…The root cause of the above-mentioned problems is the perpetration of internal and external destructionists, who are jealous of national development and stability, to harm all the government’s endeavours through various methods.The government convened the National Convention for emergence of a Constitution that is as important as the life-blood of the people. Although they made various attempts, the saboteurs failed to jeopardize the National Convention. The Convention participated by various national races successfully concluded with the public support. They are trying to hinder the process of the seven-step Road Map.
Some global powers who practise hegemonism totally dislike the proposed Constitution as it contains stipulations assuring self-determination and prohibiting the stationing of foreign troops on Myanmar soil. Hence, those powers in collusion with a group of destructionists from inside the nation are stirring up disturbances.
The protest walk occurring in Myanmar is one of the plots systematically manipulated from abroad.
Internal and external destructionists do not even spare the religion if it is in their interest. They dare instigate young monks, who are trying hard in the religious studies, to stage street protests…
- Extracted from a “supplication” by Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, the Burmese military government’s Minister for Religious Affairs. The full text of the Brigadier’s statement is available from The New Light of Myanmar. The website of his Ministry seems to be currently off-line.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Vichai N // Sep 26, 2007 at 2:52 am
The protests, led by Burmese monks, now on its 8th day will culminate in violence. It takes only so little to provoke the repressed oppressed people of Burma to scream out their anger at the junta . . . after decades of reign of fear.
I am not sure whether this is the beginning of the end of Myanmar\’s ugly generals.
2 Restorationist // Sep 26, 2007 at 3:03 am
What on earth are you saying Vichai? It takes so little to provoke the repressed people? It’s years of repression since the last uprising. The beginning of the ugly generals? They’ve been there since 1962! I’m sure I’ve misunderstood your post. I wonder what Sonthi B. is saying now that his buddies in Burma are facing an uprising?
3 Richard // Sep 26, 2007 at 3:46 am
I think the protest will continue to be peaceful in it’s current form. What is going on is an encouragement for the people to stand up. And with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi clearly still the model patron for a free and democratic society, nonviolent protest will be the form of expression for this movement. I also don’t think retribution by the junta is an immediate threat. However, as each day passes the situation becomes more and more unpredictable.
I was telling a friend of mine, that I think it will be during the next year that we will see darker times with more opportunities for the military to strike or repress the peaceful movement through more harsh forms than placing fake distruptive monks in the crowd. But as of this moment, right now is not the time for the junta to strike. Depending on where this goes, mass arrest are possible, but with so many people involved in the marchs, the chances of the junta maintaining a wanted list are unlikely.
Free Burma
4 lotus_in_the_hills // Sep 26, 2007 at 4:30 am
Why have other ASEAN nations for so long bought into the Burmese dictatorship’s tactic of using “the fight against Western hegemony” and “the struggle for self-sufficiency” as an excuse for terrorizing the nation? You know who else wanted to fight against Western hegemony and struggle for radical self-sufficiency? The Khmer Rouge! That’s the kind of people we’re dealing with in Burma.
It’s a convenient kind of xenophobia which allows nations like Sri Lanka, Burma, and China to simply say “stay out of our internal affairs, we won’t stand for imperialism” whenever the international community (rightly) criticizes them for their horrendous human rights records.
5 James Haughton // Sep 26, 2007 at 10:31 am
You know, it wasn’t until the third paragraph that I knew whether this was referring to Thailand or Myanmar.
6 Grasshopper // Sep 26, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Why have other ASEAN nations for so long bought into the Burmese dictatorship’s tactic of using “the fight against Western hegemony” and “the struggle for self-sufficiency” as an excuse for terrorizing the nation?
I think this is because ASEAN has tried to maintain autonomy from any regional hegemonic interest. Myanmar only has signed the treaty of amity in order to be apart of ASEAN yet does not function in other bilateral engagements with members. Members wanted Myanmar apart of the grouping, but they have not treated it as a respected (probably better words) member… I think you have to remember ASEAN is all about ‘what we can agree on’ and not what South East Asian nations must debate. I don’t think you can disagree that Burma is apart of South East Asia?
I really hope India gets involved with these protests or invokes some kind of sanctions against the junta here. Everyone needs to pile on as much support for the movement as possible so that it might crack. Especially as India could relate to Burma in future through gaining autonomy through the similar processes of satyagraha rebellion. Imagine a developed Burma..
Surely the opportunity now is too great to shy away from potential martyrdom.
7 Sidh S. // Sep 26, 2007 at 3:31 pm
I hope and pray this does not end in violence like in 1988. I understand that the monks are proposing dialogue and I hope that the Junta (with pressure from a new generation of more democratic minded generals?) agrees to it. It will be very difficult to remove the army from politics especially after decades of direct military rule (Indonesia and Thailand at least had ‘elected’ working parliaments through the decades of military influence and, critically, economic growth that yielded the middle-class). It does essentially require a ‘cultural change’ from within the ranks of the military – for instance reform minded-generals like Indonesia’s SBY (the Burmese Junta, in contrast, seem to take the ancient warrior-kings as models for their rule of the country).
8 Ex-Ajarn // Sep 26, 2007 at 8:08 pm
The military dictatorship is Burma has been a complete disaster and the question is not whether it will come crashing down but when and how. Will it be a violent overthrow with excessive bloodshed or will it end in the realization of the junta that its time has passed? As I am currently working near the Thai-Burmese border and there are more Burmese (and other ethnic minorities) than Thais in town I am staying, so this is obviously the number one topic locally. It does not appear that there is much consensus amongst the Burmese living here across the border in Thailand to what will be the outcome of the protests; however there does appear to be cautious optimism.
When will mankind learn that freedom works better than oppression? How many more people have to suffer under military dictatorships before the realization that this form of government stinks sinks in?
9 Dickie Simpkins // Sep 26, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Ex Ajarn,
you asked: “When will mankind learn that freedom works better than oppression? How many more people have to suffer under military dictatorships before the realization that this form of government stinks sinks in?”
I don’t think mankind and their quest for the one ring that rules them all will ever end. So expect humanity and the cycle of oppression to expression back to oppression to continue.
The end result of course is a world war that wipes humanity out, aka NUKAISM.
10 Richard // Sep 26, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Sadly, our worse fears have proven true, the military crackdown has begun”
11 LouisW // Sep 27, 2007 at 1:11 am
I hope that the figures don’t increase and that this time there will be the chance that the Burmese Soldiers remember their humanity and refuse to shoot on monks. But maybe they are already so brainwashed by their generals who have lost all humanity themselves.
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