14.01.2007
I HAVE A DREAM
Opening Heart on Equal Rights for All Ethnicities
BY_ DR SAN OO AUNG
Burma’s one-month Open Heart campaign is started by the 88 Generation
Students group from January 4, 1948 to February 4, calling all the Burmese
people to write letters to SPDC Military Government leaders and speak out the
truth about their sufferings requesting for reforms. in politics, the economy
and social affairs.
Ko Jimmy and Ko Mya Aye lead the 88 Generation Students group fearlessly in
spite of numerous intimidation and threats including illegal arrest of their
leaders.
“You will never be free from suffering unless the world can hear your cry,” the
said in a report announcing the campaign. “Our aim is to have the Burmese
military authorities hear the feelings of the people.”
The letters will be collected by the group and sent to Senior-General Than Shwe,
the head of SPDC Myanmar Military Government.
I hereby send my letter to the 88 Generation Students group through Burma
Digest. As I am sure that the whole country and the world is aware of the
injustices and sufferings of our Burmese People, I wish to emphasize more on the
requesting the Junta to change their mind-set.
I Have A Dream
Last night, I fell asleep on the sofa while thinking to write a letter
supporting the Burma’s Open Heart campaign. Earlier in the evening, I read the
‘I Have A Dream’ speech given by Martin Luther King in the August 1963. He had
electrified America with his speech, given from the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial. And strangely I really dreamed a Burmanized dream almost exactly like
King’s famous speech.
Last 60 years ago, in February 1947, all of the Ethnic groups in Burma had a
dream to form the Union of Burma with the signing of the Panglon Agreement.
But their dreams changed to a dreadful nightmare under the successive Military
rulers from Ne Win, Saw Maung and Than Shwe.
His Royal Highness Prince Hso Khan Pha also known as Tiger Yawnghwe, the eldest
son of Sao Shwe Thaik, the former Saopha [Prince] of Yawnghwe [Nyaung-Shwe] and
the first President of Burma after Burma's Independence from British colonial
rule said_
"Might I add that the problem that exists is not ethic "minority" rights versus
the "majority" Burmese rights but rather of equality of rights for all?
The 1948 Union of Burma was understood by us to be a federal union of equals.
And though the intent of the 1948 Constitution was federal, in rushing it
through the Constituent Assembly by the AFPFL [Fa-sa-pa-la], the federal Union
in practice became unitary.
When we, during 1958-62, tried to institute constitutional reforms in the Union
Parliament towards a more equitable federal system as envisaged by the 1947
Panglong Agreement, Ne Win staged his military coup and he and his successor
Burmese military troops in Shan country raped, murdered & tortured to oppress,
suppress and intimidate."
Yes, we all have to admit this momentous Panglon Agreement or treaty came as a
great hope or dream of a paradise to millions of Burmese Ethnic Minorities who
had been scorched in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyful dawn
to end the long nightmare of cruelly subdued downtrodden Minority Races and
Religious Groups.
But 60 years later, we must face the tragic fact that not only the Ethnic
Minorities are still not free but Minority Religious groups and mixed blooded
people are also discriminated and marginalized in present Myanmar under
successive military rulers.
Sixty years later, the life of the Ethnic Minorities and Minority Religious
groups and mixed blooded people are still sadly crippled by the manacles of
segregation and the chains of discrimination.
Sixty years later, the Ethnic Minorities live on a lonely island of poverty in
the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.
Sixty years later, the Ethnic Minorities still languishing in the corners of
Myanmar society and finds themselves an exile in their own land.
Sixty years later, it is like a dreadful dusk or sunset triggering the repeat of
the never ending night-mares of a winter.
So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we
have come to our nation's capital Nay Pyi Daw to cash a check.
When the architects of our Union of Burma wrote the magnificent words of the
1947 Panglong Conferences leading to the Panglon Agreement and the 1948
Constitution and the Declaration of Independence of the Union of Burma on the
4th January 1948, they were signing a promissory note to which every Burmese
citizens was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all the citizens of Burma would be guaranteed the
inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious
today that Myanmar Military leaders have defaulted on this promissory note
insofar as the Ethnic and Religious Minority citizens are concerned.
1. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, Myanmar Military leaders have
given the minority people a bad checque, which has come back marked
"insufficient funds."
2. However, we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
3. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of
opportunity of this nation.
4. So we have come to cash this checque –
5. a checque that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the
security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind Myanmar Military leaders of
the fierce urgency of now because we could not wait any longer as we are
suffering the injustices and occupation for thousands of years which increased
under the present Military Rule.
1. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the
tranquilizing drug of gradualism. To express in other words, we could not wait
any longer.
2. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to
the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of
opportunity to all of God's children.
3. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to
the solid rock of brotherhood.
It would be fatal for the Myanmar Military leaders to overlook the urgency of
the moment and to underestimate the determination of the all the Burmese People
including downtrodden Ethnic Minorities, Religious Minorities and mixed blooded
people. This sweltering summer of the Burmese People 's legitimate discontent
will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.
2007 is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Burmese People
needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if
the Myanmar Military leaders return to business as usual. There will be neither
rest nor tranquility in Burma/Myanmara until the all the Burmese Citizens are
granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our
Myanmar/Burma until the bright day of justice emerges.
1. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm
threshold which leads into the palace of justice.
2. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of
wrongful deeds.
3. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of
bitterness and hatred.
4. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and
discipline.
5. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.
Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force
with soul force.
6. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Burmese People must not
lead us to distrust of all the Myanmar Military Personals.
7. Because many of our Myanmar Military Personals brothers, as evidenced by been
the children of their founding father General Aung San, would one day come to
realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is
inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
1. And as we walk,
2. we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead.
3. We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights,
"When will you be satisfied?"
1. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of
travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the
cities.
2. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Burmese People's basic mobility is from
a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
3. We can never be satisfied as long as a Shans in three Shan States and in
other parts of Myanmar cannot vote or cannot live earn and live peacefully.
4. We can never be satisfied as long as a Kachins in the Kachin State and in
other parts of Myanmar cannot vote or cannot live earn and live peacefully.
5. We can never be satisfied as long as a Chins in the Chin State and in other
parts of Myanmar cannot vote or cannot live earn, pray at their Churches of
choices and live peacefully.
6. We can never be satisfied as long as a Kayin, Kayah, Mon Rakhine etc in the
their respective States and in other parts of Myanmar cannot vote or cannot live
earn, pray at their Churches of choices and live peacefully
7. We can never be satisfied as long as Muslims, Chinese and mixed blooded
citizens of Burma in Myanmar cannot vote or cannot live earn, pray at their
Churches or Mosques of choices and live peacefully together with their brethren
Burmas.
8. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice
rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
9. Yes! We can never be satisfied until there is a Federal Union based on equal
status of all the races.
10. We can never be satisfied until the Myanmar Military leaders accepted the
basic characteristics of democratic system such as_
a. accept the plurality.
b. We must allow multi-political parties even if based on different races and
religions
c. There must be no intimidation of the candidites.
d. There must be no intimidation of the oppositions.
e. There must be no threats or restrictions on all the candidates and parties.
f. All the citizens must be allowed to participate in the election process,
voting as well as standing as a candidate or people’s reprensatitive.
g. There must be an independent unbiased Election Commission.
h. We strongly recommend a UN Election Watch Dog.
i. The opposition must be given a free hand to campaing.
j. The opposition must be allowed access and usage of mass media even if it is
controlled by the military government.
k. And all must accept the result of the elections whether any one win or loss.
l. Voters must be able to freely choose their preferred candidates/parties
without interference
m. Federal Union based on equal status of all the races and religions.
11. We can never be satisfied until the Myanmar Military leaders recognize each
and every person’s rights, minoritiy races, minority religions, workers, women,
children including handicapped persons etc. _
a. And those minorities’ rights must be protected from the “bullies” of the
majority.
b. The National Convention should be conducted in a more meaningful way and a
more inclusive or all-inclusive process.
c. All the people of Myanmar/Burma must be allowed to be participated by
representation.
d. NLD, all the oppositions, civil society, ethnic minorities and minority
religious groups must be allowed to be participated or allowed to present an
open official stands, give suggestions, requests or objections.
e. No one commenting about the National Convention must be prosecuted.
a. the Convention.
12. We can never be satisfied until the Myanmar Military leaders change the
current National Convention as the first step to the democratization and they
must follow the guidelines of democracy.
a. No delegates should be arrested for the activities carried out in relation to
the Convention.
b. And no one should be expelled or barred from the Convention.
c. Political parties or other groupings should not be expelled from the
Convention for what they say or advocate peacefully.
d. Daw Suu should not be disqualified also.
13. We can never be satisfied until the Myanmar Military leaders release all the
political leaders and all the political prisoners.
14. We can never be satisfied until the Myanmar Military leaders accept our
following demands_
a. Police & Military must be under the control of civilian elected politicians.
b. There must be Rule of Law and the present practice of Rule by (military) Law
must be abolished and never allowed to surface again.
c. The Laws must be fair and practice justice on all the citizens without any
discriminations.
d. No one must be allowed to stay above the law or allowed to break the law. The
LAW or JUSTICE must be BLIND.
e. There must be the presumption of innocence until proven guilty;
f. Trial by jury of peers;
g. The right to a fair trial with appeal rights;
h. The right to adequate & independent legal representation
i. Not only there must be fair and justice but it must be seen that there is
fairness and justice.
j. The government’s decision-making must be transparent and must allow the
public scrutiny.
k. The present and future elected officials in the Government and civil servants
must be held accountable for their actions.
l. The government must be responsive to the public complaints and grouses.
m. Governments must grant the Freedom of speech for all the citizens and all the
media. There is FREEDOM Of and AFTER SPEECH..
n. Freedom of association for all the citizens, organizations including the
opposition parties. Various Religious & Political organizations must be
permitted to form, organize and active freely.
o. SPDC must change to a True full democracy but not the guided or disciplined
democracy or the corrupted flawed nor hybrid democracies,
p. There must be Separation of Powers between the Legislative (Parliament),
Administrative (Government) and Judiciary.
q. SPDC must allow independent free media allowing investigative journalism
allowing to probe the Government officials and Government Servants. It must be
Independent, competitive, non-monopolized, media free from government censorship
or editorial restrictions.
r. Allowing to set up the independent Anti Corruption Agency.
s. Full freedom of religious-thought, belief, expression & practice, including
abolition of Government controls of religious affairs.
t. The right of self-determination for each and every citizen, irrespective of
race, religion, creed, colour, gender etc. That means we all have to agree for
the Rights of all the Ethnic Minorities and all the Religious Minorities.
u. There must be a strong and firm Non-discrimination by Governments,
individuals or organizations on the basis of race, nationality, colour,
religion, gender, marital status, political belief or affiliation, physical or
mental disability.
v. Government must set up the antitrust legislature to control the monopoly in
each and every field.
w. People must have the power to monitor and record at the distribution of
wealth and opportunity among the different groups depending on race, religion
and political alignment.
x. People must have the power to monitor and record the Political patronage-
awarding government contracts, appointments, promotions, scholarships, land
distributions, permits etc.
y. Government must take care of the Rural development and the Urbanization,
squatter relocation and settlements must be properly planned
z. Government must take care of the Basic infra-structure facilities, water,
electricity, highways, telephone, multimedia facilities must be taken care of
for the benefit of all the citizens.
15. We can never be satisfied until the Myanmar Military leaders respect and
recognize each and every person’s rights, minoritiy races, minority religions,
workers, women, children including handicapped persons etc.
Wake up all Myanmar Citizens, knowing that somehow this situation can and will
be changed.
a. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
b. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and
frustrations of the moment,
c. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this Secular Democratic Federal Union of Burma will
rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be
self-evident: that all men are created equal."
1. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Shan States the sons of Shan
rebels and the sons of former political prisoners will be able to sit down
together at a table of brotherhood with the Bama soldiers.
2. I have a dream that one day even the state of Chin, sweltering with the heat
of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and
justice.
3. I have a dream that our children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the race, creed and religion but by the content of their
character.
4. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Arakan, whose military commander's lips
are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will
be transformed into a situation where little Arakan boys and Rohingya girls will
be able to join hands with little Bama boys and Bama-Chinese girls and walk
together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
a. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and
mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked
places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and
all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which
I return to the Federal Union of Burma.
b. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone
of hope.
c. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of Myanmar
into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
d. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to
struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together,
knowing that we will be free one day.
There will be the day when all of all the children of Burma/Myanmar will be able
to sing our National song with a new and meaning feeling. Moreover, if
Myanmar/Burma is to be a great nation, this must become true.
1. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of Kachin.
2. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of Pegu Yoma.
3. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let
freedom ring from the snowcapped mountains far north in Putao!
4. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of Chin!
5. But not only that; let freedom ring from Shan Yoma!
6. Let freedom ring from Popa!
7. Let freedom ring from every Mandalay hill, Sagaing Range. From every
mountainside, let freedom ring.
8. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every
hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day
when all of God's children, Bama , Shan, Kachin, Kare, Chin, Mon and all the
Ethnic Minorities, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus, will be able to
join hands and sing in the words of the old Union of Burma National song.
.
Comments:
Dave Law said _
Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday is the day after tomorrow; had he been alive he would have been so proud of this article. He would have supported Our Cause.
Dr. San Oo Aung replied _
Yes Dr Law, I agree with you that Martin Luther King would support us. Last week, Dr Salai Lian Hmung, general secretary of the Ethnic Nationalities Council is awarded with the 2007 Martin Luther King prize.
But it is a shame that South African Government is morally bankrupt to vote against the will of Burmese people to fight the modern Apartheid SPDC. They had conveniently forgotten that the whole world had help them fight against the Apartheid Regieme.
We all should write and request the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela to reprimand the present young leaders. I hope those two great man could be able to influence the shortsighted ungrateful South Africa government.
Your Comments here_ can use win-Burmese fonts; but not symbols (:/\<>!|{]~#$)
Quote of the year:
Last week's English article
.