04.03.2007
Junta's Hidden Agenda
I found the article "Junta's Hidden Agenda" written by Cedric an excellent reading in last issue Burma Digest. Here I'd like to have a few more words to complement to it.
1. At the latest Tamadaw (Army) Day on 26 th March 2006, the Supreme Generalissimo Than Shwe stood proudly in front of the military parade. Behind him were clearly visible three life size bust statues respectively starting with the First Burmese Empire Builder Anawratha King, Alaungphaya and the Bayinaung. A wife of a foreign diplomat asked her husband:" Darling! Who is the next one on the forth empty space?. Her husband answered: "He is still alive now, but it won't take very long to fill the space of that crumbling 4 th Empire."
2. The Burmese generals' contempt for its neighbouring country is quite well known particularly when they crack jokes among themselves. One general asked his friend: " Do you know why the pagodas in Thailand don't have umbrellas on their spires." The answer was: "The Burmese kings and the generals disallowed them for Thai pagodas".
3. The belligerent attitude of the Burmese generals is best described by the following exchanges when a group of Thai VIP generals visited the famous Shwedagon Pagoda during the time of Thaksin 's premiership. A Thai general whispered to his mate :" Look! Tonnes of pure gold shining on the pagoda's girdle. Its all ours from the Ayuthia palace ." A Burmese army guide who overheard it said: " Yes Sir, please come and take it back any time. "
_ By Khun Hom
Cedric's article captures exactly what we believe to be the unquenchable virulent thirst of the chauvinist maha bama for the glory of conquest. I believe that General Aung San may have known this and my father in agreeing to a compromise of a federal union of equals in 1947 sought to temper the ambitions of the latent Burmese chauvinists - that backfired in the assassination of Gen. Aung San, Saopha Sao Sam Htoon of Mong Pawn and other martyrs in July 1947. The Burmese chauvinists have tried to achieved and consolidate their conquest through the backdoor and we believe that they have every intention of expanding that conquest to their SEA neighbours.
Well intentioned democratic Burmese cannot guarantee to control the maha bama chauvinists and to counter such threats of future conquest. In declaring ourselves independent & sovereign and being recognised as such, future Burmese regimes can no longer claim and hide behind “non-intervention in internal affairs" that hides a multitude of sins.
I know that there are some good guys in the pro-democracy Burmese activist camp, but none of you can guarantee keeping the maha bamah in check. Remember Gen. Aung San was assassinated and chauvinists in AFPFL etc were plotting to negate the Panglong Agreement even before his body was cold. We have been given a lesson that cannot be ignored, or we ignore it at our peril. There is no reason to believe that Burmese chauvinism will not rear its ugly head again and again.
_ By Tiger Yawnghwe
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