KAO WAO NEWS No. 58
An electronic newsletter for
social justice and freedom in
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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:
OBSTACLES
TO ICT IN
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
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READERS'
FRONT
Dear Readers,
We invite comments and suggestions on
improvements to Kao-Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Wao News
will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice
in
Regards,
Editor
kaowao@hotmail.com,
kaowao@shaw.ca
__________________________________
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 (
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Myaingkalay
cement factory damages Mon cultural site
Dear Kao Wao,
Regarding the Myaingkalay cement factory near Pa’an,
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
More alarming, the discharge
causes substantial vibrations and damage at the cave. Artifacts at the
If this were
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
____________________________________
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
____________________________
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
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
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 (
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Politics
MUL WARY OF NMSP’S INVITE TO
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
(Kao Wao,
The Mon Unity League has advised the senior leaders of New Mon State
Party not to be led astray regarding the high profile National Convention in
“The NMSP will not become a tool for the SPDC in its strategy in
dividing the opposition forces participating in the National Convention
process. It must closely engage and
cooperate with the NLD and ethnic parties,” says Sunthorn
Sripanngern to the NMSP leaders in his statement
letter to the Executive Committee.
“It is essential to inform and build unity among the opposition forces
ensuring that leaders have confidence in dealing with this process”, he added
in the letter in the Mon language.
“The Party must withdraw its participation from the National Convention
when the principles of the assembly are not respected and not leading toward a
tripartite dialogue. The tripartite dialogue must meet the standards and
principles mandated by the National League for Democracy which paves the way
toward finding a political solution”, Mr. Sripanngern
stated.
The MUL warns that the SPDC is playing a game to win over the
opposition parties who wish to emerge as the legitimate government after the
Convention. The NMSP is strongly requested not to receive any intensive package
for a deal during the assembly, which obviously will have several strings
attached. The SPDC has total
responsibility for its wrong doing in the country.
The General Secretary of the MUL advised senior leaders of the NMSP to
remain vigilant and to prepare for a withdrawal from the assembly when the
process fails to accommodate
The NMSP’s emergency meeting in early
December named a delegation comprised of Nai Chan Toi, General Aung Nai, Colonel Lawee Ong, Nai
Tala Nyeh and Nai Tin Hla to join the state
sponsored convention.
The MUL is the third political force in the Mon community and works by
consensus among the Mon population in
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ETHNIC PARTIES OPPOSE THE JUNTA’S
ROAD MAP
(DVB:
The alliance ethnic political parties oppose the
junta’s road map and the principles of the National Convention sponsored by the
According to the statement issued on 10 December, the
UNA firmly opposes the SPDC’s road map and the 104
basic principles set forth in the National Convention. It believes the objective and procedure of
Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt's
road map is to revive the adjourned 1996 National Convention and to implement
the 104 basic principles prescribed at that Convention. As outlined, the
people's delegates are not represented in full at the National Convention and
are unable to present and discuss their views freely.
The basic principles prescribed at the National
Convention clearly indicate the military's anticipation of a further grip on
power and a place in
The UNA urged the junta to convene a genuine National
Convention comprised of the democratic forces including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,
representatives of the national races, and the relevant SPDC authorities.
The United Nationalities Alliance was formed with the
nine ethnic political parties which won seats in the 1990 elections.
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World
THE INFORMATION AGE:
(Gong Ong:
Participants from government delegates, business sectors, civil societies, individuals, and media groups gathered in
Geneva, known as the international conference city of half a million population,
was crowded with over ten thousand participants for the World Summit which was
attended by Heads of State, Prime Ministers, Presidents, media bigwigs, and
ministers from 176 countries who came to endorse a Declaration of Principles
and a Plan of Action which sets forth a road map to bring the benefits of
Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to
underserved economies.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan told delegates that we have in our hands, on our
desktops, and in the skies above, the ability to improve the standard of living
for millions upon millions of people.
But Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the
International Telecommunication Union and
On December 11, 2003, leader of
Myanmar Delegation for WSIS and Ambassador / Permanent Representative of the
Union of Myanmar U Mya Than delivered a statement to
the international audience that one advantageous aspect of the ICTs is the multi purpose use of these technologies to help
achieve the Millennium Development Goals including infrastructure building,
capacity building, and technical and financial assistance for the developing
countries, especially within the LDCs (Leased
Developed Countries) such as Myanmar (Burma) a country that became a LDC due to
poor administration by the same military regime he spoke for.
It is not surprising that the
The Information Society is as outlined in Article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that everyone has the right to freedom
of opinion and expression; that this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers.
And Article 29: that everyone
has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of
their personality is possible, the exercise of their rights and freedoms, the
rights and freedoms of others, and of meeting the just requirements of
morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
Contrary to the statement made by the Myanmar delegate, ICTs in Burma stands years behind that of the developed
countries, even its neighbour Thailand and Malaysia
are decades ahead. At the Exhibition
Hall in
The
The Government of Myanmar established the ICTs
Development Council, chaired by the Prime Minister General Khin
Nyunt himself.
It is true, the two Internet service providers in
While over 80% of the population has access to Internet in
For many people in
At the so called IntraNet centres
in the Basic Education High School (BEHS) at Kamawet
Mon community of Mudon Township in southern Burma,
the authorities ordered private business with computers to equip schools for a
short media and computer training program because the government is unable to
do so. Senior military leaders appear
out of nowhere in the village to hold a drab ceremony opening the computer
training programs. The authorities need
about 10 computers but the school has only 5 and another 5 were taken from the
village’s various printing businesses to supply the schools. Most students do not have the chance to
access the computers after training.
No one is given the right to hold an opinion or express their views in
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We were very touched by your presentation and we won’t let our beloved
Floor Burrell (
OBSTACLES TO ICT IN
(By Cham Toik:
The
major problems that exist in
Almost
immediately, the rights of the ethnic nationalities were rejected and civil war
broke out. As a result of the
denial of basic freedoms for all people in
Lack of fundamental freedom
(Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Things went from bad to the
worse when
General New Win seized power in a coup d’etat in 1962, he immediately introduced restrictions
on freedom of expression; the free press has been silenced ever since. The
country was ruled through a draconian one-party system known as the Burma
Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) and other political and social organizations
including those of the ethnic nationalities were forcibly disbanded and muted.
Under one
form or another, state censorship continues to this day. Under the present military government, the
Press Scrutiny Board (PSB), a division of the powerful Ministry of Information,
scrutinizes every single publication considered to be ‘anti-government’ and is
consequently perceived as a threat to the military state. Similar censorship
boards retain stringent control over art, music, film, performance and all
other forms of artistic expression. All authors, publishers, journalists and
poets must submit a personal biography to the board of literary censorship.
The
board then investigates to find out if these individuals have any association
to opposition political parties or connections to other people or groups deemed
a threat to the regime. Anyone suspected or proved to have ‘undesirable’
connections is placed on a blacklist and their work is banned. (See chapter on. Freedom of
Opinion, Expression, and the Press in the
As part of their overall effort to control
information, the present military regime restricts all forms of communication.
Without a government permit, which is expensive and difficult to obtain,
individuals can be arrested for possessing or using a fax machine, mobile
phones, photocopier or computer; and imprisoned for years. (See, for instance
the Computer Science Development Law
of 1996 at http://www.myanmar.com/gov/laws/computerlaw.html
In the
past month alone, a court in Burma sentenced nine people to death for high
treason, including the editor of a sports magazine, Zaw
Thet Htwe, and some Mon
leaders, Nai Min Kyi, Nai Yekkha and Shwe Man, who the
junta claim planned to create a mass movement in collusion with members of Aung
San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party. (AP:
There
are only two Internet service providers in the country: a department of the
Government’s Telecommunications Ministry and Bagan Cybertech, a company controlled by the son of the military
government’s Prime Minister and top ranking military officers. Access to many
parts of the Internet is blocked and only about 10,000 subscribers have been
approved to use email. (Open
Democracy Website, Power of Corporations,
June 2003)
Civilians
are forbidden to communicate with the outside world freely, and although many
have access to foreign radio and telephone services, no independent media group
is allowed to operate inside the country. This situation has marginalized
people depriving them of all forms of information, their only source being the
propaganda apparatus of the state-run media, which is next to useless as a
reliable news source.
Radio
and TV programmes (there are only a few radio
stations in Burma) are state-owned and most are the mouthpieces of the regimes
propaganda machine—no ethnic and indigenous language programme is broadcasted
apart from 30 minutes a day for the 7 major ethnic groups combined (Shan, Chin,
Kachin, Karen, Kayah, Arakan and Mon) in their languages.
Assimilation
policy
Centralization
of the government has affected the life and culture of all indigenous peoples
in
In the
case of the Mon people, who lost their sovereignty more than two centuries ago
in 1757, Buddhist monasteries now serve as the centers for preserving old Mon
palm manuscripts and provide a venue for community schools as well. Over the last few decades, patriotic young
Mon people and the monastic community have taken a united stand by undertaking
self-help Mon literacy campaigns throughout the Mon region.
Every
summer when the government schools close down, large numbers of Mon children
and adults enroll in these schools in the monasteries to learn the basics of
Mon literature. This self-help Mon
literacy movement provides a glimmer of hope for the Mon people to learn their
own language and literature in parts of the country where their homeland is
located. However, even this self-help Mon literacy movement is constantly
under surveillance and cannot grow freely under the rule of the
Burman-dominated, racist military dictatorship. (See the Mon Unity League’s:
The Mon, a people without a country at
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Bridge/1256/monhistory1.htm
)
Some monastery communities and students
have applied to the military government’s Press Scrutiny Board for permission
to publish in the Mon language but they are regularly refused permits to print
Mon books, even though the contents pose no threat being simply articles from
Burmese-language magazines translated into Mon.
These writings are not
remotely related to politics, yet the PSB still refuses to give permission
because of the assimilation policy towards the indigenous peoples.
Only a few Mon magazines endorsed by
senior and revered monks have been granted publication rights by the regime
after waiting through a long censorship process directed by various levels of
the administration. At least six months
are required before approval is given and often the authorities do not issue permission
or offer a rejection, but simply ignore the application.
Ethnic
journalists and publishers have also been arrested and imprisoned by successive
military governments in
When
on trial in
Nai Soe Aung, a leader of the Mon Literature and Culture
Committee was arrested for publishing a poetry book and the authorities shut
down Kaung Mon Press in
Another
example of ICT in
The
authorities needed 10 computers but the school has only 5 and another 5 were taken
from the village’s various printing businesses.
Kamawet is the largest Mon community in
The
new challenge, a constructive approach
In
1988 the Burma Socialist Programme Party government formed by General Ne Win collapsed as a result of a popular uprising. The people’s movement was bloodily suppressed
and a new military clique seized state power.
Many civilians and students fled to the border areas
and neighboring countries where they continue today to languish in refugee
camps or small enclaves known as the liberated areas.
Poor
communication has overshadowed all sides in past and present negotiations;
recently however some media groups have emerged in these liberated areas (border
areas) among Burmese democratic groups and indigenous peoples during the
‘90s. But very few publications, journals and
magazines in the border areas are distributed in the Chin, Karen, Kachin, Arakan, Shan and Mon
languages. For the most part, the democratic Burmese media groups who use
Burmese have gained the advantage in having access and thus have an edge in
playing a larger role in negotiations with the military government and a third
party.
Access
to information of course is vital for a democracy to flourish, but in a country
in which the population is a deliberate target by both rebels and the military,
speaking out is a risk none want to take. Few details about what is happening
in
The
seven million people of Mon ethnic origin in
The
small indigenous media groups depend for survival on self-reliance and the
donations of a small band of patriotic-minded supporters. Some receive limited funds from NGOs and
donations from the local community.
Without proper training and government funding, indigenous media groups
are facing a new challenge to keep on par with major and international
communities.
Sustained
support will be necessary if fledgling independent media groups are to survive
and increase their news coverage on issues affecting the indigenous peoples,
ethnic nationalities, and isolated communities that they seek to serve. Above all, we indigenous people need to have
the freedom to exercise our fundamental rights in order to enlist support and
to increase awareness in the international community, all of which are crucial
to making peace a reality.
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Human Rights
DEATH PENALTY REVIVED TO PUNISH
DISSIDENTS
(By Banya Hongsar)
Thai-
Soon after the ruling generals sent an oral invitation inviting senior
members of the New Mon State Party to attend the National Convention in
There was no legal trail nor were they allowed to hire lawyers. Legal aid is unheard of in
The trail was conducted inside Insein Prison
under the hearing of Judge Daw Khin Zaw Win, according to Radio Free Asia’s report.
This is the first death sentence handed down to Mon activists in modern
political history in
Four representatives from social organizations in Mon State wrote a
letter to New Mon State Party seeking a legal trial for the three Mon victims: Ne Win (Nai Yekkha), Shwe Man and Nai Min Kyi who are alleged to be behind the “State
Plot” along with six other democratic activists.
Local civil rights groups led by Buddhist monks have sought out senior
members of the NMSP to urgently deal with the unfair trail of capital
punishment. The Mon civil rights groups
theorize that the three Mon activists are not the key players of the secret
bomb attack against the senior military officials.
The
Currently, the independent report indicated that over (1,300) political
prisoners in the country have been punished in which they were rounded up and
shipped off to
The ruling
In August this year, the Court rejected an appeal made by former
General Ne Win’s family who were sentenced to death
for their attempt to over throw the military government in
During colonial times, the British authority sentenced Burmese
dissidents to capital punishment for pursuing freedom and social justice in
their homeland. The British authority paid no tolerance even to Buddhist monks
and students in the country and often imposed the death penalty. When it comes
to a matter of power, both the British authority and the current
During the British era in
The constitution rather than the ruling elite must lay down the law if
Burma is ever going to be a democratic society, a nation should have a vision
and possess the political will to reform its institutions. The death penalty of
innocent civilians, even for those demanding freedom from discrimination for
their people especially that of young people, is a horrific tragedy. The ruling
junta’s stance is lackadaisical and hasn’t a shred of compassion or dignity
when it comes to meting out punishment. The bottom line is the will of the
people which will have an ultimate impact on the democratic process, but due to
very limited resources available at the time of writing this article, further
exclusive fact finding should be undertaken for policy matters to bring about a
dramatic change in
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Migrant
Watch
13-YEAR-OLD
GIRL ASSAULTED AND RAPED BY LANDLORD
(Kao Wao:
A source from the migrant
worker’s community said a young girl was raped by her landlord in Mahachai, about 35 Km southwest of
On December 11, a Mon girl was raped by Nai Od at "Thawatchai
Chang-Ruey Flat" on
The local source reported that Nai Od,
the 27 year old son of a 30 rented-room building owner, together with three
others came to the room rented by 2 Mon girls around
After the men got drunk the landlord’s
son started to molest the younger sister. When the elder sister tried to stop
him a fight broke out between them. The elder asked her younger sister to
escape from the room. The younger sister had escaped at first along, with the
elder sister fleeing in a different direction, but sadly Nai
Od's friend outside the room spotted where the young
girl had hid, so Nai Od captured the young girl and brought her back into
the room and raped her while she pleaded for help from surrounding neighbors.
The source said Nai Od brandished a gun to keep people from stopping him.
The two girls are originally from Ye Township,
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Overseas Mon community
AMERICAN MON WOMEN ORGANIZE
(Kao Wao,
Mon women in the
35 Mon women gathered at a newly
built
“Improving the patriotic spirit, culture and literature among the Mon nationals
in the
Women fourteen and over can apply for membership and those eighteen and above
can vote and be nominated into the leading committee. The committee is
responsible for implementing activities freely without affiliation with any
other organization. The women expressed a great responsibility in participating
in the struggle for freedom and were pleased with the high turn out of women
willing to work together, they will begin capacity
building among their members before starting other activities.
Over 200 Mon people are now residing in
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Drugs
POPPIES
BLOSSOM IN THE NORTH AGAIN
(S.H.A.N:
Unlike last year, when
suppression was at its height, poppy fields have begun to appear in places
where there were only desolate hills, said sources returning from northern
The sources who
were on vacation since the end of the Buddhist Lent, said except for parts of Kutkhai and Hsipaw townships,
more poppy fields were observed in townships like Lashio,
Hsenwi, Muse, and Tangyan.
In Tangyan,
local authorities appeared to be oblivious to the poppy fields in locations
where, during the previous year, they had dispatched armed teams to destroy.
"This year's harvest is
really good, especially around Khun Sa's home ground, Loimaw, Nawngliang,
"Cowed by last year's
suppression, some farmers in Mongzi and Monghawm have moved elsewhere," a local source told
the visitors. Kutkhai was one of the townships that
had undergone harsh reprisals, such as extrajudicial killings, as reported in Show
Business: Rangoon's War on Drugs in Shan State, released by S.H.A.N. on 10
December. The vacationers also saw
numerous poppy fields in the Wa
townships of Marnhparng and Pangyang,
on the eastern side of the
"Spurred on by the 2005 zero-production deadline declared by Panghsang, even Wa officers and
their families are in a frenzy to make the most of the remaining two poppy
seasons," a relative told the visitors. "The officers' involvement
naturally encourages us ordinary people to work harder."
In southern
The Shan State Army "South" of Yawdserk, in
the meanwhile, insists that it is all for peace talks but "the problem is
they keep demanding that we surrender. That is against our principle. We will
only surrender to an elected government."
In Panglong, the demand for fertilizers for use in
the poppy fields for some traders in town were making profits from selling
chicken manure brought from Shwenyaung, according to
a recent arrival.
The UN Officer for Drugs and Crime reported in June that opium cultivation was
cut by half in northern
**********************************************
Perspective
SHOULD WE FORGET THE PAST?
(Lawi Weng)
The Burmese military has released five senior members of the NLD
(National League for Democracy) who were detained on
By releasing the NLD's five members of the
central executive committee, I believe the regime is much like a fox, which
wags its tail in front of his owner. But when his owner is no longer looking,
he tries to steal the chickens in the cage, again. The Burmese fox awarded five
of the chickens amnesty to highlight to the audience that
he wouldn't eat them. Indeed, the chickens really made him hungry, but he
turned a blind eye so the audience didn't know that he wanted to eat them.
Meanwhile
I still am skeptical about why the regime gave amnesty to those five
prisoners. I know that the regime didn't want to release those five people even
though they are old. There are older people than them in prison. Why doesn't
the regime release all the seniors in their jails? The regime might think that
if they give some rice to other chickens, they will be easy to catch them
whenever they want to. By feeding a carrot to the NLD, it will be easier to
capture the ethnic ceasefire group’s leaders who are going to step right into
the regime's trap and will be put in prison when they attend the next national
convention.
Instead of releasing those five political prisoners, why doesn't the
regime release the NLD key players in politics such U Tin Oo, U Lwin, U Myint Shwe
and most importantly, Aung San Sui Kyi? The regime
may think that they are younger and have more strength to resist them. They are
worried the Depayin's mass killing crimes they
committed will come out into the open. They are aware that if they release Aung
San Suu Kyi, she will try to call for the international community to set up a
commission to investigate the incident of the mass killing.
After the May 30 ambush killing, some of the democracy movement
organizations, which are based along the Thai-Burma border, tried to implement
an ombudsman commission in order to find out what really happened in the Depayin's evidence. They also urged the U.N (United
Nations) human right commission to put more pressure on the regime to let the
commission investigate the case. Otherwise, the regime is trying to ignore the
May 30 ambush's issue. They don't want to have a nightmare, for instance, that
the Dead Lord is coming to call them to go to the hell and out of power.
From my point of view, it is not possible for the U.N to set up a
commission for the democracy movement groups in Burma because we may see a
similar event to the genocide killing that happened to the innocent people in
Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge. The U.N has tried to set up a criminal court for a
long time in
The Burmese military is afraid like Hun Sen
of Cambodia. If they allow an investigation into the May 30 ambush, what of
other crimes they have committed, such as the mass killing that occurred in the
1988 student uprising? The regime is going to have to confront the atrocious
crimes they have committed and will lose power and have to live in prison for
the rest of their lives; the same as Milosevic's Yugoslavian dictatorship. They
are looking for a way to hear from the people of
If Aung San Suu Kyi agrees not to talk about the Depayin
case after they release her, I am sure that they will release her earlier than
the last time. Not only has Aung San Suu Kyi asked for an inquiry, but also the
NLD spokesman U Lwin asked for an inquiry into the
May 30th ambush to investigate the ambush.
Some people may view Aung San Suu Kyi as a hardliner because she
doesn't forget the past. She still would like to find out the truth, even
though she is under house arrest. And also U Kyint Maung has mentioned if the regime falls, he is going to
send them to the War Tribunal. It seems that his voice has intimidated them.
It is said, "no one can predict the future." But the regime
can predict the future of what will happen to them. This is why the regime
doesn't want to release Aung San Suu Kyi and doesn't want to start the national
reconciliation process. They don't want to have peace and sustainable democracy
for the people of
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ANNAN PRESSES
Reuters:
United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan has urged
Mr Annan said he was
encouraged by Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung's
pledge at a meeting in
In a statement read by his spokesman, Fred Eckhard,
the UN chief said he was also encouraged by Win Aung's
commitment to implement the transition plan "in an all-inclusive
manner".
Win Aung this month pledged that all ethnic groups and political parties would
be able to participate, including democracy champion and Nobel peace laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.
Ms Suu Kyi's party won a landslide general election
victory in 1990, but the military government ignored the result.
Mr Annan wants his envoy,
Malaysian Razali Ismail, "to be allowed to visit Burma as soon as possible
to help facilitate the participation of all the parties concerned" in the
transition process and the convention, Mr Eckhard said.
But Ms Suu Kyi's party walked out of it in 1995, and
it has not met again since 1996.
Ms Suu Kyi and scores of her supporters were locked up at the end of May
following a bloody attack on her convoy by pro-government youths as she traveled
outside the capital. She was allowed to
go home after an operation in September but remains
under house arrest, refusing liberty until others arrested with her are freed.
Mr Razali has spearheaded a strong UN push for
national reconciliation and democracy in
Mr Annan last month criticised the authorities for preparing their August 30
road map without setting out a timeline or consulting any opposition figures
including Ms Suu Kyi.
**********************************
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