03.09.2006

Cultural Politics, Asian Values & Burma (1)

_ By Min Khin Kyaw 

(In the Buddhist cannons, Maha-Sammata (the Anganna Suta), a king or a great agreement, is mentioned clearly. He was the first king of human kind and was elected by the people due to his integrity and intellect. It was the time in human history that the social behaviors became more complex and they started to need somebody managing the society with pure justice. And there are the well known ten principles in Buddhism that all rulers must comply, which were taught by the Buddha himself. This should be Burmese way I utterly believe. So what is the Burmese way that the military has been talking about whilst they have been appropriating the resources of the people?)

I don’t believe in the terms- eastern and western values. My point is both eastern and western cultures are the same for certain extent. Both Eastern and Western values are the imagination of intellectuals and politicians. Actually, how have they ever dug enough in explaining how the cultures and values started, overlapped and cross-linking? Of course, modern pop culture came from the west but this doesn’t make it only belongs to the west as the culture itself is mixed with global varieties though they might not have Burmese produce and contribution due to Burma’s situation of over all dead growth.

Human culture is a single one in diverse appearance. There is no pure culture that can stand itself distinctively without the history of humanity, as all lands contain layers of human characteristics as histories. Every culture is full of imitations, borrowing and remaking from other cultures though each can be identified as a different one. Obviously, a good observer can see the similarity in different cultures as styles of arts, languages, beliefs, philosophies, traditional activities, festivals, so on and so fort, no matter how far they are and whatever the obstacles blocking them apart. Like the air which we breathe in and out blowing around the world, all cultures belong to humanity. In fact, there is nothing new apart from technological influences.

All differences have the same roots but the expansions -the inventions and creativities- have changed and shaped the universalities into conventions. They all are of human needs and behaviors to suit the conditional environments and changing world- we can know whether our ancestors achieved it or not as struggling among variety of dualities. Humans are of course to develop a better life and ideal comfort. This is what all cultures are built upon, isn’t it? It’s the unchanged mindset of every society. Then what should determine or undermine the developments for a good existence? This existence also belongs to everything, even beyond the human’s powers.

The intellectual weakness of the creatures is always eroding their own developments; as time goes by, people lose their years in vain without progresses that supposed to be for all human beings universally. Especially for Burmese people living in a vast rich land of possibilities, our losses are critically huge. This is caused by the famine in morality, grace and idea. This condition has led human behavior into darkness.

Even though there are many issues cannot be categorized right or wrong as all arguments have different points of view in madness, faiths and scientific concepts, Burmese issue is so simple and obvious that the Burmese must have freedom for making opportunities without any silly restriction. Nobody wants a loss and a pain- all individuals and races equally feel the same no matter of their colors, blood types and beliefs. Even though the human sufferings are everywhere as are ignored or turned a blind eye for the sake of cultural values and other egocentric interests of profit making in geopolitical scenarios, the cultural sufferings is as if simply fine but the cost is paid mainly by the most disadvantaged of the society.

Undeniably, all modern civilizations based on the developments of ancient cultures- the difference is who learn faster and explore further ahead of others, and find the secrets of the nature and new ideas; anyway, all essential findings are later to be learned and used by others. Learning from others is the development of the nature of humanity. So development is owned by no culture but all humankind.

The earth is getting smaller, as it is said so, but the earth was never too big for the humans, the fish and the birds and even some insects. This is universal seedling. Only the weather and food can determine the spread but for modern humans, this is not the real case anymore. No matter one gets ahead of others, the rest will keep learning and following and making different findings. And the result is all developments are copied and remade into different styles to suit the individuals’ mindsets, and cultures get cross-linking processes. No matter of smart disguises (deliberately or creatively), the background behind can be detectable. But the history has successfully hidden the causes of the earliest starts; and modern humans have made them their religions.

Human should be human. A nation should be a nation. And the world of humans should be human’s world ruled by the humans with human needs and responsibility. In general, all humans want the leaders to be true blue humans qualified as complete human beings and ruled by the laws that agreed collectively as reasonable democracy. This is the right of humanity for a good leadership.

Human is supposed to be aware of egocentrism. And we all consider that it’s always smart to have conscience to avoid dangers and bad things. And we believe that it’s always humane to conduct and behave with care and consideration. Human values are the same as much as human rights are universal. If human doesn’t try to hurt themselves through their ignorance and egocentric untamed mindset (which should be considered wild and belong to the other kinds of creatures which are mentally under developed and thus, have to live in fear and alert all their lifespan), what can determine against the condition of we beings walking on two legs right on earth, thinking in a certain dept, educating ourselves through morality and knowing how good in helping each others and looking after other less advantaged creatures?

In my view, Human culture is based on knowledge, wisdom and progress. Knowing only rubbish can determine to undergo through ideological breakdowns as a lot of time was wasted for unwholesome processes. Everyone knows to give efforts for good. Lacking knowledge in varieties is bad as well. Only human can kill humans in mass apart from the pandemics. In adequate knowledge can cause speculation which lead to false conclusion is rather harmful than for good.

Culture is manmade and made as development. Hence, nothing can make different values among cultures beyond claims. All means and methods seen in them are intended for the sake of wellbeing of the people living in an area, even if the results do not meet expectations. The reactions inside a society or group toward member to member, the natures, landscapes, resources, findings, inventions, etc are actually for making an advanced society and relationships as they see; this vision is also the reflections among all societies. And it is making rich in human needs whether for the sake of all entire societies. Therefore, it belongs to all human beings. There are cultures shaped by liars unfortunately; Burmese modern culture is one of them. Expectation is no more than propaganda and has no condition to achieve, as the Burmese tyrannical regime has no idea how to build a society. So called Burmese way is highlighting how stupid the SPDC regime is or if they were smart, it must be indeed a lie. Of course, many cultures are not supposed to be just and good to everyone when they’re shaped by the powerful. But we must know between the culture of human and the cultures of other kinds of animals though are similar. But human has an advantage and is correction which is the difference between the two.

Both terms- western value and eastern value- are no deeper than labels; they are no reality but based on superficial judgments. Everyone on earth can say hello if the receiver understands what hello means, or some explanation might require. Everyone calculates one plus one equals to two. Whatever you say as greeting or to get somebody’s attention, the purpose is universal culture. Nothing in the nature varies human to human apart from concept and conduct; they all apply the same measure. Though concept and conduct make cultural diversities, this behavior is just common. We see beauty as beauty and ugliness is ugliness, even thinking process as reaction and assumption are the same; however, the different lines taught by different societies have the right to be different. The objects considered beautiful or ugly, the condition of greeting and asking for and paying attention have nothing to do with different points of view of individuals.

Human value must not be deluded by manmade media, tools, inventions, faiths and concepts, and most important than all- races of different traditions for joy and amusement. Everyone knows that two lovers are happy when they have each other as assurance of their happiness. Everyone can be content when they had enough of what they want. This is innate culture of human kind which also belongs to other social creatures. And we can know what the basic structure and concept of human being by examining all creatures. Physically and psychologically, everyone wants to be someone and endures no pain (pain is not a form of pleasure). Even if hard to visualize the abstract scene of the value of humanity and our general culture clearly due to the established terms and beliefs, the universality in humanity cannot be changed. No truth can change anybody but everyone has to change their minds for the truths; noncompulsory though.

Whilst people are saying they believe in the same God of peace, they are killing each others for the faiths they believe in as if they’re different and their peace have different identities. It’s in fact egocentric chaos stirring the uncontrolled desire for domination. Extreme greed in power and extreme pride in one’s possession of idea, strength, beauty, intelligence etc make people to wish being the top waves and to forget there are infinite waves just as a part of the very vast ocean. The matter is- when a big wave of water rises and moves in, water itself has to give way, as humans suffer from manmade tyranny. Manmade varieties cannot make man to be different artificially. Even though ill-treatment is local and common, people- men and women, old or young- are the same creatures eating the same earth and the same sun; no god chosen people drinking the god chosen rain from the god chosen cloud. Actually, it’s our discriminatory views out of prejudgment and personal esteem that one thinks one can see the difference between us and them. People lie, steal, kill, commit adultery, and say bad words no matter of place and time. Bad and good are universal and are part of human value. This is frankly human value set on their vice and virtue, kindness and wickedness. Are we bound to love and humanity, or are we bound to race and faith? What should we do? Can’t we be bound to all at the same time? Yeah, when Drinking and soberness can go the same time!

The SPDC (abbreviation of the Burmese military regime) is claiming that it’s democratizing Burma. If its claim were true why is it killing Burmese peoples faster than its democracy process? It has jailed more people of conscience than it listened to. Obviously, its so-called democratization is just a sham to prolong its lifespan of destroying a people for its own use. It can’t achieve its purpose although people have no much power but they’re not fools. Yet the blunt acceptance of some respectable global players is backing it and arguing for it and ready to defend its crises. We can witness the existence of the humans with no hearts of human kind.

Whilst the supporting nations of the SPDC military regime saying that it’s just domestic affairs, they’re selling arms, paying for cruelty and genocide by buying natural resources and blocking Burmese peoples’ struggles in any available form. E.g. the access to the UNSC has been vetoed and blocked many times; they want to be too true and too right in this matter as if they can do no where else. Is this what they value- being on the side of the SPDC a cruel regime, a bunch of real thieves and thugs (not a metaphor)? Why can’t they treat the Burmese people better than they true to the SPDC military regime? Everybody can see the glaring truth what driving their policies on Burma; their actions are truer than their words. Fundamental logic and the meaning of morality and their right-wrong natural realities cannot be changed by any effort of political manipulations. Only the state of individuals’ reputation changes by the actions of these individuals.

Whilst the objective of the United Nations is invisible among national objectives that are causing chaos on earth, the argument over peace and human rights is far from over. All those respectable leaders cannot agree how to build the world of peace. Do they really qualify for global affairs? How can the same soil make different people; the genes or the beliefs or self-interests?

What on earth am I to be lecturing? I don’t, to be honest! This is just a reminder for those denying and emphasizing on the-east-and-west-are-different without detailing obviously, and giving full torrential supports to the tyrannical regimes around the world! Why on earth only a handful of nations treat us human beings as human?

People believe that the Pyu, an ancient ethnic with some significant achievements of Burma, are extinct. Aren’t the existing Burmans the broods or descendants of both Pyu and Burman as they were historically tied? (And the Mons, don’t they share the same effect?) How do they know they are not Pyu but pure blood Burmans? For the Pyu, it’s a half-half advantage even though they, the Pyu, aren’t recognized officially as Pyu is being in the blood of the Burmans. In reality, the Burmans do not even know their root identity; this isn’t unusual though. Nobody is certain how the Pyu, parallel to the Pagan civilization, disappeared whilst the Pagan era started shining. But no people on earth want to follow the path of the Pyus anyway. Anybody with human hearts can imagine how those people struggling for their identities and existence feel. Human is human as our ancestors’ blood stream has been flowing all over the world and all cultures are linked but human must value human and the outcomes from the landmarks achieved by different groups in their struggles as different knowledge and diversity.

This is some of the Asian values. Whilst critics are assuming about India’s worry of Chinese influence on Burma, India and China are getting friendlier than ever, as the friendship between China and the SPDC military regime exists due to the gas, oil, timber and other resources exploiting, the trade of the secondhand arms and low-standard export from China, and as China can also export migration and suspecting Tibetization (the migration of the Han Chinese into Tibet planned by the Chinese communist regime which has been complaint by the Tibetans) into Burma. Would the world accept if China takes over Burma by soft invasion? China keeps the SPDC military regime in its pocket because it could have Burma later by debt-and-interest-depositing; even though I don’t know the deal between China and the SPDC military regime, I have to try to see the future anyway. And would the world and Chinese Burmese accept if someday Burma tries to send the invasive Chinese migrants back to China- like Hong Kong deals with the mainland Chinese? I’m no way against Chinese people! I respect all human kinds. But people are used by their leaders; and they are used as volunteers! Of course, the problem of the Burmese with China is the Chinese leadership and its policy on Burma; whatever they said, their actions indicate their thoughts and plans.

(Most Chinese-Burmese ancestors came into Burma to get away from the threat of the Chinese communists but I don’t think most of them have anything to do with Kuomintang but sheer horrors. Indeed, we have been under various pressures from the communist China for many years and now it has become the remote control of the SPDC-half a communist robot. By the way, I myself am an anticommunist as a Buddhist and as knowing half-cooked ideology of communism which has been ‘under-construction-never-to-finish’ with the cost of freedom and spiritual development. I don’t believe in class-struggle- actually, we all know what selfishness and cruelty are all about and can be seen in all communist style governance. Classes are created by theories and rhetoric campaigns. People are actually in the condition they have to struggle upward for good. Both physically and mentally everyone must start from zeroes- this is the fundamental condition of all kinds of creatures. Nobody has a right to blame for the ones who got the better chances and intelligence. And all creatures can live in diversity with the natural balance. We human kind has the intelligence how to live in developing and sharing peacefully, whether we choose to do so. No system that blames and has no mercy is suitable for human kind but sadly, such systems are applied through the world.)

To be continued.

Comments

Nyunt Shwe said _

           If the author of this article would like to spread his thoughts among the Myanmar/Burmese community and get response from the readers, I 'd like to urge him to write in Burmese language. Many people (more than 70 percent of us who are now living in abroad) could not read English.
             I found many of Burma Digest articles in English section are interesting. Even among the Myanmar dissidents recently settled in English speaking countries, many of them could not read well. Only fortunate few who have interest in English and been  reading it, and who could go to the universities in foreign countries, of course, they have not much problem to use English as a medium.
             The board of editors of Burma Digest should decide which of the articles should appear again in Myanmar/Burmese. Anyway, I would like to thank Burma Digest for giving us variety of thoughts to nourish our mind.

Your Comments here_

Request: If you can kindly volunteer to translate BURMA DIGEST English articles into Burmese, please let us know burmadigest@tayzathuria.org.uk .

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