LETTERS - Re: A maturing conflict (

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Subject: LETTERS - Re: A maturing conflict (by: U Win Naing /June 13, 1999)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Bangkok Post)

June 14, 1999

Re: A maturing conflict (by: U Win Naing /June 13, 1999)

In his article "A maturing conflict", U Win Naing seems to point out
that
the NLD is in an uncompromising and confrontational attitude towards the
ruling military junta, the SPDC. However, surprisingly, he failed to
mention
the hard line policy of the SPDC and its suppression. He also seems to
be
suggesting that if the NLD behaves well, as expected, dictated and
suggested
by the SPDC, everything would continue to roll smoothly, i.e., to the
benefit of the whole population of Burma.  I couldn't help but compare U
Win
Naing's suggestion to the story of a small lamb being threatened by the
tiger at a stream for muddying his drinking water the year before. When
the
young lamb reasoned that last year he was not even born, the tiger
didn't
spare his life either. The tiger's argument was that if it was not him,
it
must be his father, before killing and eating the poor lamb.

U Win Naing is deliberatley mixing up "accomodation" with "surrender".
He
seems to forget that NLD, as an opposition cannot yeild altogether to
the
military regime's way of doing things and demands. Otherwise, it would
be
collarborating with the SPDC at the expense of the oppressed populace,
instead of being an opposition party fighting for democartic ideals and
aspiration.

He also suggests that the armed forces is needed to help keep the union
intact and that one cannot let the disintegration happened. It is
astonishing to hear chauvinistic sounding tone from a self-proclaimed
pro-democracy politician. Is he suggesting that the so-called Union of
Burma
has to be kept intact even if it has to use force and oppression like
the
SPDC is implementing now? Then he is, in reality, toeing the SPDC's line
of
thinking. He conveniently forget that the now defunct Union of Burma
came
into existence only with the own free will and agreement of the
non-Burmans
to the formation of a federal union. But sadly, as it is well known, the
federal arrangement had never taken roots and instead, a unitary state
was
formed in practice to advance the interest of the dominant Burmans. In
the
name of "national unity", successive military regimes - Revolutionary
Council, Burma Socialist Programme Party, State Law and Order

Restoration
Council and State Peace and Development Council - have committed "crime
against humanity" on non-Burman ethnic groups without even a slightest
hint
of toning down, which is still going on. All these "human rights abuses"
are
well documented, if U Win Naing cares to have a look. He don't seems to
understand that any kind of durable union could only be built with the
consent and free will participation of all the peoples and states
concerned
and  not by imposing this so-called federal union coercively. He only
needs
to look at the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union to draw some hard
facts
and  lessons.

Sai Wansai
Vice President
Shan Democratic Union
Europe Coordination Office
Germany