According to the Reuters report on Tuesday Sep 3, Myanmar's military government said on Tuesday it would take legal action against two students arrested in last month for staging an anti-government protest.

Rights groups say one of the students unfurled the flag of Myanmar's underground student union, which shows a fighting peacock, while another handed out leaflets. The two were among around 15 students arrested last month ahead of a visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The other students -- detained, rights groups say, for belonging to a literary discussion group -- have been released.

The RED YELLOW LEFT ALIGN FIGHTING PEACOCK FLAG is a potent symbol of student protest in Myanmar.

When they (anti-government media "The Irrawaddy") say robbery and looting have become rampant in the impoverished Myanmar I never forget the speech of Bogyoke Aung San (Father of Daw Aung SAn Suu Kyi)broadcasted at 6.33 p.m. on 5th April 1947.

"When the communists are unable to attack us using workers they are now thinking of using the students to attack us. Among the members of the executive committee of the All Burma Students Union are those who are under the influence of the communists. The communists control the All Burma Students Union through these members.

The ABSU through the influence of these members, decided to get the students in the whole country go on a strike and at that time we were rather busy in connection with the talks to be held in England."

"The plan of the communists was to turn out many " Bo Aung Gyaws " while the AFPFL (Hpa-Hsa-Pa-La) was on the government. Then, they will point an accusing finger at the AFPFL and set the people against the AFPFL. What an evil and ruthless plan!"

"Since the communists have not succeeded in attacking the AFPFL using the students, they are now attacking us using the peasants. The looting of rice-in the districts and townships was undertaken according to the
decision of their Pyu Conference.

I don't need to have to explain why
they are looting rice. Are they looting rice because they are really starving or because they want to push the AFPFL into a tight corner?

This has been made plain in the explanations given by the Minister for Home".

"Now that the people have heard what I said, I believe that they will come to realize how the communists have made use (or misuse) of the workers, students and peasants just to seize power for themselves. These communists are rather too clever. The whole country will have to regard
them as mentor in the matter of trying to attain power not by legal
means but by foul means and dirty tricks."

"Carry out political work using whatever means which is legal, just and fair. We will do our utmost to protect such persons according to law.

But, if they try to cause the disintegration of the nation adhering to the evil notion of "Spoil the meat if one cannot eat it". I hereby warn
them that we shall strike at them using all our strength."

 

Aid on drugs is a humanitarian issue that should be fought by all.

The policy of Western countries including the USA and European nations on continuing to link funding for anti-drug campaigns to political movement will not help fight against drugs.

 

It is sad to hear that refugees killed and missing after heavy rains in northern Thailand.

Also angry to hear Thai newspaper's conflicting reports after reading the press conference news in Yangon.

According to the press conference 21 August issue of the Yodaya English news daily The Nation carried a report that at about 9.30 a.m. on 20 August, a police force of the Sankhlaburi Police Station in Kanchanaburi Province had made a search of houses where Myanmar dissidents lived and that 31 Myanmar dissidents had been arrested. This group of 31 persons consisted of members of the NLD (Liberated Area), ABSDF, the Democratic Party for New Society (DPNS) and the PDF as well as those belonging to ethnic armed groups, the KNU and Mon Progressive Youth (MPY), who as the paper stated were democracy activists.

Then the Nation newspaper issued on 22 August reported that Police. Colonel. Vorachat of the Sankhlaburi Police had sent back 15 of those arrested to Myanmar and that 16 others would be similarly dispatched on 22 August. It went on to state that none of those arrested were involved in the dissident movement and were merely illegal immigrants. So they had accordingly been deported to Myanmar in accordance with regular immigration laws.

Concerning this news report, the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok made official inquiries at the Yodaya Foreign Ministry as well as with those responsible for the case. Capt. Anan Kaittikulstaporm of Sankhlaburi Police Station in Kanchanaburi Province in reply, stated that these people had been arrested for violating immigration laws by entering the country, so after questioning they had been deported. But in order to taken action against Yodaya citizens who had harboured them, they had temporarily detained two of the Myanmar immigrants to testify as witnesses in court.

The Yodaya newspapers had given many conflicting reports saying these people had been handed over to the Myanmar authorities or that they had already been deported. But inquiries revealed that the facts of the case showed that the Yodaya immigration authorities had brought these people by car to the border as if to deport them. But in a little while a Police car came to pick them up again and sent them home to their respective homes and offices. There was only the pretence of taking action as if they were being actually deported but this was far from the case.

Of those arrested, 13 of them Aung San Nyunt of NLD (LA), Aung Kyaw Soe of DPNS, Thein Lwin of ABSDF, Min Maung Hsan, Ma Tint, Ma Waing, Ma Ni, Ma Khin Moe Wai, Moe Wai, Moe Khaing, Khin Aung, Htay Aung, Mya Than Zan, and Sein Lwin were charged with illegal entry by the Sanklaburi Police Station and after each had been fined 1000 bahts, they were handed over to the immigration authorities. Later the Yodaya immigration officials at about 1530 hours on 21 August brought them by car and dumped them by the roadside near Thonzu Village. After some time three policemen of Sankhlaburi Police Station arrived to pick up these people on the roadside and took them back to the town of Sanklaburi.

Also Chairman of the Yodaya Senate Foreign Relations Committee makes false claims that the news of the rape of Shan women by members of the Myanmar Armed Forces, is true.

The 17 August issue of the Chiangmai newspaper, the Chiangmai News contained the Headline: �gThe chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has uncovered facts confirming that the Myanmar Army forces Shan women into sexual slavery after observation of the conditions of the young women refugees who had fled from the battle grounds.�h The news report then stated that on 15 August, a group headed by chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Kraisak Choonhavan had arrived at the Myanmar ? Yodaya border in Wein Hin Township in Chiangmai District to observe and question the refugees in the area after which he held a press briefing. At the press briefing Kraisak said that he had learnt after questioning the Shan refugees that beginning five years ago, the Myanmar Army and authorities had cracked down on the Shans in many ways; that they had been forcibly recruited, made to work as porters to carry their supplies; that some had been killed by hanging, had boiling water poured on them and that the women had been terrorized with horrific sexual assault.

His committee, he said had learnt all these details and that out of over 10 women who had thus been sexually molested he now had the names of 3 or 4. Their ages, he claimed ranged from age 11 to 48 years of age.

This news was broadcast as a Special News Report on Yodaya TV channel iTV. The iTV broadcast the news of the visit of the group headed by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Kraisak Choonhavan and his group and how they had proceeded to Lu Wan village in Wein Hin Township on the Myanmar- Thai border to meet and interview the Shan refugees there. The results of that interview were broadcast by the iTV as news. But it is obvious that it is not a factual news report but a complete fabrication.

It said that Kraisak Choonhavan and his group in interviewing the Shan women had been told that not only had they been raped but that they had also been tortured and that he described these reports as true. The abduction, rape and killing of the Shan women had been committed not only by members of the Myanmar Army but also by forces of the �eWa�f and �eLahu�f. Those accused of giving information to the SURA were especially tortured or killed. He also said that in the Myanmar Army, no action whatsoever was taken against those guilty of such transgressions and also said that commissioned officers committed rape in the presence of the other ranks.

According to his account, some women were kept in detention and raped several times over. Any woman between the ages of 11 and 40 were liable to be raped, tortured and in danger of her life. One eleven-year old girl had died after being repeatedly raped by over 20 officers of the Myanmar Army, he said. Thus if these refugees were sent back to Myanmar, they would face a worse fate. After the report, �gLicence to Rape�h had been issued the Myanmar Government had dispatched teams to make inquiries and investigations in the regions where the incidents took place. But these teams, instead of making efforts to get at the truth had instead put pressure on the natives in the region to deny that such incidents had ever taken place and made them sign their names as written testimony. This was how the investigation had ended, according to the deliberately false news broadcast by this TV station.

The information released by the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Kraisak Choonhavan and the broadcast by Yodaya TV are outrageous lies with not a grain of truth and are but manipulations to besmirch the name of the Myanmar Armed Forces and create misunderstanding in the eyes of the world. Three teams were dispatched to carry out independent investigations and it has been proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the allegations are entirely false. But this chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of Kraisak Choonhavan has gone so far as to vilify and make false accusations against the investigative teams. In actual fact this chairman of the Yodaya Senate Foreign Relations Committee Kraisak Choonhavn is a person who is aiding and abetting the SURA narco-terrorist group as well as a extremist who nurses hatred against Myanmar. So, he, hand in glove with the Yodaya media has deliberately broadcast these lies.

The SURA narco-terrorist group forcibly recruits new members, creates a sham refugee camps for those whom they falsely claim have been tortured by the Myanmar Armed Force to dupe NGOs in giving them financial aid and assistance.

The following is an account of how SURA narco-terrorists are now forcibly recruiting young men of the Myanmar national races such as the Shan and Akhar who go across the border to work in Yodaya, to join their terrorist group. It also explains the way this terrorist group is trying to get foreign aid by setting up sham refugee camps.

Five Akhar youths, now present before you, who were captured and forcibly recruited to join the SURA narco-terrorrist group, then sent to the old Shor Kaik village to attend a training course and have in the past few days managed to escape. They are now present in this meeting hall. These Akhar youths on being questioned explained that they had been forcibly recruited into the SURA and had been made to attend a training school run by the terrorists. According to their information, this Shor Khaik village is a complex of 5 villages ? Nos. 1 to 5 and that there are about 100 households.

According to the accounts given by these Akhar youths, the Shans lived in Village Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 while the Akhar people who are Christians live in village No.4. The terrorists lured those working in Myanmar as well as those working in Yodaya with stories of how they had a chance of getting well-paid jobs and other forms of assistance if they would come and settle in the Shor Khaik villages. This place was where they had built houses and made it appear to be a refugee camp. The headman responsible for the overall supervision of these five villages is a SURA terrorist who is a Shan by the name of Nar Thaw. Any youth who is at least 16 years old of each household, they said, is then made a new recruit of the SURA whether they are willing or not.

As of June 2000, each person under 10 years is given approximately 6 Pyi (one Pyi is equivalent to 8 condensed milk tins) of rice every month. Those above 10 years receive 8 Pyis plus 25 ticals of cooking oil, ? kilo of dried soy bean cake and some salt. This is their monthly ration and occasionally they are supplied with blankets and clothing. These rations are brought to the villages by the Yodaya Army and each time they hand out these supplies, they take photographs. According to the headmen of the villages, these goods are donated from abroad. Each month when these rations are distributed the donors ask about conditions in the refugee camp and the causes that made them take refuge there. The villagers then give replies as instructed and taught by the terrorists. They would have to say that because the Myanmar Armed Forces looted them of their poultry, pigs and paddy that they owned and then destroyed their houses, they had fled in fear and having no food or shelter they had come to the Shor Khaik refugee village to settle down. These were the lies they were forced to tell. The SURA terrorists with the help of the Yodaya Army had set up the 5 Shor Khaik villages to resemble a refugee camp. It is from this camp that they seize and recruit new members for their terrorist group. It can be seen clearly, that this has become a base region from which national ethnic groups are being recruited as new soldiers for the SURA.

 

As a Myanmar citizen, I would like to convey Special thanks to Japan, Myanmar's major donor nation for making a survey on establishing an intervention project covering four areasin the country's Shan state.

Also special thanks to European Union for (recently allocated two million euros (about 1.96 million US dollars) to Myanmar under an aid package announced in last August) malaria prevention and treatment programs.

Now Myanmar has stepped up its fight against malaria, one of the top three diseases in the country in terms of fatalities.

In collaboration with the World Health Organization and the U.N.Children's Fund, the Myanmar Ministry of Health has so far provided 80,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets for population living in high-risk areas in the country, said a latest report of the ministry.

About 80 percent of Myanmar's population live in malaria-prone areas. Besides, the ministry has also planned to distribute thousands more of such nets to other areas in Kayin (Karen), Tanintharyi, kachin, Ayeyawaddy and Mon divisions and states to intensify the fight.

Official figures show that there has been a significant declinein Myanmar's mortality rate since 1996. In 2001, 1.2 percent of its population contracted malaria and the disease accounted for about six deaths in every 100,000 people.

However, the ministry seem to have many difficulties with the expansion of its preventive and treatment campaigns on account of the availability of financial resources and equipment shortage in disease identification.

 

"If you don't believe me, ask my wife"

I would like to speak words of wisdom and truth only at present, but there are slanders spreading all around us, which are intolerable for Myanmars. These
slanders are nothing more than the words to disparage the Myanmar Tatmadaw.

The unscrupulous persons are launching war of words to cause disagreements between the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the people. Their concoctions are just to discredit the Myanmar Tatmadaw, which have the noble traditions incomparable to those of any other Armed Forces of the world. As there is a saying which goes "The human society is always occupied many various affairs", the SURA drug-trafficking terrorists are busy making concoctions and false allegations on the democracy, human rights, forced labour, narcotic drugs, national races,
trafficking in women and children and the alleged sexual violence against Shan women at present.

The people of Myanmar are feeling loathsome for the SURA for its misdeeds. To find the truth concerning the allegations, three fact-finding missions including a team from the Myanmar National Working Committee for Women's
Affairs toured the eastern Shan State to look into the matter thoroughly. The teams found out that the accusations are just fabrications and groundless. The
persons who engineered the scheme of manufacturing these allegations
systematically are Managing Director Han Nyaung Shwe of the Burma fund, an anti-Myanmar government group, and runaway Sein Win. Han Nyaung Shwe (Chao Tzang Yawnghawe) is a son of ex-president Sao Shwe Thaik. Like NCGUB of runaway Sein Win, the Burma Fund gets about 500,000 dollars in aid every year.

It is learnt that some EU nations and a big western nation are their main financial supporters. The chief task of the Burma Fund is to publish and spread anti-Myanmar publications. Some foreign nations showed Han Nyaung Shwe way of
fabricating allegations of sexual violence against Shan women with the aim of causing difficulty for the Myanmar Tatmadaw government and inciting racial hatred. Runaway Han Nyaung Shwe and Sein Win gave financial assistance to
so-called Shan Women's Action Network under SURA drug-trafficking insurgent group based in Chiang Mai to invent false news. Involved in this campaign were Mrs Pipa Curwen, an English women and wife of DBA member runaway Aye Hsaung, of Burma Relief Council based in Chiang Mai, and Nang Hseng Noung, a Shan women and wife of Bertil Lintner who always writes about Myanmar from the negative point of view.

In this way, they compiled a report entitled "License to Rape" and spread it in the international community. This activity is aimed at diverting attention from
SURA drug-trafficking insurgent group which has found itself in a militarily difficult situation and synchronizing the case with ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held in Brunei. In this article, the one who says "If you do no believe me" is no other person than Bertil Lintner who is also writing bad things about Myanmar. In reality, he is only a person who is always making attempts to break up the Union of Myanmar. Especially, he has made misdeeds to break up the
national solidarity. Now, I will show one of the very significant evidences of his many attempts.

Lintner wrote an article under the title "Cultural Revolution " in the Far Eastern Economic Review journal issued on 18 November 1999. In the article, he said that the ethnic races living in Myanmar could not be called the Myanmar
race; and that Myanmar stood for "Mandalay", the capital city of the nation in the past ruled by ancient kings. Myanmar history is known best by Myanmars only. A famous era "The Bagan period" emerged in Myanmar history. The religion, literature, culture and architecture flourished well throughout the Bagan period, during which, Myanmar was a sovereign nation ruled by her own monarchs.

The Bagan Period lasted from AD 107 to AD 1368. The religion, literature, culture and architecture reached their peaks in Bagan during the time of King
Anawrahta who ascended the throne in AD 1044. The firm evidences of the period can be found in Bagan-NyaungU region till now. They are serving as undeniable facts. In about AD 1013, during which Bagan was enjoying a high level of
civilization, England was under the occupation of the Danes. The Danes occupied England till 1042 when a Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, entered the country.
In 1066, Normans annexed and ruled England. Till the time, a race called "English" did not come into being in England. During the time, King Anawrahta had already founded the First Myanmar Kingdom. Moreover, the nation stood tall
in the world, enjoying unity among the national races and high civilization in which religion and culture were flourishing.

At the time, Henry, the second son of Norman King William ascended the throne, and married a Saxon lady. The two races, Norman and Saxon, could be united then, leading to form a new race call English. When Myanmar was a strong and united nation in the world, Briton did not existed yet. Sadly, it seems that poor Lintner did not know that the word "Myanmar" has already existed since the Bagan period. There are many firm evidences to prove it. The word "Myanmar" was inscripted on the stone plaque found inside Toungooni Pagoda in Bagan. The
stone inscriptions were written by Theingathu, a court minister during the Bagan period, in 1190. Lintner, if you want to study the stone inscriptions by yourselves, you can visit the Bagan Cultural Museum where the plaque is being
kept.

The Bagan Period is about 1,000 years earlier than the Mandalay Kingdom, which was also called the Yadanabon period. The word "Myanmar" has not appeared for
Mandalay kingdom, ruled by the ancient kings. In the article, Lintner said that the "Cultural Revolution" even reached the regions where various ethnic
minorities, who were not of the Myanmar race, were living; and that the ethnic races were forced to accept Myanmar names. Without understanding the Myanmar
culture well, Lintner wrongfully used the word "Cultural Revolution". I have already said that only Myanmars know the Myanmar history well. Lintner should make a systematic study to know that the Myanmar culture has become famous in the world. As the colonialists did not understand the Myanmar culture, they did
a big silly mistake.

The colonialists after entering Myanmar and taking King Thibaw away from the country, burnt the treatises and the places which houses the treatises. The
truth is that the names of the national races were not erased, and put them under the Myanmar race. All the over 100 national races of Myanmar already do
have their own names. The word "Myanmar" represents all the national races of the country. In other words, it is a common name for the people of Myanmar. The
people of the nation are living undtely under single name "Myanmar". With the
intention of breaking up the national solidarity, Lintner compared the naming of the Myanmar race with the cultural revolution, abusing the word "culture"
without understanding anything about Myanmar culture. It is an act of insult to all the Myanmar races and of disparaging the Myanmar culture. It is improper
for him to use words leading to cause dissension among the Myanmar national races and insult them, without having any knowledge about Myanmar culture and history.

There is a Myanmar saying which goes "If you don't believe me, ask my wife". Lintner is a person who always writes about Myanmar from the negative point of view. The culprits, who have made concoctions with the aim of discrediting the Myanmar Tatmadaw before the international community, have been exposed. Each of the anti-government bodies, the Burma Fund under the administration of Han Nyaung Shwe (Chao Tzang Yawnghawe) and NCGUB of expatriate Sein Win, is receiving an annual aid of
500,000 from some European countries. Some foreign nations showed a way to Han Nyaung Shwe of fabricating allegations of sexual violence against Shan women
with the aim of causing racial problems in Myanmar.

Runaway Han Nyaung Shwe and
Sein Win gave financial assistance to the so-called Shan Women's Action Network under SURA drug-trafficking insurgent group based in Chiang Mai to invent false
news.

Involved in this campaign were Mrs Pipa Curwen, an English women and wife of DBA member runaway Aye Hsaung, of Burma Relief Council based in Chiang Mai, and Nang Hseng Noung, a Shan women and wife of Bertil Lintner who always writes
about Myanmar from the negative point of view. If someone wants to question Mr Bertil Lintner, we will have to ask her wife, Nang Hseng Noung, instead of him.
But what's the difference, they are a couple, and besides they both are liars.

So we cannot believe him, and either his wife, . So we are going to ask neither Lintner nor his wife, because they both are liars.
-----------------------------------
This article is written by Journalist Lin Maung in the New Light of Myanmar August 30, 2002. To view with photos pls browse at:
http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/article/August30.htm

 

Here is a another good example of 'forget the past, work together' between Thailand, Myanmar.

According to the Bangkok Post on 26 August 2002 Thailand Education Ministry has finished rewriting history and is ready to launch a new school textbook that features toned-down accounts of conflicts with neighbouring countries in a bid to improve bilateral relations.

The textbook for junior and high schools will be launched next month, after a review by historians and teachers, under an initiative aimed at building regional unity proposed by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation. It would later be translated into English for use in other Asean member states. According to project supervisor Vuthichai Moonsilpa, current history textbooks had been the cause of many conflicts with neighbouring countries and should be considered ``obsolete''. Some books in use had been written with a deliberate emphasis on nationalism in a bid to counter communist insurgencies during the Cold War, he said. The book to be launched next month would not completely ignore periods
of history deemed controversial, but accounts of specific events would be presented in a more diplomatic manner, said Mr Vuthichai, a former history professor at Srinakharinwirot University. ``The book will still cover major historical events that brought about significant changes,'' he said. ``It will also allow students to thoroughly analyse these events and
gain a better understanding of past conflicts.'' Ministry official Prapatpong Senarith said the book was aimed at ensuring students did not develop negative attitudes towards neighbouring countries. The Education Ministry would launch a campaign aimed at promoting the book among teachers from 2,000 schools who will be allowed more freedom in choosing their materials under a pilot project later this year. If successful, the project would later be expanded to cover 46,500
schools nationwide. Accounts of historical conflicts have often become the source of strife with governments of bordering countries.
In May, relations with Rangoon sank to a new low after the state-run New Light of Myanmar published an article critical of King Naresuan the Great, who in 1767 ( Correction made by BKK Post one day later - King Naresuan the Great repelled Burmese invaders from the ancient capital of Ayutthaya in the year 1581, not in 1767 as inaccurately reported on page 1 yesterday. The Bangkok Post regrets the error. ) repelled Burmese invaders from the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Last year, Vientiane lodged a stern protest over the portrayal of Chao Anu, or King Anuwong in Laos, in a locally-made film. The new textbook will mostly cover political, economic and social issues, but will also touch on the preservation of national identity and relations with other countries. ``It will offer students a new perspective on history,'' said Mr Prapatpong.

 

According to the Press Conference held in Yangon on 26th August, 2002, the identity of individuals and groups, who have falsely accused members of the
Myanmar Armed Forces of the rape of Shan women now exposed. Col San Pwint from Defence Services Military Intelligence said today's press conference is being held because our investigations have
exposed with irrefutable proof the identity of the groups responsible for these false reports and the iniquity of their intentions.

As explained by Col San Pwint at the press conference, Armed terrorists groups such as the SURA, KNU and KNPP and other dissident groups residing in Yodaya (Thailand) and some western countries, in complicity with the media of Yodaya and some western
countries, have consistently kept up a campaign to fabricate misinformation and hurl unsubstantiated allegations against Myanmar in order to sow misconceptions and discredit it among the international community.
They have falsely accused
Myanmar of infringing democratic practices, violating human rights, of using forced labour, of producing narcotic drugs, dealing in human trafficking and
mistreating the ethnic races. Their latest accusation is the sexual molestation of Shan women by members of the Armed Forces. Press conferences have been held
to prove with hard evidence that this latest allegation is equally unfounded.

The prime mover behind this latest systematic campaign of lies regarding the rape of Shan women is the renegade Han Nyaung Shwe, son of former President of
the Union of Myanmar, the late Sao Shwe Thaike. Han Nyaung Shwe is the
Executive Director of the dissident group that calls itself the Burma Fund.

This Burma Fund acts as a sort of Think Tank for Sein Win's NCGUB. Actually, the Burma Fund is a group that solicits financial aid using democracy as a pretext and publishes books and pamphlets full of misinformation, deliberate
false hoods and anti-Myanmar propaganda. At present it receives financial aid amounting to approximately 500 million U.S dollars yearly. Sweden, Norway and
the United States of America are said to be the principal donors. Han Nyaung Shwe formerly lived in Canada.

After 1988 however under the guise of a democracy activist, he managed to obtain funds from certain countries of the
west, but later Canada and the U.S.A lost confidence in him due to his misappropriation of these funds. He thus had to move to Brussels in Belgium where he set up a new office under the name of the Euro Burma Office to
continue his opposition movement and is therefore getting financial support from some countries. His real motive is to put the Myanmar Armed Forces Government in a quandary and ferment ethnic problems in much the same manner as
Bosnia faced.

The allegation concerning the rape of Shan women was a plot suggested by some foreign nations. In accordance with this plot, Han Nyaung Shwe, Sein Win and
the Shan Women's Action Network, an offshoot of the SURA narco-terrorists, based in Chiangmai began to plot this terror campaign a year ago with funds received from these countries. In devising this unsavoury plot with allegations of the rape of Shan women by members of the Myanmar Armed Forces they were assisted by a British woman, Mrs. Pipa Curwen (wife of DAB member Aye Hsaung,
another renegade) member of the Burma Relief Council, purportedly an NGO based in Chiangmai, Yodaya and Sao Naunt a.k.a. Hmong Lintner, wife of correspondent
Bertil Lintner, notorious for writing biased articles about Myanmar. They compiled a systematic and damaging report with the title "Licence to Rape"
to make it appear as though Shan women were being sexually assaulted as a matter of course by members of the Myanmar Armed Forces.

They then distributed this report abroad in order to divert attention from the military defeat
suffered by the SURA narco-terrorists and to let it coincide with the ASEAN Regional Forum held in Brunei.

Han Nyaung Shwe and Sein Win who are renegades from Myanmar are compelled to show how active they are in opposing the Myanmar Armed Forces to justify the handouts they receive from foreign countries and at the same time do everything possible to hurt the esteem of Myanmar in the eyes of the world.

 

Burmese dissidents claim that Burmese military regime has aggressively renewed it crackdown on dissent with a series of arrests coinciding with Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad�s recent visit to Yangon.

According to burmese activist's Irrawaddy Magazine based in Bangkok funded by George Soro's Burma Project described that in the Burmese capital, Yangon, at least nine students were taken into custody within a three-day period beginning Aug 17. Even they portray the news with the title "Return of the Fighting Peacock".

Most Burmese dissidents always shown in the past in the month of "August" are the time for them to rally around the NLD and support them in every way possible. Some observers believe that demonstration in Yangon is a show to mark call for convening of parliament by NLD in August 21 1998.

This left aligned yellow color "Fighting Peacock" with red background can be seen in the flag of Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party and burmese dissidents. In fact, a lot of anti groups, including NLD, wear the red ribbon on the yellow Fighting Peacock Symbol, on their head.

When we look back to the past, actually "8888 (8th August 1988) uprising movement" was initiated by BCP (Burmese Communist Party), which is outlaw organization in Myanmar under the guise of student organization. "Fighting Peacock" symbol can be seen in the many leaflets created by BCP agents around 1986-87.

In the middle of 1989, Myanmar authority seized the videotape of meeting of BCP Politburo.

The Video footage of the meeting of BCP Politburo, BCP Central Military Commission and BCP Central Committee which had shown in Myanmar TV in the third week of November in 1989.

After seeing the video it was more cleared that involvements of BCP in the "Democracy Movements" pretext of Democracy.

According to the video, Yebaw Ba Thein Tin, Chairman of the Burma Communist Party (BCP) said at the meeting held on 10 September 1988 that �When the first movement - the "March (March 1988) Movement� took place, there was the nature of opposing the Ma-Hsa-La (BSPP - Burma Socialist Programme Party) but there were no definite political demands. "However, what
happened later, especially the formation of the Thamaggas (Unions) - we got our party's slogans accepted by the mass movement using the name of the "Students Thamagga (Student Unions)". "99% of the slogans are those our party have provided them." "Since we were able to do so, the mass movement assumed more of a political nature. For example, "Our Students Work Group" started shouting our slogan of forming a temporary government in Mandalay. The people accepted it. So, it became the slogan of the entire mass movement. Then it came to Yangon."

Also he said that "You must join the political party and try to become committee members and central committee members. That is good, we said. We will join whatever we can. Then we will form a party among ourselves." "At Least, the best is and what we want is a government that will follow our line and our leadership. We will not show. We will get them show. " "Our intention is to get into this parallel government the revolutionary essence both as a parallel government and temporary government. We must make our slogans carry revolutionary essence. In order to do so, it is to be based on the ways and means of forming a temporary government."

These are the one of the facts that Myanmar people stayed away from the politics.

 

We, Myanmar have a very strong historic relationship with Japan.

Bond between two countries and peoples are so strong and historic. You all know it well. It happened during and after the World War II. Probably younger generation does not know it well but older generation really understand about the historic relationship.

One of examples of this strong bond between two countries is that
during the war, Japanese army retreated from our country and English troops invaded again.

As a matter of face, before the Japanese army retreated, they were a kind of problem of Myanmar people. But when Japanese retreated and English troops came and looked for Japanese soldiers to kill.

Myanmar people forgot about their past and saved Japanese soldiers' lives.

We should understand how we have strong bond between Japanese and our people.

Another example is that after the war Japanese government asked to
many countries to collect bones of their dead soldiers, other
countries did not allow it but Myanmar was the first country allowed the Japanese government official team to pick up bones and bring it back to their home country for ex-soldier's families.

Last year, in the afternoon of 5 November 2001, in Brunei Darussalam, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a Summit Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar Senior-General Than Shwe. In the Japan-Myanmar Summit Meeting
Myanmar Government's Prime Minister Senior Than Shwe Than Shwe made the statements: One of the statements is very remarkable.

"Japan is considered a special partner by Myanmar and whether or not Japan grants Myanmar assistance and cooperation, Myanmar always considers Japan as a friend."

Our Myanmar people never think about "Should Japan keep apologizing for its aggression before and during World War II?"

In my opinion, "Forget the Past Work Together for the betterment of our people is the best".

 

Recently, Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, who paid a working visit to Myanmar met with news agencies and TV broadcasting stations from Malaysia and other nations.

NHK reporter Mikebera's question about the democratization of the country, he said:

We believe in democracy. We know that there are very many different definitions of democracy. Some countries even call themselves democratic republics but they are anything but democratic. So you have a variety of interpretations. What we know from our experience is that it is not easy to handle democracy. If you do not know how to handle it, you will end up with anarchy. You will end up with having practically no government. And that is not good for the country.

Therefore, when opting for democracy, it is necessary that the process is gradual and people have to learn how to handle it. They must understand that democracy does not mean freedom to do anything you like.

There are limitations to democracy. If you understand that, I think the democracy can work. But in some countries, which adopted democracy the only thing that they can see is opportunities to be voted in as a government. When they form 100 different political parties, none of them are national in character. That will result in very weak coalition government which can never administer a country well.

So, our view is that while we uphold democracy, I would like to see democracy practiced in our country. We are also aware that the process of change must be gradual. At the same time, we need not have to go straight to liberal democracy because that is very destructive.

 

Here is also another remarkable statements from a Myanmar leader.

ASEAN)+3 (Japan, People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea) Summit Meeting held in Brunei.

In the afternoon of 5 November 2001, in Brunei Darussalam, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a Summit Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar Senior-General Than Shwe.

In the Japan-Myanmar Summit Meeting
Myanmar Government's Prime Minister Senior Than Shwe Than Shwe made the following statements:

- Myanmar is currently making efforts in political reform towards a parliamentary system and democracy, in addition to economic reforms in a move from nationalization to privatization.

- Myanmar is currently experiencing domestic issues of ethnic minorities and armed groups.

- Japan is considered a special partner by Myanmar and whether or not Japan grants Myanmar assistance and cooperation, Myanmar always considers Japan as a friend.

 

Shan Human Rights Foundation and the Shan Women' s Action Network funded by "Burma Project" (***) in Chiang Mai of Thailand issued a report under the title "License to Rape." ahead of ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) with the aim of Western nations at the ASEAN Regional Forum are expected to raise the claims to Myanmar.

This report has made allegations that in the period from 1996 to 2002, Myanmar soldiers committed rape against 625 Shan Women on 173 occasions in the Shan State and that the youngest of them was just 5 years old. It said moreover these women were also physically assaulted and tortured. Of the alleged rape victims, the report said, 25% were killed and their corpses were exhibited to the public as a warning and a threat. It went on to allege falsely that 61% of the women were victims of gang rape.

The Thai media issued this unfounded accusation to coincide with the time the above report was issued. This false news was broadcast on 7 Thai TV channels on 12 July 2002 and it stated that the Shan women raped by Myanmar soldiers were now being treated as in-patients in Wein Hin Township Hospital in Chiangmai District.

Myanmar Foreign Minister U Win Aung disputed the allegations, claiming that the reports came from sources that ``try to tarnish our image whenever possible'' and that the army was highly disciplined. "The accusation came very much from circles that are unreliable,"also said.

When careful inquiries were made with regard to this claim by Myanmar Government, it was found that Wein Hin Hospital in Thailand staffed by 4 doctors and 3 nurses under Medical Superintendent Dr. Hsuphat Lin (a) Aik Lu had, up to 14 July 2002, given treatment to only 12 male patients and that they were SURA (SSA) insurgent members wounded at the skirmish at Pan Mong Song. Not a single female patient had been hospitalized for treatment apart from these 12 male patients.

(***) see more details at http://www.soros.org/burma/annual_report.html

Ref.
http://www.myanmar-information.net/press/

 

"And if Japan and Burma are such great friends why has Japan repeatedly ignored Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's call for an economic boycott? As the legitimate leader of Burma, shouldn't Japan support her wishes and the 80% of Burmese who voted for her in 1991." written by Osama bin Tokyo (Aug 8 2002 - 14:24)in Japan Today Discussion with the title of "Thailand, Myanmar agree to 'forget the past, work"

More specifically and importantly what most people do not realize is that in many instances Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is erroneously referred to as an elected person or in some instances as an elected president. Ms. Suu Kyi never stood for the election because she was not eligible to contest a seat. It was
not this present military government or the previous socialist government that refused Ms. Suu Kyi the right to stand for elections but ironically it
was her own father, Myanmar national hero General Aung San, who wrote into the original constitution, subsequently promulgated in 1948, a clause
with the provision that "any person who is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign power, or a subject or citizen is entitled to the rights and privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign
power." Thus she is not entitled to contest a seat in the country's elections.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi resided abroad for twenty-eight years and married an Englishman (Giving her the rights to U.K. citizenship) and has 2 children both holding British citizenship. This present military government has to,
as all the previous successive Myanmar Governments did, continue to honour this clause and the present national convention has also committed itself to continue to honour the said clause. This type of constitutional condition is implemented by many governments including those of developed nations. It is quite understandable that Governments do not wish to have someone in office who could be unduly influenced by any other nation or power. As a preventive measure certain rules and regulations are 18 universally drawn up and put into effect to serve as a mechanism to protect
the national security as well as the national interest of the respective countries.

There is also another false assumption where her being under house restriction during the election period denied her the right to run for the 1990 election. While under house restriction the Government of Myanmar consented to Ms. Suu Kyi's request to contest the election representing Bahan Township Constituency(1) and her name was enrolled on 2nd December 1989.

Objections were lodged by various individuals and political parties against the permission granted to Ms. Suu Kyi to contest the forthcoming elections with reference to the provisions of the Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law of 1989. Legally, granting Ms. Suu Kyi the right to contest
the election was found to violate and contravene the following 3 articles.

(1) Section (8-b) "Law for people residing in the Union of Myanmar."

Ms. Suu Kyi has given her permanent address where she resides with her husband Dr.Michael Aris and 2 sons at 15,
Park Town, Oxford, in United Kingdom. Ms. Suu Kyi's name has not been registered at her mother's residence in Yangon
which indicates that she is not a permanent resident of Myanmar.

(2) Section (10-e). " Persons who are under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign power, or are subjects or citizens or entitled to the rights
and privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign Power." Ms. Suu Kyi enjoys the right to reside in U.K. indefinitely. Apart from the right to vote, she enjoys all the other privileges of a British Citizen.

(3) Section (10-h)." Members of organization in armed revolt against the State, persons against whom there is sufficient
grounds of having links with the said organization or with its members to revolt." Ms.Suu Kyi was found to be communicating, collaborating
and harbouring a member of the armed terrorist group and this terrorist was arrested in her residential compound in
Yangon together with substantial evidence.

Due to the above mentioned factors Ms. Suu Kyi was found ineligible to contest the 1990 elections. Technically it was not because she was under house restriction during the election time. More importantly, Section 10-e of the May 1989 Election Law was not a provision drawn up by the
present military government but was originally drafted by her own father, General Aung San, the National Leader of Modern Myanmar in his (1947) Independence Constitution which was later to be honoured and again put in the (1974) Constitution.

Again, in a similar scenario the NLD party is constantly and erroneously referred to as an opposition party. In fact, the Government of Myanmar does not regard the NLD or any other 9 legally existing political
parties as opposition parties since the Government regards itself not as a political party but as a transitional government (A National Institution)
taking the responsibility of discarding the Socialist One-Party System practising a Socialist Economy and paving the way for a Multi-Party Democracy by introducing a Market-Oriented Economy.

In the meantime, for the benefit and interest of the nation, this present government is in the
process of establishing and founding national unity, peace, stability and allround development in the country so that Myanmar shall become in a reasonable period of time, a peaceful, prosperous and modern developed nation.

Reference:

Political Situation of Myanmar
And Its Role in the Region

http://www.myanmar-information.net/political/english.pdf

 

I am very much welcomed to the news that "both sides agreed to "leave the past behind" and tackle common problems together".

Thailand should learn from Japan-Myanmar relation.

We, Myanmar have a very strong historic relationship with Japan. Bond between two countries and peoples are so strong and historic. You all know it well. It happened during and after the World War II. Probably younger generation does not know it well but older generation really understand about the historic relationship.

One of examples of this strong bond between two countries is that
during the war, Japanese army retreated from our country and English troops invaded again. As a matter of face, before the Japanese army retreated, they were a kind of problem of Myanmar people. But when Japanese retreated and English troops came and looked for Japanese
soldiers to kill Myanmar people forgot about their past and saved
Japanese soldiers' lives. We should understand how we have strong bond between Japanese and our people.

Another example is that after the war Japanese government asked to
many countries to collect bones of their dead soldiers, other
countries did not allow it but Myanmar was the first country allowed the Japanese government official team to pick up bones and bring it back to their home country for ex-soldier's families.

At one time, Japan was Myanmar's biggest trade partner as well as aid donor. Even though Japan is currently confronting its own economic difficulties and political pressure from the West, it has made enormous efforts to extend humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar to elevate their livelihood, especially for those living in remote areas of the country, which lag behind the mainstream.

Since Myanmar is still in a transition stage, the people have yet to enjoy the full fruits of democracy. But the government is committed to building a democratic system suitable to the conditions, traditions and values of our society.

This commitment includes bringing a better life for the people. The kind of society that the government of the Union of Myanmar is building may not be identical to Western societies, given the contrasts in conditions and different historical and cultural background.

However, it is the firm belief of the Myanmar government that the nation is on the right path to peace and development. We hope that Myanmar will soon take its rightful place in the world as a peaceful, united and modern state. With growing agricultural production and the increasing availability of energy sources, we are confident that Myanmar, in the not too distant future, will become a reliable source for food and energy supplies for the region, thus enhancing peace and stability in the region and the world at large.

With the drop of commodity prices and the surplus of skilled labor in the region due to the present economic setback, opportunities abound in Myanmar for investors, especially in the field of natural gas and hydro electric power, tourism, in addition to agro based enterprises.

A Myanmar citizen as well as a friend of Thai people in Japan, I am greatly encouraged to see that both Myanmar and Thailand are actively committed to 'forget the past, work together forever for their developement'.

 

Who will benefit for that? The photo exhibition on "Myanmar People's Basic Needs" will be more apprciated.