Burmese military is more politically sophisticated than the ethnic forces. And now the Karen has initiated the cease-fire (between Burmese army and KNLA, army to army) leaving the political scenario behind, when it was the Burmese army that orchestrated the national convention which itself is a political ploy. The sweet words "In the Burmese army that there were the hawks and the doves and if the KNU did not respond positively to the call of the dove then it will lost the golden chance," seems to play the trick when Khin Nyunt himself is part and parcel of the ruling Junta (hawks). This wrong judgement of puts politics on hold, and gives the Junta as a line of defence vis-à-vis the international community and the upper hand. In the meantime the Junta is going ahead with a very political process in a straightjacket mode.

In geo politics it has successfully used the neighbouring countries like Thailand and China to pressure on the liberation fighters. Now it is turning on India to squeeze out the Chin and the Arakanese by cooperating with the Indian army. We cannot blamed these neighbouring countries for not helping to our cause, the point is that the Junta with the backing of the Office of the Strategic Studies is far more advance and sophisticated than us (e.g. we have TAN and no body would come for advice or discussion on strategies, neither would they reach out to them as it is usually engrossed in economic related sphere).

The context of Khin Nyunt's version of the road map is that life in Burma will maintain the status quo, no freedom of movement, no freedom of association or _expression and will not recognize any election result that is detrimental to them. In their mental map there is no connection with the routes to freedom desired by the people of Burma. In other words want to maintain the military hegemony over the entire people of Burma in perpetuity. Since most of the people in Burma are scrape by in a daily struggle for survival to find food, lodging, dignity, and a place free from violent acts by the military rulers will be in a position to respond appropriately to their call and worst will not antagonize them. It was a meticulously plan move to exploit the situation. The military feel strong now, but an irritating resistance still remains and Khin Nyunt wishes to drive their opposition off the road under the guise of planning democracy and with this sly approach had won both the Karen and the FBC.

On the other hand Daw Aung Suu Kyi remains ready to work for peaceful political change for all people of Burma. She is ready to forgive Depayin massacre (but will not forget and wish to bring out the truth) if it leads to democracy. She does not view herself as the only spokes person for the people, but repeatedly states that she and other leaders need to work together and arrive at a common stance through consultation with all people of Burma. No doubt she needs the help of fellow democrats, leaders, members of her party, citizens, leaders of ethnic nationalities groups who have been silenced and unable to freely communicate with her except under extreme conditions. As long as she is isolated and separated from her party and from people this could not be achieved and that is why she is in custody up to this day. This is the game plan for the Junta.

So if this is the scenario what should be our strategy for the moment? We must be in a position to see things clearly. Our dreamboat to democracy and an obsession to witness our promised land flowed with milk and honey has been hijacked by the Junta in cooperation with Thaksin. This is partly due to the inept leadership of the pro democracy groups including Daw Suu and now the best we can do is damage control. Remember the Junta knows politics and they also know the game of how to be seen apolitical. In spite of the continued atrocious human rights violations and burning alive, passing long prison sentences and more arrests, the majority of the dissidents have chosen to talk with them as it stands now.

We have to show that we know that they know and are willing to talk at the same level. Obviously they will take the upper hand partly because of inferiority complex (it is galling to label them as thugs and uncivilized) but will soon t melt down as soon as we show them the science of logic. No doubt we will have to accommodate them to a certain extent, but will have to insist that Democracy is a process that involves constant open consultation and that their road map was continuation of military rule and seeking international legitimacy. Surely they could not have the cake and eat it. It must be either or. Perhaps this is the only way currently available.

But Dr.Chao Tzang has rightly point out, " We don't know what is the follow up of ENSCC, NCGUB and the latest KNU" not to mention Dr Zar Ni's secret correspondence with Dr Win Naing (who defected from Japan and is now working for the Junta). The sad fact is that at such a crucial time, we are sort of split - owing to mucky, murky personal and petty politicking, all very meaningless but totally destructive. We will have to stop it now. It seems that previous coordinating arrangements have broken down. An important point to ponder is, who will represent us concerning whatever we say about the National Convention and its flaws. Lamentably we have become auxiliaries where we can say what we want without anybody paying attention. The mood of the Western countries and the international community is just "Wait-and-See, and Don't-Rock-the-Boat" for the Junta may be somewhat going in the right direction and this itself gives the Junta a benefit of the doubt.

In our hearts of hearts we know that the Burmese military is never sincere and can never be trusted. The National Convention will never be genuine and would not be a success. Unless we act now it will be too late because time is not on our side. Let us be broad-minded and not forget the past and draw valuable lessons for Milan Kundera said, "The struggle against power is the struggle of memory over forgetting."

Paris, France.

(The views expressed here are solely the opinion of the author. Kao-Wao Editor)