Printable Version

Burma Digest Current Issues

Dispersing Displaced People

Sao Hso Kham Pha said _

It is most admirable perhaps those countries in the international community are gearing up to take the Karen refugees, including Canada. Isn't this move actually assisting and aiding the SPDC regime in Burma to solve their "ethnic cleansing" problem, their policies of cultural and actual genocide on the shoulders of the UN and other member countries? This becomes not merely an "internal displacement" of IDPs, serious enough as it is but an international dispersion of an ethnic national people worldwide. Now the Karen, next the Mon, Karenni, Shan, Kachin, Chin and Arakan. How convenient for the SPDC regime and finally they can concentrate and turn on the Burmese opposition democrats. There is a much simpler solution - help the captive Peoples of the former Union of Burma to rid themselves of the military regime in “Burma". The problem there is not the making of the ethnic nationals or so termed "minorities" as is conveniently claimed by the dictators but it is the successive military regimes themselves who fuel the flames of disintegration like arsonists who start fires for gain. After nearly half a century of military dictatorship, I believe that the Peoples of all nationalities have the will to resolve any problem without the military regime's help. It is like getting the wolves to guard the sheep.

In 1947 the Shans led the other Nationalities into a Union at Panglong in the Shan States to include the Burmese in the territories of British Burma because we believed that a genuine federal union of all national peoples and territories was possible and again at the Taunggyi Accord in 1960. This was however decisively derailed when General Ne Win seized power in a military coup in March 1962, followed by successive military regimes to the current
SPDC.

Yes the Shan declared independence last April 17, 2005 - as have the Karenni. This is our Treaty Right (Panglong 1947) and Constitutional (1948 Union of Burma Constitution) and it is perfectly legal and constitutional. In secret canvassing inside Shan States done by the Shan leadership on the ground, 48 out of 56 Se-Viengs or Townships of Shan States voted for independence in 2000, in 2004 and recently on Feb.27, 2006 that majority rose to 54:56. Incidentally the Shan Declaration was warmly endorsed either privately or publicly by the Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Karenni, Mon and Karen and by genuine Burman/Burmese democrats. To accept the military regime’s lie that they are the only ones to stop the break-up of the Union is either naive or ignorant of the facts or both. It is successive military regimes in Burma who are the actual and real author of this break-up.

Eric Snider said _

Your opinion is a welcome one as it opens up an opportunity for discussion of issues about the dispersion of people who have sought refuge along the borders of Burma.

Is the decision to allow some of the 200,000 refugees in camps along the borders of Burma to disperse to third countries a way of letting the generals 'off the hook' for the crimes they have committed, as you have suggested? It could be -- if we allow it to happen that way by just forgetting about the newcomers.

However, the experience we have had in Canada since the arrival of the Yawnghwe family in the 80s and the 88 Student Generation in the 90s and others on various occasions suggests that something quite different could happen as the newcomers from the camps begin to settle here and elsewhere. In fact, your presence here, and the presence of so many others who have come, has done far more to raise the consciousness of people in Canada -- and elsewhere, as well – to what has been happening in Burma, than ever would have been the case, if you had simply remained where you were.

The Karen community, as it already exists in Canada, has some excellent leaders.  By supporting them as they work to make the newcomers welcome, we will ensure that their voices get to be heard, as well. However, it's one thing to raise consciousness -- quite another thing to come to some kind of agreement about the best way of 'getting rid of the military regime', as you put it.  That's the challenge for the political leaders of the exile communities.  I think you've got a long way to go and a lot of hard compromises to reach before a convincing solution is found. The will may be there, but the way is not very clear yet.

Fighters and Rescuers
( by Saw Pyi)

The forest is burning;
The living things are fleeing.
The fire-fighters trying to kill the forest fire,
The rescue teams trying to save the lives.
Killing the fire is solving the problem,
Saving the lives is Humanitarian relief.
Saving the lives is not solving the problem,
Solving the problem is not Humanitarian relief.
Both are urgent- Important but different issues and different works.
The forest is still burning,
The people are still fleeing.
The two teams are still confusing.

......................................................

Comments

Saw Pyi explained _

Not as a writer, as a reader; I saw the Nature in the poem. First, the Nature of people. Normally, the fire fighters are people who give favour on the Head, or Head-Person. The rescuers are people who give favour on the Heart, or Heart-Person. But according to the following equation the person can be changed.

If E=IQ,   Heart Person = Head Person
When E + IQ = 0 ,  Heart person + Head Person = Human Being
Therefore, +E = -IQ , More Emotion = Less IQ
( Or )     -E = +IQ , Less Emotion = More IQ

The Fire Fighters can be changed to the Rescuers if there are their beloved family members among the fleeing people. It means the Head-Person can become to the Heart-Person. As well as the Heart Person can change to the Head Person if the Emotion is less and the IQ is high, (-E = +IQ).
There is nothing wrong and nothing right. Or both are right and both are wrong, if people want to argue.
Actually, it is just the Nature of EIQ of People.

Second, the Nature of Fire.
Third, the Nature of Fleeing People.
And then the Ways to Handle the Nature.
How to handle the nature of people?
How to handle the nature of fire?
How to handle the nature of fleeing people?
This is the first gate of the poem.

Your Comments here_

Please click on Google ads below and have a look around; your clicks will help make Google contribute towards BURMA DIGEST website maintenance.