BURMA DIGEST

From the moment our Burma Digest first appeared, Ko Htun Aung Gyaw, former chairman of the ABSDF and president of the Civil Society for Burma, has been in our Board of Advisors, as we all, at that time, not very experienced, needed and still need his realism, determination and critical sense.

His opinions concerning “armed struggle” vs. “non-violent struggle” are clear. You may or may not agree with him; we here just present his vision as an alternative approach on how to settle the political deadlock in Burma. But one thing you can’t deny is his talent of realistically analysing the facts which concern us all.

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw was born in Rangoon ,Burma in 1950, September 3rd. After involving in U Thant’s uprising in 1974 December as one of the top leaders, and, again participating in 1975 June strike, he has been captured in 1975 August 23rd and was sentenced to life. Later, he has been released under general amnesty order to all political prisoners in 1980. During the 8.8.’88 uprising, he formed a Freedom Fighters of Burma (FFB) organisation, comprised with former political prisoners. After military cracked down on pro-democracy movement Ko Htun Aung Gyaw has left Rangoon and joined with the ethnic armed resistance groups in the Thai –Burma border. For one year, he has been chairman of the ABSDF, then, he had to quit, for health reasons. Resettled in the USA, he is now, since 1997, president of the Civil Society for Burma.

Burma Digest: At this moment, what are your views and feeling concerning Burma's democracy movement?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: Our democracy movement is powerless and leader less both inside the country and abroad. If the NLD does not have a strategy for the current call, they are doomed. Activists inside Burma are now frustrated and confused. There is no preparation from the pro democracy groups; they only have wait and see policy. Leading exile groups are only promoting

Things like demonstration in NYC to support NLD proposal, as their major activity. Nothing else. For me, we need to prepare for the outcome, if the SPDC ignored the NLD offer, what is the next step for us? The regime will never negotiate with the pro-democracy groups, including NLD. That is why I believe we need to create leverage so that they can listen to our demand. Otherwise, EU, ASEAN, India and China will soon collaborate with the regime because of the lack of ability from the opposition. Most governments do not care about human rights and democracy; they only care about the economic interest for their country. We have to prove that we are capable to counter the regime really fast or we will we be left behind by our once allies.

Burma Digest: I know you've recently published a strategy paper exploring the ways and means to remove SPDC from power and to restore democracy in Burma; what would be the key points you mentioned in that paper?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: The key point is we cannot win the war against them by using one sided non violent struggle, we have to use armed struggle to support the non-violent movement. Urban guerrilla warfare is a suitable strategy to build up the leverage.

Burma Digest: What action do you expect the international community to take concerning Burma's case?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: International communities need to support both ways: non violent and armed struggle. The generals do not care about the UN because it is only a paper tiger, words without action will not scare or wake up the generals from their comfortable beds.

Burma Digest: Many of the readers of our Burma Digest are worldwide campaigners for democracy in Burma. Is there any advice or suggestion you could give them, concerning the action they should take?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: Pro-democracy movement has been hijacked and led by opportunists and people who have lack of political knowledge and guts. People who do not have guts are leading the exile movement and scare to take a risk. As a result, the exile movement ended up with "proposal politics" which give us nothing more than their (so called leaders) survival. Western donors and USA do not want to support arm struggle even though US is still fighting war against terrorists in Iraq. So opportunists only dare to speak out

about non–violent struggle and write so many proposals for their end meets, and for their survival not for change. Our supporters need to think if some one is killing his own family members and his sons and daughters are begging for help from been slaughtered but near by neighbours closed their ears and said it is the killer’s internal affairs, they could not involve in this situation. Is that right for you? How do you think? Like that Burmese generals are killing its own people and its neighbours ASEAN, China and India said it is their internal affairs. How unfair! In US if the parents abused their children, they would be persecuted and be punished. In the similar pattern, Burmese Junta is abusing its own children, (the people) and the police (UN) needs to take action against them. It is not Burma's internal affair; in fact it is a crime against humanity. They need to know some times we need to stage a war if we want peace, other wise we cannot free from the military boots, the military only understand the used of force and the command from the above, nothing else. Even though international supporters are peaceful people and want to use peaceful ways, some times the military see it as weak entities, and they do not give a shit about it. Think about it Burmese people are suffering and have been tortured for four decades, and those non violent supporters are living comfortably in their own country under just law and talking about peace and rejecting arm resistance or any means of violent actions, as a cool person, they do not know how hard it is to survive under SPDC rule, it is like they might have sympathy but when their bellies are full how do they understand the real pain if they are free from pain. How painful it was when a person die from starvation, they will sympathize that person but they will not understand the real pain that the person had. In Burma there is no independence newspapers, no independent TV stations, no freedom of organization even though political parties still hardly survive because of the extreme suppression, the tolerance level of the regime is so low and even a solo demonstrators were getting long prison term for express their dissatisfaction upon the military regime. How could we promote our freedom and demanding our rights under tight control? My suggestion is do not try to be cool for yourselves, if you really want to help Burma, support the armed resistance groups as an alternative. Also we need to persuade the army to join with people if it happened, we can get your freedom. Army is the main blockage and the best way to organize the army

Burma Digest: It may be quite hard for people outside Burma, and for governments, particularly, to understand exactly what is happening inside the country. How do you think the international community can judge about weather and by what means there is a chance to reform?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: It is not hard to understand what is happening inside Burma, because we have internet connection and border trade from India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand and Lao, every day people come and go from the border and carry the news with video tape and recording. If there is a real reform, the regime will released all political prisoners as a their first stage, or start a dialogue with the opposition and released all political prisoners, allowed independence newspapers to exists and allowed political parties to organize the people freely.

Burma Digest: After quite a long period spent abroad from your country, maybe you could tell us: how do you think what is happening in Burma is seen from outside? Do you think people from the USA and from other democratic country are aware and able to understand what's going on in Burma?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: I do not think people from US and EU are aware of Burma and its suffering people because, the US media and the US government has no or little interest in Burma, when the media is not interested, people will not know what is going on in Burma. It was shocking to know that many people from the US including from ASEAN countries do not know where Burma is and what is happening inside Burma.

Burma Digest: Well, here, you may be right…There are still a lot of people I’ve spoken to who are not even too sure where Burma is, on the map. But, however, there are quite a lot of people now, all around the world, who are trying their best to get involved and help Burmese people in their struggle for democracy... Do you think that we can say there is a global movement for democracy in Burma?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: Nope! But if we can get some funding from some where else, and if we (the real grass root leaders) get the funding, trust me we can organize the global movement, if the funding goes to a big bellies, the bellies will be more bigger but our movement will not go forward.

Burma Digest: Is involving in the democracy movement for you a moral duty? A destiny?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: Involving in the democracy movement is a moral duty for all living human being not only me or you or Burmese, it is a duty for all. If we all see it as a moral duty, our world will be the best place to live, peace , love and understanding will blossom again. Yes my destiny is to get our rights back from the oppressor and free our people with any means

Burma Digest: What comes into your mind when you think about the future of Burma? How do you think the country will be like in, let's say, twenty years from now?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: Our country will be a part of Chinese vessel if we cannot fight this evil regime who knows only to control the country under their boot with any means, deforestations, human trafficking, forced labor, and selling out all our natural resources without consideration on pollution and damaging the eco system, allowing millions of Chinese immigrants into Burma is frightening.

On the other hand, if we get rid of the regime in two years, Burma will become one of the Asian tigers within twenty years, I have no doubt about that, we have bright people, who really love our country and willing to sacrifice their lives for our country. We have hard working people but the only problem is the regime, if we get rid of the SPDC in two years we will compete Thailand in twenty years.

Burma Digest: What can we, citizens of the world, do in order to help Burma's democracy movement?

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw: The best thing for the international people to do is give us information about how to organize and communicate our people by using hi-tech, pressure Thailand and India to allow the UN to setup a refugee camps for the army deserters. The current MOU with Burma and India/Thailand is the respected government will have to send back the army deserters, if you guys can find the connection with the two government with the help of the US and EU, The Burmese army will disperse because the Burmese soldiers also want democracy and they have no way out, if we create the way out, we do not need to fight them they will join us voluntarily. We need a pressure from the US, EU , and ASEAN especially from India and Thailand.

If present proposal to SPDC fails by deadline, next agenda for NLD-LA and NCGUB should be to take up arms and join with ethnic arms groups (KNU, SSA, CNF, Mon and United Kachinland Army), and fight for liberated areas to declare “Federal Democratic Government of Burma”.

The combination of Democracy Fighters and Ethnic Army Groups, we shall call Federal Military Forces.

               Thanks to Raluca and the Burma Digest, Ko Htun Aung Gyaw has given us a unadulterated view point of his political standing, his commitment to democracy and justice for the Burmese people still sufferring in Burma-Myanmar.
               From the interveiw, I can understand Ko HAG's disappointment with respect to states and governments of the world and its citizens/people in not giving the proper weight and foci to our country's political situation.
              Regime change has become a buzz word and a mantra for individuals and groups that have and are "flourishing", wallowing in reactionary, meetings, campaigns, social gatherings, while the Burmese people in our homeland(s) are suffering still.
              KO HAG and others, a few who dare to venture into paths and environments, will I truly believe be able to contribute to "both revolution and reform" of Burmese/Myanmar society and culture.
              Democracy is us. WE can do it.

I agree to your saying "we cannot win the war against them by using one sided non violent struggle, we have to use armed struggle to support the non-violent movement". I don't know if our supporters can see about the Civil War starting in our country. I want to suggest ABSDF and pro-democracy armed forces that bombed killings have to be made to top military dogs' meetings like 4-months special meetings. It may take time and risks to do that. But the successful result will bring the freedom to the Burmese people. First, police stations should be bombed as they are the most powerful in the pubic vision. Second, civilian governing offices (Ma-Wa-Ta Offices) along the whole country should be attacked. Third and Last, top generals should be killed with pre-planned bombs.

Please keep in your mind that there are a lots of Burmese young people who will cheer this up to bring the freedom to the country people as they don't want their country to be a part of Chinese vessel.

Ko HTun Aung Gyaw is right . The Military regime in Burma only understand in might. If we don't have any credible armed struggle to pressure & to force them to negotiate with opposition, there is no way we can change any thing under this brutal regime.

Hi! Ko Htun Aung Kyaw, your discussion and trend for armed struggle is very good! Thanks for your brilliant idea and out spoken through the old wall. But, I have read one of your appreciated paper in Burmese, that you mentioned to support ABSDF only. I want to suggest you if you launch armed struggle for Burma, don't depends on ABSDF only. ABSDF formation is, now, left wing style and their current commanders are proud to be a good leftist. They hate US and mostly have anti-US sentiment. If you form new armed forces, don't depend on the class especially students. You can see Taliban is a student army and they came from the refugee camps along the Pakistan border. But, they forgot their past and they did according to Koran when they ruled in Afghanistan. We need to form the new regular armed forces (not front) not based on class, and not betray our donors or supporters especially US. You can see many old Dawn Owe Way (Peacock Crows) bulletin's features about military strategy printed around Marnaepalaw era are only translated from BCP strategies and tactics. I think you can avoid those mistakes that we learned from our history and democratic struggle.

Dear Amantaya (I do not know who you are because you are using a pseudo name) any way you accusation "ABSDF leaders are on the left" is totally wrong-some; they might have leftist attitude but the majority of our members believe in democracy and freedom of expression. If you read my article "Breaking The Dead End", you will understand that I did not only mentioned to support ABSDF but also to (ethnic)arm resistance groups as well.