[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Dedicated to the Burmese Embassy in



Subject: Dedicated to the Burmese Embassy in Ottawa

Re: Info-sheetA0742 (I) from  Burmese Embassy in Ottawa.
========================================

    Bravo!! Sai Kyauk for such a fine rebuttal. However I'd like to add
my own opinion to what he said.
    To the un-initiated the most recent info-sheet by Ottawa embassy
seems so reasonable. It is a very diplomatic and "well
researched" piece of document. However, I think that they are confused
as to what they really want to say.

    They accuse Daw Suu for her popularity and say it would not last.
Her popularity remained even today if not greater than before. How could
one compare popularity in politics and popularity in other areas of life
like entertainment ?
Are the Burmese people not bright enough to decide whether the person
they chose can do the job once 'given' the chance ? Like Sai Kyauk said
a person has to have done something to become popular. Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi has done so much to merit her popularity.

    The burmese people are described as naive and not "exposed" to the
workings of democracy. I think one has to be balanced in choosing the
evidences to support one's point. There are so many instances of
countries embracing democracy and not falling into ruins like the former
USSR. Sai Kyauk cited Germany as an example.

It is also true of South Africa. Is SPDC so capable as to be able to
decide on their own what is good for the country like a parent not
wanting to let go of their own children who has grown up. For 28 years
before the 1990 election , there has been only one party system in
Burma, namely BSPP , that deprived the people of multi party democracy
system.
How can a person learn to swim without plunging into the water first.

        "Controlled" democracy is better according to the aforementioned
info-sheet. It depends on the kind of standard that is being used. Isn't
Indonesia ruined enough? Are the voices of Indonesians not loud enough
in their protests against their corrupted government? The list goes on.
Let's see whether the gradual evolution towards democracy is working.
For what ever it is worth, poverty is rising and the gap between the
rich and the poor is ever widening.

    In today's age, no country in the world can stand alone. Daw Aung
San Suu kyi and her colleagues are accused of rousing instability using
external influences. In no circumstances were there any direct violence
against the country. Stopping investment is only meant to prevent more
capital going towards getting more guns to kill and to fill private
coffers of certain people.

The only thing that ordinary citizens are getting from tourism is
negative consequences like AIDS and forced relocation of poor people.
Also since when is getting help from other countries a crime. SPDC is
already getting help from ASEAN countries and China.

    Finally, if the fact that NLD is falling apart is true, why is the
military regime so afraid of them still that they would not have any
genuine dialogue.
The strength of a country lies with the people inside the country and
nowhere else.
If it is to be true, then why was the voice of those particular people
ignored at the 1990 election ?

The democracy has to be brought about gradually..
If that is their intention , why is there no basic freedom  inherent to
a democracy available to the public in the last decade.
Without such freedoms as freedom of expression, freedom of movement nor
freedom of peaceful assembly, a credible transition that is purported to
be underway become just an artifact or A BIG LIE.


Khin Saw Win.