Haiku, Mittsubishi and Burmese Stru

[ktint@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: Haiku, Mittsubishi and Burmese Struggles

Dear Friends,

First, I would like to say thank you for your activities and arguments
aiming to better human right condition in Burma.  Before mentioning my
view, I should also admit that I have never formally studied Culture  or
any other Social Science subject for a high level discussion of culture or
literature. However, as I follow the arguments on Haiku and Burma's
struggle for democracy in  BurmaNet, I wanted to mention my opinion as a
Burmese.
I  have lived in Japan for more than a decade,  and I experienced and
appreciate the value of Japanese Culture.  I feel that  'good' Japanese
cultures should increasingly be applied for the development of the society
at large. 
I hope all of you agree the above fact that good cultural habits should be
preserved at its origin while transmitting those into other parts of the
world for higher human civilization. 
In Japan, there is a culture of exchanging famous Haiku printed on a
beautiful leaf to express one's romantic feeling to his or her lover.  I
think this lovely cultural habit should spread throughout Asia if the world
is still too wide. For that to happen, however, Haiku should not be
confined in the language of Japanese.  "Haiku in English" as termed by a
Japanese newspaper may be more appropriate for the purpose than the
alternative word pseudo-Haiku.  In fact, nowadays,  peoples living in many
countries  are willing to adopt the culture originated in Japan: For
examples, Sushi, Teriyaki, Judon and even Bonsai are accepted in North
America, and Karaoke is highly popular in Asia. I do not think that someone
who loves  Japanese culture would be unhappy  because Karaoke is being used
for improvement of the human rights in Burma. 

As for the Japanese Giant Mitsubishi,  we Burmese have bitter memories. 
This group played a major role in pushing  Japanese military government to
occupy Burma during Second World War because Mitsubishi wanted to seize
rich oil fields in Burma at any cost.  This war in Burma resulted in loss
of so many thousands of young peoples. During their days in Burma, Japanese
practically taught to the newly formed Burmese military how to use slave
labor,  when they constructed a rail-road to Thailand and when they marched
to Imphal in India. (The SLORC's  army is still preserving that bad culture
in  Burma by putting forward a wrong reason that it is Burma's tradition.)

Moreover, in a very recent history, top officials of Mitsubishi group had
initiated to sell a part of land of Burmese Embassy ground in Tokyo in
1988, so that  several hundred million dollars went to SLORC's pocket
during that hard time of foreign currency for Burmese military.  That Japan
money might have killed thousands of Burmese and generated hundred of
thousands of refugees because Burmese military elites fond of preserving
culture to shoot. Unfortunately, these  problems are never related or made 
partly known to the pseudo-hard-working Mitsubishi employees or to the
Japanese people.

In my view, we appreciate our friends who condemn  investments in
apparently lawless Burma by any non-violent method. We Burmese would not
welcome Mitsubishi group if we have ever learned something from the
history. Moreover, we do not welcome  ODA or investment of companies which
exactly follow Mitsubishi's bad example to exploit our country's resources
at wrong time. 
I urge you to continue your actions to help Burmese people.
Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

K. Tint
KT
ISBDA