SPDC: Myanmar's Kleptocracy

[Tanpyan@xxxxxxx]

SPDC: Myanmar's Kleptocracy
by Criticus (29-9-99)

   Recent speeches by SPDC's foreign minister Win Aung (ex-colonel) and
its London ambassador Dr. Kyaw Win (ex-brigadier) on democracy and the
rule of law seem to have become a real conundrum for the people who
don't understand Burmese language. What they said can be miscontrued as
law and democracy understood in the western world. When the results fall
far short of their expectation and their further efforts end in disaster
they will say anything to save their face. Desperation may drive a man
from bad to worse; but when a Burmese realises that his situation cannot
deteriorate any further, he may in his desperate mood say: "Now that I
have become a pig and I am not afraid of excrement". (Wak Phyit Hma Dot,
Chee Ma Kyaunk Buu).

   In dealing with the Burmese military one has to bear in mind that
dishonesty, crookedness and betrayal of trust are their normal traits.
They believe that dishonesty should be forgiven if the end justifies it.
When they say democracy, what they really mean is kleptocracy which can
be defined as the government of thieves or the rule of people dependent
on the thieves. When they talk about the rule of law they mean rule of
military men. Because they think that "the verse will halt if the
tongue's too true". (Hmu-tha ma-par, lin-gar ma-chaw).

   In September Rachel Goldwyn, 28, was jailed for seven years for
chaining herself to a lamppost in Rangoon and singing pro-democracy
songs, while 26-year-old James Mawdsley was jailed for 17 years for
distributing anti-SPDC leaflets in Tachilek. During the interview with
Tim Sebastian of BBC (24 September 99) ex-brigadier Kyaw Win described Mr
Mawdsley as "a chronic, recurrent violator". In the case of Rachel
Goldwyn he said "She came in, she shackled herself to a fence and this
was part of a big scenario they were trying to create on 9-9-99.
Everybody knows....The laws are laws. In the face of laws the opinions
of individuals do not count. It is the laws that count." He stood by
SPDC's law.

   Ambassador Ex-brigadier Dr. Kyaw Win was talking about the legal
system that never tried his son Dr. Htut Kyaw Win who was responsible
for the death of a university student in 1994. Dr. Htut Kyaw Win is now
working in Cardiology Department at Victoria Hospital in Blackpool, the
mid-west of Britain. On 6 March 1994, Htut Kyaw Win, then a medical
student, ran down final-year university student Maung Ye Win on Prome
Road in Rangoon. Consequently Maung Ye Win died in hospital. It was a
clear case of reckless driving culminated in the death of a pesdestrian.
But Htut Kyaw Win was never put on trial. He was ostensibly put in
custody for a few weeks and was later released. He got off scot-free
because his father Dr. Yaw Win was on SDP's side and hence above the
law.  

   Now let us take a look at Mr. Ambassador ex-brigadier Kyaw Win. He
was known to have been a physician of Ne Win's family. He was the
director of the military health services before he became SPDC's
ambassador to Canada. He was relieved of his military duty after he was
found to have ripped off the medical equipment purchasing board. And he
was packed off first to Canada and then to London when Win Aung left.
[For details, see zawgyi96@xxxxxxxxx, 4-9-99 ]. In Burma, ex-brigadier,
ambassador Kyaw Win and his son Htut Kyaw Win were above the law.
However, U Saw Hlaing( NLD member) was arrested and imprisoned for five
years in March 1996 after his car hit a trishaw (tricycle that can carry
two passengers) in Taungoo, Central Burma. Bail and legal assistance were
denied although the accident caused minimal damage to the trishaw and
the trishaw-driver, and the two passengers sustained only minor
injuries.   

   Harassing, arresting, torturing, imprisoning and killing the
supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for
Democracy(NLD) is SPDC's version of democracy and the rule of law. U Kyi
Lin of South Dagon Township, Rangoon, was arrested on 29 August 99 for
donating pitta bread and chicken curry to the Martyr's Day ceremony of
the NLD. So when SPDC ambassador ex-brigadier Kyaw Win said "The laws
are laws. In the face of laws the opinions of individuals do not count.
It is the laws that count", he must have meant the warped law of the
warped mind geared only for self-interest.

Criticus (29-9-99)