Discussions of pensioners (13)

The DLA Piper Rudnick Grey Cary Law Farm released a report “Threat to the Peace: A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in Burma” on 20 September 2005 under the directives of Havel and Tutu.

VOA broadcast the address delivered in Washington on 21 September 2005 by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric John saying that the US in cooperation with its allies was making arrangements to hold discussions on Myanmar affairs at the UN Security Council meeting.

Moreover, foreign broadcasting stations also carried the voices of support of NLD and internal and external destructive elements for the Havel-Tutu report.

In my opinion, it can be deduced that the elements are colluding from the negative point of view in interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar with the one-sided statements based on invented and exaggerated stories to launch a political attack against the nation.

Meanwhile, my friends of pensioners called on me. So, we held discussions with regards to the report.

“These days, I’ve heard a lot that internal and external destructive elements and a Western big country are expressing their voices of support for the report of Havel and Tutu.”

“It’s nothing. As a matter of fact, it’s just a collection of previous invented stories, one-sided news stories and slanderous accusations, not a report they compiled in a correct and fair way. They’re just slanderous accusations based on amplified news stories anti-government groups are inventing and so-called refugee camps are sending under the programmes of insurgent terrorists”.

“You’re right. It’s obvious certain elements are manufacturing fabrications, levelling accusations, and spreading political propaganda to mislead our national people. And they are also putting pressure on our nation, sowing discord among national races, and manufacturing exaggerated stories. Some foreign broadcasting stations are always entertaining hearsay and rumours directly or indirectly with ill intentions”.

“Regarding the report, on 29 September this year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its review that it is yet another attempt to discredit the government of Myanmar. It is based on misinformation by a few remnant insurgents and foreign-funded expatriates who are now fearful that they will soon lose a role when Myanmar enters a new era. They are after all expatriates who are funded by some western countries with a hidden political motive. The ministry rejected the report in its entirety”.

“I’ve noticed starting from 3 October this year, newspapers have carried articles that refute the accusations and exaggerated news stories. They’ve also made clear the dealings and relations among the beneficiaries, and why they’re still calling Myanmar as Burma”.

“Explain the facts about the report in detail, please”.

“Well, I’d like to explain it short and to the point. They said that the government overthrew the democratically elected government. And in our country there are conflicts among national factions, human rights violations, refugee outflows, drug trafficking, and enabling of HIV to spread into neighbouring nations”.

“They’re insulting Myanmar as if our national people were uncivilized ones and doing sex trade. But, how awful it is, some persons and internal elements are voicing their support for the report instead of feeling bitter and angry with the exaggerated statements”.

“It’s not surprising those who lack patriotic spirit, those always thinking of seizing State power, and self-seekers are welcoming all forms of acts and speeches that are against the ruling government however much such acts are degrading the dignity of the government and the people, and whoever are insulting the nation and the people”.

“As you know no party nor individuals were capable of controlling the anarchic acts in the 8-8-88 unrest, so the Tatmadaw had to take up State’s duties in time. Some persons even said the Tatmadaw assumed State’s duties a little late, and the delay led to greater ravage of public-owned factories, workshops and State-owned property”.

“Multi-coloured insurgents had been active in border areas since the Tatmadaw government hadn’t taken up the State’s responsibilities. The insurgents forced local people to relocate the villages so that Tatmadaw members couldn’t get any assistance from the local people. Since then, there have been many so-called refugee camps of the people who fled the villages in border areas”.

“Some insurgent groups illegally extracted timber and smuggled it out of the nation, so timber is hardly any left. And smuggling of natural resources led to inflation of Myanmar currency. The majority of insurgent groups trafficked opium. The Tatmadaw destroyed poppy plantations, exposed opium refineries, and launched anti-narcotic drugs operations many times. So, the Tatmadaw had to sacrifice a great number of lives and limbs of its members”.

“I will now tell you one of my experiences. When the Tatmadaw seized the Marnepalaw and its outposts, villagers, who were forced to take refuge in the other nation at gun point by the insurgents, happily came back to Myanmar. The Tatmadaw members provided all necessary assistance to them and transported them to Myainggyingu by military trucks. But some of them stayed behind in the other country as they were being intimidated by the insurgents. Villagers who arrived back in Myanmar said that they were living as refugees as they were being coerced into doing so; that among the so-called refugees, families of the insurgents were enjoying more benefits than ordinary villagers. According to them, they had to carry all the burdens of the insurgents free of charge and they were deprived of all rights. They also told us that they did not want to stay at the refugee camps, and that they came back into the nation as soon as they got the opportunity. Myainggyingu has become a developed region with a high school and a hospital built with the participation of those villagers.

“Seventeen armed groups returned to the legal fold during the time of the Tatmadaw government. They are now joining hands with the Tatmadaw government in the national development undertakings. People are fully enjoying the fruits of peace in the regions where armed groups have unconditionally exchanged arms for peace.”

“We all know how the HIV/AIDS spread into our nation. But they go too far to say that the spread of HIV/AIDS in the neighbouring countries originates in Myanmar.”

“The head of UNODC Office in Myanmar pointed out that the facts contained in the report were wrong; that the spread of HIV/AIDS did not originate in Myanmar; and that Myanmar was achieving much progress in her anti-drug drive.”

“But the report states that Myanmar has weaknesses in infrastructure sector including the health and education sectors, and is seeing slow economic growth.”

“As far as I know, the report does not mention the transport, irrigation, and hydel power projects and other infrastructure projects of the nation. It wrongly states that Myanmar has only nine airfields.”

“The book on national developments during the time of the Tatmadaw government from 1988 to 12.2.2005 clearly features the national developments with precise data. Thus, it is obvious that the compilation of the report is aimed at discrediting the Tatmadaw government from the negative point of view.”

“Any person who wishes to give suggestion for all-round development of our nation should study all her background history, traditions and culture, religion, geographical condition and natural resources in detail. Only after knowing about them well, he should make an analysis of the nation’s objective conditions. He will be totally out of touch with the truth, if he relies only on the baseless information sent to him by a handful of destructive elements, in informing the world about Myanmar. Moreover, his acts will tarnish his own image, and disturb the nation instead of helping her.”

“The compilers of the report are the persons who believe the slanders of the vermin and are trying to discredit the government that is serving the interest of over 54 million people of Myanmar. What I mean here is that the report is entirely based on the lies of some persons living abroad and holding narrow political and racial views. In reality, Havel and Tutu are working in synchronization with fugitives Sein Win and Maung Maung whom Myanmar government has declared unlawful. The two are just the mercenaries used by expatriate terrorists including fugitives Sein Win and Maung Maung.”

After the discussions, I was thinking that the nation will become a peaceful, modern and developed discipline-flourishing democratic state soonest because of the harmonious efforts of the government, the people and the Tatmadaw if there are no disturbances of destructive elements from inside and outside.

The government has been implementing the 12 political, economic and social objectives, especially it is now in the process of realizing the seven-point Road Map and the National Convention has reached a certain point of success. We also feel encouraged to witness the emergence of a large number of infrastructures, the successful implementation of the border areas development project, the 24-region special development project, and the five rural development tasks covering the programme of supplying power to villages, and the setting up of libraries in a myriad of villages. I wish all the people and political organizations to understand that if those vermin do not disturb our nation, we will become a peaceful, modern and developed discipline-flourishing democratic nation soonest.

Author :  Hein Myint