Comments on: Robert Kaplan on Burma and American war-fighters

By: David Everett

David Everett — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:31:03 +0000

Hi Hla Oo,

yes that’s me. All my experiences are in the book. If you have a read you will see where I am coming from.

By: Hla Oo

Hla Oo — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:21:35 +0000

Hi Dave,

I used to live in Mayland in Perth twenty years ago. It was a tough suburb then because of a large population of Aboriginals, like Redfern in Sydney. One thing I learned hard way was WA cops were real brute compared to the cops in Sydney. I still have tons of relatives in Perth. They said Mayland is a yuppy suburb now and Morley even has a huge shopping mall now.

No job then and I was on dole full time and hanging around with them black fellas I picked up a few Aussie slangs there. I think I used to hear and read a lot about you in papers and suddenly it hits me last night you were the the most notorious guy in Perth then, If I remember correctly. Or I am confusing you with that brothers framed for the big gold heist?

I read that chapter “The Lost Tunnels” from your book on your site. It was a particularly good one. My father was in BIA with the japs during second world war and they stashed away so many weapons and ammo in the jungle tunnels like you described in that chapter. We still had a couple of rusting lee-enfield 303 gathering dust in the basement of our house in delta.

Is your time in big bad house also in your book too? I’m thinking of buying your book now!

By: David Everett

David Everett — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:53:19 +0000

Dear Hla Oo,

who is talking invasion? You simply are cementing what I have said in my previous comments. Please lose the aussie slang, doesn’t suit.

By: Moe Aung

Moe Aung — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:09:23 +0000

Yes, jaw jaw not war war, until we all go blue in the face and all the cows come home. Carry on the junta, sitting pretty on its throne, ruling by whim and keeping everyone under the boot. Just hunky-dory. Haven’t we done ‘engagement and dialogue’ to death or rather the junta gone through the motions for the umpteenth time?

By: Moe Aung

Moe Aung — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:27:35 +0000

If everyone loves peace and democracy, Hla Oo, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

By: David Everett

David Everett — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:16:20 +0000

Whatever!

By: Hla Oo

Hla Oo — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:54:36 +0000

But violent invasion is not the only way to achieve that peace and democracy we all love. WE the people of Burma have suffered enough. Engagement and talks among all the parties involved is the best and only way forward to solve the complex Burma problem.

By: Hla Oo

Hla Oo — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:05:30 +0000

Jesus Christ, almighty! I thought only we Burmese have that paranoid schizophrenia of accusing every other Burmese of working for Burmese Military Intelligence.

Come on mate. Don’t go for a low blow, fair dinkum. Everyone loves peace and democracy!

By: Moe Aung

Moe Aung — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:45:34 +0000

Thanks David. You got it just right.

By: David Everett

David Everett — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:26:16 +0000

Dear Hla Oo,
Do you work for Burmese Military Intelligence? The slant you are taking on this matter would appear to lead many people to this conclusion. You words echo the very same message at the junta generals use in order for them to remain in power, that is foreign stooges are trying to take over Burma. Your subtleties are certainly not missed by this reader.
The US certainly did not back U Nu in his attempts to restore democracy in Burma. The CIA supplied funds in order to block the spread of the Burmese Communist Party (BCP). This was backed by Thailand and Bo Mya and the KNLA/KNU who prevented BCP cadre and units from moving south along the border through Karen held territory. So yes, there certainly was US money involved, but not in the manner you have presented here.
It certainly wasn’t the people’s milita who stopped U Nu moving into the delta region of Burma. The tatmadaw had implemented their 4 cuts strategy long before U Nu a small band of U Nu’s men arrived in the delta and their establishment of forts and lookout posts all along this area had already routed much of the KNLA resistance from this region. So again, you are misrepresenting the facts.
Today, I would dare the military junta to arm the militias and the general population to keep the foreign lacky’s from taking over the country. In so doing they would sow the seeds for their own destruction. Only those affiliated with the military support the generals as it is in their own financial and social upward mobility to do so. The general population in the country are enslaved to do the military’s bidding.
Though the generals purport to be the one uniting force in the country they have surpassed their use by date many years ago. However, it is in their own vested interests to continue along this line of reasoning and deny democracy for the masses. For if they were to hand over power to a civilian government they very well know that they will be charged with crimes against humanity and hauled off to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
The problem they now face is the fact that their own armed forces are going to turn on them directly. No longer are the troops in the field guaranteed of upward social mobility by being in the armed forces. The troops are starving and thus robbing and stealing food from villagers in order for them to survive. Their families no longer get free education, medical treatment nor housing or food supplements. Only the officers get this. Hence the military is set to implode upon itself in the not to distant future.
The generals are masters at playing one side off against the other in order to stay in power. Because of it’s unique geostrategic position, no country is going to make an armed incursion into Burma. Nobody wan’s Chinese naval bases in the Andaman Sea because they then have the ability to block the Malacca Straits and thus starve the Asian region of oil and trade goods. India dislikes China immensely as China does India and as you said, the US is stretched to breaking point. So the general’s are sitting pretty because of this and continuing their enslavement of the people. They do not want peace with the warring ethnic groups because they will no longer have an excuse to stay in power if all armed conflict ends. They would not be able to justify their huge numbers of military personnel Blind Freedy can see this. 500 000 troops to contain 5000 KNLA troops and no perceivable outside military threats? No Hla Oo, the tatmadaw are basically prison wardens containing the civilian population of Burma. Burma is one big open prison. May the long suffering people of this country one day find peace and democracy.