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Myanmar Insults the BurmeseE



Errors-To:owner-burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx
FROM:NBH03114@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Burmese Relief Center--Japan
DATE:May 18, 1995
TIME: 7:10PM JST

Letter to the Editor
JAPAN TIMES
May 17, 1995

'MYANMAR' INSULTS THE BURMESE

As a Burmese, I have some responsibility to express our point
of view and feelings on behalf of our fellow countrymen whose
voices are suppressed by guns.

You have explained your reasons for using the name "Myan-
mar," which I found to be based on geography.  I would like to
add some more view from politics and history.

You must consider who changed the name and when.  The
military junta which calls itself the State Law and Order Res-
toration Council (SLORC) bloodily crushed the prodemocracy
movement of the people in 1988 and took power by coup
d'etat.  Here I would like to emphasize that in that popular
uprising various ethnic nationalities took part as a whole
country, but the generals killed many people and robbed them
of power.

After that SLORC diverted the world's attention from the
country by changing its name.  Therefore, the military junta
had no right to change the name of the country.  Moreover, no
referendum has been held to get the consent of the citizens to
change the name of our lovely land.

Another point is that the National League for Democracy won
the national election in 1990, but the junta has failed to respect
the election results and has not yet handed over power to the
elected individuals.  Only a legitimate government can change
the name of a country.

In the history of the Union of Burma, I do not find that the
name "Myanmar" represents all ethnic nationalities which
reside in the country.  We simply call the country "the Union"
when we wish to refer to all nationalities.  Actually, we had
never heard or seen the English word "Myanmarese" before
1988.  The word was invented by the same geniuses whose
master brains circulated the unheard-of 15, 35, 45, 75 and 90
kyat monetary denominations.

As a Burmese, every time I see the word "Myanmar" or
"Myanmarese" I feel it is an insult to the Whole people.  It
always reminds me of our gunned-down struggle for democra-
cy and the blood, tears and votes we paid for the cause.  It
really hurts me.

I earnestly request that the journalists of Japan take into
consideration the feelings and opinions of the people of Burma,
not those of the military dictators.