BURMA DIGEST

BURMA DIGEST

03.09.2006

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US and UK Embassies under Siege

_ By Taisamyone

I applaud the US and UK embassies for providing training and education courses for Burmese citizens able to attend their Rangoon offices. As part of supporting a developing nation, it is perhaps the least that these two countries can do for Burma in the difficult circumstances in which they have to operate. The intransigence of the Burmese junta their thuggish and brutish intimidation of humanitarian aid organisations leaves them with sanctions and poor access to information and training from the outside world.

The New Light of Myanmar has over the last week made two attacks on foreign embassies; first attacking the UK embassy for meeting with the CRPP and NLD, and then both the US and UK embassies for the training courses they provide in English language and international relations courses. As we might expect from past experience of this offensively malodorous propaganda mouthpiece of the junta, they spare no opportunity for their bullying and intimidation. Any actual breach of diplomatic protocol would be handled by the appropriate communication channels in the ‘foreign office’ of whatever ministry of the SPDC deals with foreign relations.

The NLM specifically names individuals – as in one instance recently naming a Burmese woman working at the UK embassy; NLD attendees at training courses – not just to let them know that Military Intelligence is spying on the activities of the embassy – but in a childish attempt at intimidating those named and the rest of the Burma’s citizens into complying with the wishes of the big bully SPDC. But of course, anyone with an ounce of sense in Burma knows that working for an embassy or joining the NLD will invite unwelcome attention from the prying spooks – those who seek to watch and control every aspect of life in Burma – and beyond if they can!

That the UK and US embassies should give courses are referred to as illegal – although the NLM are careful to indicate that ‘private media’ have pointed to this. Of course if the courses were illegal, the UK/US embassies would not give them, or get a formal rebuke from the government. The NLM is just throwing in one of its numerous ‘red herrings’.

The NLM also state that NLD members are entitled to free courses – which of course they pick up on as another indication that the UK/US embassies are using these courses for indoctrinating the NLD and giving them instructions to do their bidding. Who on earth do they think they are talking to!? Brain-washed dummies? The whole point of diplomatic missions giving these open courses is to foster the openness and objectivity that characterises a media and political scene where journalists and politicians can accept and discuss differing opinions. The indoctrination and suppression of free thinking is a central aspect of the junta’s rule via the Press Scrutiny Board. It is the junta and its generals who are praised on every page of NLM for ‘giving instructions’ on every aspect of Burma’s life; whether it is planting Physic nuts or building bridges – the junta are represented as an ‘omnipotent great intelligence’. It is the junta who are doing the indoctrination.

The NLM have also openly ‘accused’ the new UK ambassador of holding talks with ‘unlawful’ organisations. In my view, and most people’s view, it is quite right that the UK/US embassies talk so openly to the NLD and CRPP – they are after all speaking with the representatives of the political parties who won a fair election and should be running the country as the legitimate government – is it not right for government to speak to government? It is the junta who are an illegal government, having repeatedly hijacked democracy in Burma; in 1958 by stealth, 1962 by an unopposed almost bloodless coup, and in the brutal bloodbath of 1988 when they slaughtered thousands of unarmed students and school children. It is the junta who should be holding talks with the NLD, CRPP and leaders of other political and ethnic nationality parties to discuss an immediate handover of power to the people who represent the wishes of the majority of the people, and not those representing the privileged minority in the SPDC or a hand-picked toothless few in the National Convention. However, as we know, the junta are moving further and further into their hermit-like shell, the bunkers of NayPyiDaw, from where every citizen of Burma will seem a threat and an unlawful assembly will be construed as one person thinking for themselves; psychosis and paranoia personified.

The stated aim of the meetings was to discuss the situation in Burma regarding work in the area of the healthcare work on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The UK has recently announced a £20 million ($36m) contribution to a new fund, the Three Diseases Fund, to help fight TB, malaria and HIV and AIDS in Burma. It seems appropriate that the UK embassy should gain a better understanding of the situation in Burma from those who care about this issue. The NLM however, glosses over this stating that the Ministry of Health are responsible for these matters and spend a great deal of money on healthcare – if spending around US$1 per person per year is a lot! The Ministry of Health will no doubt wish to take care of the foreign aid funds via the FEC mechanism – so that they can channel most of it into the pockets of corrupt government officials and the largest share to the avaricious generals. Their disregard for those suffering from AIDS has extended to the recent harassment and arrest of NLD members whose aim has been to alleviate suffering and bring a compassionate caring attitude to their fellow country-men and women.

The NLM news was received by most of us in the free world for what it is – junta’s idiotic propaganda, attacking the ‘neo-colonialists’, blah, blah. A Japanese newspaper who reported the so-called news, the ‘crisscross’ website, invites reader comments – and the junta’s stooges went to town. One ‘Naydin’ lifted a block of anti-British gibberish that could have taken directly from Than Shwe’s national speeches – which is probably where it did in fact come from; either that or a previous article on the subject from NLM. Another, ‘MGPG’, reiterates the junta’s claims that the NLD are in league with those responsible for planting bombs in Rangoon (although he of course refers to it as Yangon). From what I have read and understand about the actions of the malevolent body of the SPDC, it is most likely that the bombs were planted by their own dirty tricks department. The responses have been batting back and forth for some days – it is good to notice that pro-democracy Burmese are taking on the junta in a free debate; good practice for the days when Burma will be a free democracy and debating skills with political opponents will be a key skill – although we assume that there will be few supporters of racist, fascist, authoritarian, or totalitarian policies to debate. Let us all support these efforts of educating anyone deluded by the propaganda and speaking the truth; this may seem at times an over-whelming, long drawn out task, but one in which united and confident we can defeat the common enemy – the SPDC.

Quotes

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties." -- John Milton, English Poet; 1608 -1674.

Article 21, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.

3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

References

http://www.myanmardigest.com/eng_md/Aug25.html

http://www.myanmardigest.com/eng_md/Aug26.html

http://www.myanmardigest.com/eng_md/Aug31.html

http://www.ncgub.net/CRPP_NLD/index%20of%20CRPP.htm

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/pressreleases/burma-20million.asp

http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/382480

Acronyms

NLM New Light of Myanmar

FEC Foreign Exchange Credit

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