Two weeks ago, on 10 January 2013, the 65th anniversary of Kachin State Day passed unremarked. In years gone by, this has been one of the days on the festive calendar when New Mandala has provided thorough coverage of events in northernmost Burma (such as here, here and here).
This month there are no celebrations to report.
In fact, Burmese Army and Air Force efforts to pound the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) into submission have come to define the 2012-2013 dry season. In this new phase of conflict the tragedies of northern Burma are piling up. Dead Kachin. Dead Burmese. And others too.
It is less than two months since I suggested President Thein Sein should use these “traditional” war-fighting months as a time to seize a peaceful resolution to the conflict. My suggestion was made at a moment, before the recent escalation of hostilities, when I judged an audacious move on the part of the President could have eliminated the prospect of much greater bloodshed.
Since he took the Presidency only two years ago, Thein Sein has done so much good for his people, his country, his government and his army that the conduct of the Kachin war is increasingly perplexing. There are many theories about exactly what’s going on. It’s a tricky and confusing situation.
Parts of the emerging story suggest that within the regime Thein Sein needs to bolster wavering support by letting the army off the leash to prosecute its war.
In recent days his call for a ceasefire has been greeted, ignominiously, by continued offensive operations by troops from his own side. The risks of having his ceasefire orders repeatedly disobeyed might be real, or they might be a mere inconvenience. Some suggest the ceasefire announcement might even be a tactical swerve, but that seems unlikely.
What is genuinely worrying is that the repeated defiance of his order by commanders in the field starts to make a mockery of the President’s leadership. Does it signal something truly and permanently rotten at the heart of the new system? Does it suggest that the world needs to be prepared for other circumstances where the President’s orders aren’t followed?
It naturally gives much ammunition to those who consider him a pawn of the “real powers”: the retired generals and the uniformed men who call the shots in the Ministry of Defence.
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At this chaotic time there is much we do not know. Nonetheless, we can deduce that if the government fails to manage the Kachin war then it flirts with catastrophe. My quick illustration of why that is the case inevitably picks up the Kachin State Day theme.
Before the new war there was a Manau festival each January. That festival would usually run for around a week. It would be a celebration, of course, but also a marathon.
I recall once being on the Manau ground in Myitkyina long before this new war began. It was right at the end of the festival; there had been days of dancing. The mood among the dancers was incredible. Passionate. Defiant. Stoic. Unflinching. Hopeful. Rejoicing. Firm. At the end of the dancing marathon, they remained energetic and united, swaying with enthusiasm to the beat of the drum and the howl of the singers.
I remember thinking: these are not people you ever want to fight.I have not been surprised that since 9 June 2011 when the new war re-ignited the Kachin have shown themselves to be a very effective, if reluctant, combat force.
It is concerning that if the recent escalation cannot be reversed then we might expect the KIA to abruptly change tactics. Their fighters have tended to remain in mountain strongholds, hesitant to launch offensive operations. From the Kachin side, this has been a war of great restraint. But if they are forced into a corner I have no doubt that there are contingencies for taking the fight deep into Burma. The Kachin are adept at war. Under the wrong conditions we would surely anticipate KIA commandos striking at targets from Myitkyina to Mandalay, and who knows where else.
I still have some hope that somewhere, somehow, the decision-makers realise the futility of these battles and can find a compromise that will work. But it will take courage from those who hold the upper hand.
Readers who are interested in more thoughts on this topic will find this article on the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific deals with other dimensions of the Kachin conflict.
The Chinese are starting to make noises about the fighting. They nominally support the Kachins, but as yet haven’t started arming them in a big way.
Interestingly enough, the Chinese are arming the UWSA in a really big way, and as a not so subtle slap at the tatmadaw. They just delivered quite a few armored vehicles to the UWSA, as well as arms and munitions. And the Shan stand to benefit from this largesse as well.
Now that the Burmese govt is climbing into bed with the U.S., the Chinese are starting to show their displeasure.
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More than any manau, this war seems to have united the Kachin people in a way they haven’t been in the past. The Burmese military may win the battle of Laiza only to lose the broader political war.
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This is all about antagonizing China. I predicted sectarian and political division the day John McCain and Diane Feinstein turned up in Myanmar. Hey. I was right. Luck or analysis?
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KIA is coward. While army had stopped offensives and taken only defensive positions the whole of last year (just because of Thein Sein’s order) they ambushed small army columns and raided small army and police outposts.
In the process KIA killed more than 5,000 Burmese. (KIA proudly declared at least 10,000.)
The worst is frequently attacking Mandalay-Myitkyinar trains the only viable link between Kachin Land and Burma proper.
Now they are crying wolf after Burmese army captures all the hills around Laiza and seriously threatening their existence.
KIA is terrorists and they have been sending bomber teams to Burma and blowing up innocent civilians for many decades since 1962. They are now even sending children-suicide-bombers to Naypyidaw.
Burmese army has justification and will and resources to smash the KIA out of their miserable existence.
But don’t worry. KIA will survive as long as China allows them to exist on the borderline just as a leverage in Chin’s dealing with recalcitrant Burmese generals.
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Care to document any of these claims Aung Moe? Tatmawdaw’s atrocities against Kachin civilians are very well documented.
And just for the record are all the monks the military has shot terrorists too?
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http://hlaoo1980.blogspot.com/2013/01/kia-terrorist-group-from-burma.html
If one can believe what Hla Oo, who was in Burmese Army fighting the KIA in 1970s, writes one will easily accept KIA is a Terrorist organization.
Blowing up Mandalay-Myitkyinar passenger trains 97 times in last year (killing hundreds of innocent civilian passengers) alone would qualify KIA as a terrorist organization.
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Bama Army is stupidly brave in dealing with insurgencies. Now they are waging the most expensive war in its own history against the Kachin Independence Army. Within a short period of times the Bama army lost more than ten thousands. They are using most of its combat forces just in the Kachin State.
Since, December 2012, they use air strikes to take over some hill tops around Laiza. They keep using air strikes to Pang Wa area even after President Sein’s truce on Jan 19. KIA claimed that almost 2,000 Bama soldiers died in that location since last six months. How long Bama Army will let its troops being killed without being informed their families members. KIA seem not to be smashed in the near future even though its headquarters fall. China still wants to keep it.
If Bama Army keep the same tactic to solve its ethnic problem as waging war against Kachin, they have to face another war with Wa, which is heavily armed by Chinese.
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http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/02/08/long-shadow-of-war-in-kachin-state/
Just look at the comments there. (especially Hla Oo’s)
KIA has so-far admitted that to kill 10,000 Burmese soldiers last year alone more than 2,700 Kachins had to die.
It seems KIA kill-ratio (Burmese:Kachins) has drastically dropped from 10:1 at late 1980′s to less that 5:1 in 2012.
IMHO late KIA Chairman Maran Brenseng is much, much wiser man than that warmonger General Gam Shaung the KIA present Chief-of-staff.
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The Chinese PLA general Qi (vice-commander-in-chief) was recently giving “marching orders” to Shwe Mann and Min Aung Hlaing.
See: http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/757143.shtml
The greedy Chinese want everything: Myitsone dam, copper from Letpadaung, jade from Phakant, timber, the gas/oil pipeline, railway line from Kunming to Kyaukphyu right through the heart of Burma (so that the PLA can move in quickly!), Shwe gas, naval base at Kyaukphyu, real estate in Mandalay, Rangoon, Lashio, etc. etc. so they are pressuring the “Tatmadaw”. I don’t think China really cares about ethnic minority groups. Just look at what’s happening to the Tibetans and the Uyghurs (Jingphaws and Wa’s are small fry compared to these bigger ethnic groups in China)
It’s the very poor rural population in Burma especially in the border areas, who are shamelessly exploited by corrupt businesses and brutally oppressed by dirty politics and who do not have a voice (even Suu Kyi is silent!)
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Comments of ‘Aung Moe’ make me to remember Burma’s propaganda machines at work in slow motion.
Decades ago, I, as a young cadre of Burma’s socialist party, was amazed to observe that Karen National Union’s leader who was called by the government as ‘Nga Mya’ (a derogatory term) suddenly changed to ‘General Mya’ in all Government own medias. After the fail secrete negotiation for total surrender of KNU, General Mya was able to retain his former name, Nga Mya or Bo Mya, assisted by the same media. Then came Khun Sa. His fixed name ‘Opium King Khun Sa’ was abruptly changed to ‘U Khun Sa’ (Mr. Khun Sa) when he surrendered to then government.
In broader context, of course all armed organizations including KNU, KIA, Wa State Army etc. were terrorist organizations until 1990s when most of them entered ceasefire agreement with central government. Not surprisingly, these groups became “ethnic armed organizations or peace organizations”. However, KNU, the only remainder among them which failed to kowtow the government was still a terrorist one at that time.
Now, it comes KIA’s turn. Of course, KIA won’t bend their position to the wish of “mother of all terrorists” in Burma. This is scary to some people who in turn trying to justify to call KIA terrorists. But wait, what about if KIA bends their position to the wishes of Burmese nationalists? Would their name be changed overnight into something more favorable? Well … let me just say … I’m tired to open my mouth, Sire.
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Few months ago, I accidentally read George Orwell’s ‘Shooting an Elephant’. The most attractive part for me was the opening paragraphs, vividly describing how the residents of Moulmein town, essentially the Capital City of Mon State today, hate their colonial masters.
What came into my mind was that those Mon ethnic from Moulmein who hated their European colonial masters so much but submitted themselves to their Burmese brethren wholeheartedly today? What about other ethnics in Burma then and now? They also really disliked being colonial subjects and fought back their masters so hard as describe in Burmese history books only to totally submitting themselves to their Burmese counterpart? Am I so naïve or missing something?
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As “War is an extension of politics” — should one expect any politics/policy other than WAR knowing that in charge of KIA and Tamadaw are the respective die hard Generals masquerading as civilian politicians?
Knowing well from Myanmar History the eventual/inevitable results of all armed conflict why would anyone ever choose to support one brother over another is incredulous.
This episode of armed violence of brothers against brothers shall past like any other costly, tragic historical hiccups.
These episodic hiccups from the Colonial Legacy of ‘frontier policy’ induced indigestion, appear to be never ending.
“I remember thinking: these are not people you ever want to fight.I have not been surprised that since 9 June 2011 when the new war re-ignited the Kachin have shown themselves to be a very effective, if reluctant, combat force.”
Nich
How about being impressed similarly by the numerous other common celebrations within Myanmar beside the Manau?
Thus favoring the well being of ALL citizenry.
If history is again the guide, during bountiful time Myanmar is at it best in every respects.
As long as there is neither more useless careless, deprivation policy nor more unreasonable/unrealistic expectation, Myanmar’s bountiful time will again be not too far ahead.
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Meaningless platitudes of brothers against brothers cannot hide the fact that this is a war like most others fought over control of land and resources. Two (the kleptocracy and China)is a company,three is a crowd. To the govt there is nothing wrong with Kachin State full of forests, the source of the mighty Irrawaddy with all that gold and jade, except it is also full of Kachins.
Admittedly there is that colonial legacy and meddling foreigners to this day in many different forms, states, groups and individuals on both sides of the fence in a globalized world, but you ignore the elephant in the room at your peril.
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“Meaningless platitudes of brothers against brothers”
Ko Moe Aung
Obviously you and your ilk
1)do not know or related to anyone in the Tamadaw, KIA or any none Communist org that is suing for peace and cessation in killing of Brothers against Brothers in the street of Yangon and else where within Myanmar.
2)do not understand the worth of 5000 and counting Bamar Brothers’ lives and similar # of Kachin Brothers lives.
3)do not know the history of Myanmar and do not care to recognize the ongoing similar nature of conflicts b/t Brothers against Brothers.
Bemoaning a successful regime with all its atrocious attributes have allowed a blind eye to the most important villain=”The West” contribution to present quagmire.
Surrounding countries interfere through their surrogates, so as the West through empty call for “Democracy” while all strengthening this present regime holds.
Notice the lack of West interferences with unbridled economic activities in Thailand since the “First Anglo Burman War”?
A historic rival to Myanmar with similarities in every respects, Thailand has Brothers with exact corresponding DNA as in Myanmar, NEVER have to kill each other, illuminate well the iniquities of the West, a cursed gift that keeps on giving.
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Your sense of superior knowledge is incredible. You seem so sure that:
a)there’s been no violence in Thailand,
b)no Western interference in that country,
c)and it’s the sanctions that strengthened the dead hand of the regime even as the forthcoming investment and aid will give it a new lease of life.
What do you actually expect from the West? They don’t have permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests.
And why turn a blind eye to the popular struggle and put all your eggs in the elitist basket? It’s none other than self centered power and wealth in wedded bliss that keep us down stunting our nation’s growth in health and education stopping us all from fulfilling our genetic physical and intellectual/creative potential.
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Thailand is what Myanmar might have been if not for the West.
1) Colonial legacy
2) Useless careless policy.
Lest the seriousness of above 2 shall go Ya-da Ya-da to most westerners with your mind set:
The colonial era lasted 120 years (1824-1948), with all the untoward historical accouterments 2nd only to longest formative era of Myanmar in history of 250 years the 1st dynasty “Pagan era”~ (1050-1300)that has made Myanmar Buddhist as well as the dominant group.
A 2nd longest and most transforming era, still continuing, that has almost never mentioned less implicated when conflicts like this present one Kachin/Bamar are discussed.
As for the useless careless policy era of negligence/punishment by the West 1962/1988-2013(?) the comparison in severity of ’2nd only to N Korea’ should suffice how serious the effect to Myanmar has been. Especially knowing Myanmar is NOTHING like N Korea.
Ko Moe Aung
“What do you actually expect from the West?”
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”
Recognizing the history will be a good start to know what is expected and any deviation will surely have untoward outcomes.
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The Western sanctions on Burma pale in comparison to the economic blockade on Cuba and North Korea, even that of Apartheid South Africa. The withdrawal of Global Fund was actually caused by govt constraints and restrictions to its work inside the country.
Perhaps we should have prostituted the country from the start when the white man first made his appearance and helped develop the economy under their ‘altruistic guidance’. Here you might be thinking alike with Hla Oo, the folly and futility of resistance to foreign rule and the violent struggle for national liberation.
Makes you wonder if the West would still be guilty of useless careless policies. Still the support for every brutal dictatorship around the world that is staunchly anti-communist including the tacit approval of Ne Win hardly counts for a useless careless stance.
It took the British several years in their war of pacification after the fall of Mandalay in 1885 before they could concentrate on infrastructure development geared to extractive industries including rice cultivation as a cash crop for global markets turning Burma into the Rice Bowl of Asia. The older generation of Burmese talked about the good old days because improvement in infrastructure, along with law and order, peace in the land, now enabled trade and commerce to flourish. This essentially colonial function of pacifying the natives is now left to the native rulers as far as possible in the New World Order, and that’s exactly what’s going on in Kachin State just to return to topic.
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Hmm,
It is OK to be raped/conquered/colonized for 120 years as long as the rapist provide an advancement in standard of living to the raped victims for 120 years, eh!
“The older generation of Burmese talked about the good old days because improvement in infrastructure, along with law and order, peace in the land, now enabled trade and commerce to flourish.”
The British accomplished these, among which through:
1)Indiscriminate use of armed forces and denigration at every turn that will justify ICC involvement nowadays
2)Division among Brothers.
Notwithstanding recognizing 120 years of colonial era is the 2nd longest era of undisturbed transformation of Myanmar that is still reverberating to present day.
Anything the Colonial British did is undoubtedly to enrich the British Empire.
Everything else that has happened, purportedly good for Myanmar the colony is coincidental.
A closest potential being ‘Thailand like in destiny’, w/o being raped, defending colonial accomplishment/legacy, is rather miasmic.
Ko Moe Aung
“The Western sanctions on Burma pale in comparison to the economic blockade on Cuba and North Korea,”
A doltish and callous at best unconscionable statement at the worst.
A blind eye to the iniquities of the West that knowingly subject an innocent 50 million citizenry to heart breaking sufferings while the government has done NOTHING close to provoking the West in any respect compared to Cuba or N.Korea.
“This essentially colonial function of pacifying the natives is now left to the native rulers as far as possible in the New World Order, and that’s exactly what’s going on in Kachin State just to return to topic.”
Are you in support of this military government means of ‘pacification’, a looming tragedy in Laiza, that is surly setting up for next round of brothers against brothers violence?
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Without the Western colonial legacy this war wouldn’t be taking place since the Kachins weren’t part of the Burmese kingdoms, so Plan B if you really want to get rid of legacy let the Kachin have independence. I’m sure you’re in favor to that.
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Jeez Nich!
Where goes this Thamada Gyi U Thein Sein is sooo good and is leading the New Burma, sorry, Myanmar to great heights line? Rotten at the heart, eh? It was a hard read this article as the usual Rose Garden talk is decidedly absent.
Well. may be people should stop really being intentionally or unintentionally schizophrenic with tow separate governments pretension- one with great reformed and therefore deserved of “support” and “investments”- good ones of course as the whole blooming world is so, so altruistic- and there is another one that is an – er.. enigma?
Look Nich, nothing, repeat nothing, is changed. Thein Sein if someone has some brain with memory would remember is put there by Than Shwe. Not by that fake woman Aung San Suu Kyi or any of the “international” pressure. What is happening is exactly as the old man wants. Thein Sein dare not even look Than Shwe’s good-for-nothing grandson into the eye let alone formulate any plan of his own outside of the a little larger circle they are now allowed to move about.
For those “technology”, “investments” and probably moist importantly recognition as “equals”, Than Shwe was prepared to pull back their own devious and irrational excesses. That’s all. It is like the complaining donkey having to carry one more stone each time a protest is lodged that when the stones were taken away one after another, it feels grateful. Fact is, there should not have been these bloody stones put on in the first place. And there is no reason to rejoice getting them off either.
Liaza is a fixed plain town surrounded by mountains. Any idiot would admit taking that town with overwhelming force is no military prowess.
But greedy and immoral is the international community is -not a single murmur of objection for massively destructive manufactured “civil” war in Syria and will not be when that formula is used yet again in Iran next- they simply cannot have another Rwanda/ Srebrenica/ East Timor/ Campuchea so fresh after the well celebrated -sick,sick,sick- Mullaitivu massacre.
And even with Jew joining the fray, the KIA leadership unlike Mutu Sae Po is not easy to buy out whatever the reason or whatever they have done before.
It is so sad to be academic to take detailed notes of all the BS frothing out of the like regular liar like Thein Sein about this and that orders. Please don’t tell me you are still expecting Thein Sein giving all the students in Burma- sorry Myanmar- a laptop each! It may now proved to be useful as they most school age children are finding hard to eke out ONE meal a day foraging in urban land around all these literary festivals and very Burmese -sorry- Myanmarese_ New Year day celebrations.
Of course the world has to pretend that Thein Sein is New and Improved version and there is Democracy and all that as it suits them- Australia included. But there reality is the Burmese- BURMESE- public is not so dumb to fall for all those hoolabaloo the the West’s pin-up girl stars seems to be getting fainter as time goes by, what with Rohingya, Latpadaung, and all the industrial disputes she studiously ignored or sided with the oppressors.
In tow months, rain will make sure KIA’s newest recruit can pick out any of the Burmese youth gang pressed in the forces at the mountain tops. If the KIA leadership are not sufficiently bribed and the “war” goes on- alas, the planes (reportedly pilot-ted by Russian and Chinese) may be not so useful by then either. What then for great- in pathetic way- Min Aung Hlaing. What then for who ever appoints him in this place? Even the Burmese may see their sons are missing at some point.
But KIA doing urban terrorism as you were painfully trying to hide while suggesting, that will not happen. Even if there are cornered. Even if they have to die. There are people with principles and there are people with No principles like Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Thanks Ohn,
Time will tell. I guess I wish I was half as confident as you…
There is flux, uncertainty and change. Things are unpredictable and don’t always fit the templates we hope to impose.
Some of those you deride most consistently are some of those who have at least sought out a more positive path — and put something on the line to achieve it.
Are they there yet? No. Is there some remarkably positive movement? I see it with my own eyes, right now. Do I think the war in Kachin State is a disaster that will have costs far beyond those that anybody today cares to register? Yes, I do.
But from where I sit, which this afternoon is a useful vantage, there are too many contradictions to endorse your great confidence that “nothing…is changed”.
If only it were so black and white.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
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Thanks a lot for the points Nich, truly.
“Some of those you deride most consistently are some of those who have at least sought out a more positive path — and put something on the line to achieve it.”
Here lies the problem.
“Positive” is the real issue.Not so long ago, even the Kachins, already dead and about to die now, would have agreed with that”positive” thingy.
The real advantage of the ruling thugs is that there are differential effects on different strata of the populace and people feel the elephant in different ways. And the opinion makers of the world, which ostensibly includes you personally along with various government officials and international operators, some of whom at least would fully recognise the fake nature of the “Reform” but -yes, in my own interpretation, ig-Noble-ly- pull ranks to support or fool the Burmese public to make them believe the changes are “Real”. As that is where their own interest lies. Why would the Australian and UK government officials feel they had to repeat they believed in Thein Sein and the reform when their press appearance was ostensibly for “educational aids”? All at a time the largest, most brutal in all counts, war using air force is put upon people of their very own country. A fact simply and blithely ignored by all. Please tell me all those governments are not monitoring the developments and planning contingency alternatives in case Laiza does not fall by the rainy season or the KIA leadership is still not bought off like Mutu Sae Po? What are they waiting for tacitly endorsing the most chilling civilian killings even if Aung San Suu Kyi is so rotten herself to endorse it as well , one wonders. (Evil prospers when good men do nothing. Not that I personally believe they- all inclusive- are good men or women.)
It is perfectly significant that people in Burma are now seeing the world’s pin up girl Aung San Suu Kyi as at least dubious character as seen in various cartoons appearing daily. ( Here please monitor that horrendous Facebook of the Burmese participants.)
The spontaneous and leaderless funeral cortege of U Paing Lu (88 year of age) and U Hnan Phyu (88 year of age) are simple and crude but powerful reminders that the people you might describe as striving with positive attitude are regarded by the people in trouble as simply turn coats.
And I for the record did not deride them. I denounce and condemn them. They make people suffer more immeasurably by colluding with the military which is stronger and more solid and more corrupt now than ever was. And more crafty. And devious as usual.
Lies always show. People are now openly talking about these lies now.
There will be a time when a critical mass does realise.
Yet the success of the odious military thug’s plans depends not on any of these people or any of these acts and facts, but how rapidly the international corporations can corrupt the public of Burma and make them covetous – main difference between the resistant Kachin populace and more tortured and suppressed but more covetous Karen populace.
Before long, Buddhist youths of Burma will prolifically start to knife someone happily for a pair of Nike or blue hair dye or a high heel. Then and only then the irreversible conquest will be complete.
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Thanks Ohn,
I like the thrust of some of what you outline here, including the provocative prophecy on the tail. I think the challenge is to find the right stream of analysis so we can see where both the profoundly negative and the (perhaps mildly) positive trajectories intersect, interweave and, sometimes, interlock. It’s not easy.
And in recent weeks I have learned things about the country that I didn’t know — and that are re-shaping some of my own views. That’s good, I think.
Happy to keep learning.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
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Appreciate that.
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Thanks to plan B for repeating after me.
Well, Ohn, everything’s going according to El Supremo’s plan, so rest assured.
Nich, ever wondered whom the NDSC (kar lon) really answer to? Reckon “This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know about” still applies?
ASSK simply reminds me of Anteaus and Gaia. Hercules? Not her.
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Indeed a cacophony of buyer remorse by one and continued vieled hatred by another the O&M (Ohn and Moe Aung) show at New Mandala.
Still in the circular firing suad mode of self degradation despite the editor of New Mandala own objective guarded hope:
“But from where I sit, which this afternoon is a useful vantage, there are too many contradictions to endorse your great confidence that “nothing…is changed”.
This is the first time since 1948 when th 3 historical elements that will bring Myanmar into are now inplaced.
1)A strong central Military
2)A growing Hlutthaw
3)An econmy not stifffled by the West
Yet the O&M show choose to bemoan every conquences of the historic legacies that are still reverberating to this presenr day Myanmat.
A short sightedness that is against the history.
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1) Dare I ask a strong military for whom?
2) A growing Hluttaw I grant you is interesting, perhaps an unwitting agent of change however rigged, coopted or manipulated. Not all uniformed or uniform in their voices and votes which help toward the broader struggle necessarily partly and more importantly outside the ‘debating’ chambers of Naypyidaw.
3) An econmy not stifffled by the West (take your time, there’s no rush) but stifled by the ruling military clique for as long as two generations can remember. Barking up the wrong tree your favorite past time, History Man?
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3) An econmy not stifffled by the West
A quintessential qualification to be a Man Friday or westerners apologist indeed.
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