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ASIAWEEK: REPLIES TO ROGER MITTON



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Asiaweek 
November 19, 1999 

SECTION: LETTERS & COMMENT
 

   Like Roger Mitton I find Yangon a very pleasant place to visit ["A Tale of
Two Countries," INSIDE STORY, Nov. 12]. But his attempt to "bust a few myths"
about Myanmar doesn't ring true. That many different brands of condoms are on
sale in a Yangon shop doesn't tell us much about how the junta is dealing with
Myanmar's AIDS epidemic. It's good that he can get a copy of the International
Herald Tribune in his hotel, but that doesn't mean the paper is freely
available to ordinary people. He travels around unharassed by Military
Intelligence spooks, but who is naive enough to believe that ordinary Burmese
enjoy the same freedom?  

Mitton trivializes Burma's political tragedy by making Aung San Suu Kyi look
like a spoiled Hollywood starlet. Suu Kyi's apparent opposition to constructive
engagement has raised lots of justified doubts. But Mitton's over-all whitewash
of the junta (he does mention some bad things) is misleading, and his treatment
of the prodemocracy leader just isn't fair. 

Donald M. Seekins, Okinawa, Japan 

************************


   Where does Mitton get his information about Burma? Has he really been there
four times in 18 months? He must be completely naive to believe the stories he
has heard. Who told him Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest? She was
released in 1995. It is well known that the National League for Democracy can
meet at its headquarters. But if the NLD is able to function as a normal
political party as it's implied, why could it not celebrate its anniversary in
September? Sure, condoms are available in Rangoon, but what about in the
countryside and at what price? 

Mitton implies that since Suu Kyi is not under house arrest, she is free. If
so, why did the authorities block her on the bridge last year? As for the myth
he exposed that people are not allowed to be out and about between 8 p.m. and 4
a.m., this happens only when there is a curfew, as happened in
August-September. 

His travel overland to Moulmein (Mawlamyine) and Kyaiktiyo does not prove that
the military is in control of the country. People have been traveling that
route for years. It is one of the "safe" areas. He
should try other, more inaccessible, areas, especially if the military says he
can go where he wants. His report on the closed universities and his comment
that "if the regime cannot risk opening the universities .  . . then there is
no real stability" is more what I would expect from a seasoned journalist. 

The other puzzle is why one page is devoted to Ne Win's gun-packing grandson
and his odious behavior if the incident is an exception, as Mitton claims. Is
he trying to say that Ne Win is the bad guy
and that Ko Lay, Hla Min and Win Aung are the good guys? The sad fact is that
there is no rule of law in Burma. The generals and those in power can do as
they like. 

The myth Mitton should help to explode is that there are Western economic
sanctions against Myanmar. There are none. The exception is the United States,
which bans new investments. There are no investments because of the Asian
economic crisis and mainly because investors cannot make a profit given the
generals' ad hoc, unpredictable management style. 

Ham Yawnghwe, European Office for the Development of Democracy in Burma,
Brussels  

**********************

Mitton claims that "few people believe economic sanctions will precipitate
change." But investing with dictators also does not precipitate change and
simply reinforces the status quo of corrupt crony capitalists. The writer
discusses his 200-kyat haircut and the 200-kyat purchase of Burmese-brand
condoms. 200 kyats is more than the weekly salary of many government employees
in Burma. Where else in Asia does a haircut cost more than the weekly salary of
a government employees in Burma. 

Where else in Asia does a haircut cost more than the weekly salary of a
government employee? Where else in Asia does hotel accommodation for one day,
at Traders Hotel, cost more than the annual salary of a director-general, the
highest-ranking civil servant in Burma? There are many bad governments in the
developing world. But only two stand out in having destroyed the country by
closing all colleges for almost a decade. In happened during the Cultural
Revolution in China and during the present military occupation of Burma. 

The sad and hard reality is that the window of opportunity for a negotiated
political settlement in Burma may have closed. The regime may have succeeded in
marginalizing Suu Kyi but created a bigger
problem for itself. The recent commando raid by five Burmese freedom fighters
on the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok is possibly the beginning of a new phase in
Burmese politics.  

Myint Thein, Dallas, Texas

Internet ProLink PC User

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<html>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Asiaweek <br>
November 19, 1999 <br>
<br>
SECTION: LETTERS &amp; COMMENT<br>
&nbsp;<br>
<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp; Like Roger Mitton I find Yangon a very pleasant place to
visit [&quot;A Tale of Two Countries,&quot; INSIDE STORY, Nov. 12]. But
his attempt to &quot;bust a few myths&quot; about Myanmar doesn't ring
true. That many different brands of condoms are on sale in a Yangon shop
doesn't tell us much about how the junta is dealing with Myanmar's AIDS
epidemic. It's good that he can get a copy of the International Herald
Tribune in his hotel, but that doesn't mean the paper is freely available
to ordinary people. He travels around unharassed by Military Intelligence
spooks, but who is naive enough to believe that ordinary Burmese enjoy
the same freedom?&nbsp; <br>
<br>
Mitton trivializes Burma's political tragedy by making Aung San Suu Kyi
look like a spoiled Hollywood starlet. Suu Kyi's apparent opposition to
constructive engagement has raised lots of justified doubts. But Mitton's
over-all whitewash of the junta (he does mention some bad things) is
misleading, and his treatment of the prodemocracy leader just isn't fair.
<br>
<br>
Donald M. Seekins, Okinawa, Japan <br>
<br>
************************<br>
<br>
<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp; Where does Mitton get his information about Burma? Has he
really been there four times in 18 months? He must be completely naive to
believe the stories he has heard. Who told him Aung San Suu Kyi is still
under house arrest? She was released in 1995. It is well known that the
National League for Democracy can meet at its headquarters. But if the
NLD is able to function as a normal political party as it's implied, why
could it not celebrate its anniversary in September? Sure, condoms are
available in Rangoon, but what about in the countryside and at what
price? <br>
<br>
Mitton implies that since Suu Kyi is not under house arrest, she is free.
If so, why did the authorities block her on the bridge last year? As for
the myth he exposed that people are not allowed to be out and about
between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., this happens only when there is a curfew, as
happened in August-September. <br>
<br>
His travel overland to Moulmein (Mawlamyine) and Kyaiktiyo does not prove
that the military is in control of the country. People have been
traveling that route for years. It is one of the &quot;safe&quot; areas.
He<br>
should try other, more inaccessible, areas, especially if the military
says he can go where he wants. His report on the closed universities and
his comment that &quot;if the regime cannot risk opening the universities
 .&nbsp; . . then there is no real stability&quot; is more what I would
expect from a seasoned journalist. <br>
<br>
The other puzzle is why one page is devoted to Ne Win's gun-packing
grandson and his odious behavior if the incident is an exception, as
Mitton claims. Is he trying to say that Ne Win is the bad guy<br>
and that Ko Lay, Hla Min and Win Aung are the good guys? The sad fact is
that there is no rule of law in Burma. The generals and those in power
can do as they like. <br>
<br>
The myth Mitton should help to explode is that there are Western economic
sanctions against Myanmar. There are none. The exception is the United
States, which bans new investments. There are no investments because of
the Asian economic crisis and mainly because investors cannot make a
profit given the generals' ad hoc, unpredictable management style. <br>
<br>
Ham Yawnghwe, European Office for the Development of Democracy in Burma,
Brussels&nbsp; <br>
<br>
**********************<br>
<br>
Mitton claims that &quot;few people believe economic sanctions will
precipitate change.&quot; But investing with dictators also does not
precipitate change and simply reinforces the status quo of corrupt crony
capitalists. The writer discusses his 200-kyat haircut and the 200-kyat
purchase of Burmese-brand condoms. 200 kyats is more than the weekly
salary of many government employees in Burma. Where else in Asia does a
haircut cost more than the weekly salary of a government employees in
Burma. <br>
<br>
Where else in Asia does a haircut cost more than the weekly salary of a
government employee? Where else in Asia does hotel accommodation for one
day, at Traders Hotel, cost more than the annual salary of a
director-general, the highest-ranking civil servant in Burma? There are
many bad governments in the developing world. But only two stand out in
having destroyed the country by closing all colleges for almost a decade.
In happened during the Cultural Revolution in China and during the
present military occupation of Burma. <br>
<br>
The sad and hard reality is that the window of opportunity for a
negotiated political settlement in Burma may have closed. The regime may
have succeeded in marginalizing Suu Kyi but created a bigger<br>
problem for itself. The recent commando raid by five Burmese freedom
fighters on the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok is possibly the beginning of a
new phase in Burmese politics.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
Myint Thein, Dallas, Texas<br>
</font><br>
<div>Internet ProLink PC User</div>
</html>

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