CHECK MATING A SR. GENERAL

(Khunhom; Foreign Secretary of Interim Shan Government) 

The art of check mating calls for not only vision, co-ordination, an analytical mind but the player also needs to be astute.

In his political moves to check mate Burma's Sr. General, US President Bush is now compelled to move his key figures cautiously involving India, Japan and China. Even then he (Bush) finds it tough without eliminating the ten ASEAN pawns collectively and individually protecting the Black King Sr. General.

One pawn (the Philippines) is already in his pocket. But one other pawn is a tough nut to crack because it’s too close to the general. That’s where the similarity between the Chess game and that of the politics ends.

In politics, however, the game's pieces are played by humans where one could not discount the power of "human values". Globalization fails to catch everybody's fascination because it feeds on profiteering without due regard for human values. Most of the multi national corporations are stunned by these emerging forces everywhere in South America, Europe and now moving to Asia. The onus is now brought to bear on ASEAN and they realize their present policy is unsustainable and "human values" is haunting them like their own shadows.

A king's transparency could not have been more apparent when he  descended down-to-earth in compliance with "human values".

In His Majesty's latest speech The Royal Monarch of Thailand said: "I am also a human and entitled to be criticized as everybody".

The burning question now is can all these TEN Pawns collectively or individually plays the role of PROTECTORS to the Black Sr. KING any longer.

Bush is playing his game very well after all!!!

Now where do we stand as a Tai nation to be? There are eight millions of them. Their human values needs to be protected too. We must move on for our own protection and can not afford to be marginalized or brushed aside as a peripheral case.

Khunhom

(Interim Shan Government)