Deceiving the world with propaganda weapon (or) the introduction written by eminent writer Zaw Gyi 36 years ago

Thirty-six years ago in Myanmar, U Ko Lay (Zeya Maung), a highly respectable writer, translated the book “King Thibaw and the New York Times” into Myanmar. In the book was the introduction written by Zaw Gyi, saying that the book was a treatise to read and keep. And it was in the introduction that Zaw Gyi, who was also a well-respected writer, described the destructive force of the colonialist propaganda weapon for the Myanmar readers. Today, the world sees the neo-colonialists trying to push small nations under their domain, using advanced propaganda machine (the media) as the offensive weapon.

U Ko Lay (Zeya Maung) was a former Vice-Chancellor of Mandalay University. In 1950, he won the scholarship award jointly presented by the UN and American Chemistry Association to pursue further studies at Connel University in the US.

With the help of the in-charge of the university’s Pitaka Library, U Ko Lay copied the news reports on Myanmar featured in the New York Times in the years 1789, 1880 and 1885. The news reports were believed to be fabrications hatched by and sent to the daily by the then British government. Except weekends, he spent his spare time every day copying the news reports, and in a period of three months, he completed copying over 100 pages of the reports featuring till the time King Thibaw was taken away to India.

U Ko Lay translated the copies of the news reports into Myanmar and compiled them into the book “King Thibaw and the New York Times”. Bagan press published the book on 16 December 1969. We have read in the introduction the correct and profound political views of Zaw Gyi, a doyen man of letters, written from the political point of view concerning the book as follows:

“In my view, if a reader can have the awareness to see the steps of today’s colonialists, who are same as the colonialists of that era, and ward off and if necessary counter their schemes; the will to enhance his knowledge bank; and eagerness to get on well with the global community, instead of renewing his sense of intolerance, the anger and discouragement, he will have invaluable benefit from the book.”

We also see the modern thoughts and observation of the great Myanmar writer in reviewing the colonialist attacks on King Thibaw and his subjects, with their propaganda weapon.

He wrote in the introduction, “The significance of the treatise is the news reports, supposed to be slanders the British had sent to the New York Times during the years 1879, 1880 and 1885, on Myanmar court affairs of that particular time. I found that the writer “U Ko Lay” took the trouble to copy the news reports and translated them into Myanmar.

“So, we should assume that the slanderous news reports were aimed at misleading the world into believing that the British occupation of Myanmar of that time was just and fair.” Writer Zaw Gyi reminded us about the need to have the knowledge that during the era too the fabricated news reports in the colonialists’ favour were featured in the papers in a wicked and clever way.

He said, “It would not be a wrong assumption to say that the British were able to seize upper Myanmar easily because of their propaganda weapon in addition to the superior firepower.

“What kind of a weapon is the propaganda? Just find the answer to the question in the treatise.

“When we read the news reports we find their effectiveness in tricking the world. But for a Myanmar reader, he can still be filled with intolerance, anger and discouragement.”

He went on to say, “However, we should know that the incidents featured in the news reports were events of the past that had already occurred in the years 1879, 1880 and 1885; and that the news reports were written crookedly and cleverly in accordance with the wish of the colonialists.”

It is my wish that ordinary people study the book and take lessons from it for it is compiled by one of Myanmar eminent writers U Ko Lay, with the introduction written by another great man of letters Zaw Gyi, both with full patriotism and goodwill.

Author :  Ko Lay Thu (Myingyan)