SLORC: Various Articles

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MYANMAR ALIN Article by Chan Mye Khin: "Want To Shout From the Road
Junction," in Burmese, June 30 1996,  p. 6

[Translated Text] I have wanted to write this for a long time, but I was 
unable to do so.  I was inspired to write this after reading Ma Shwe's 
article- on 28-5-96.  My mother, who would be over 100 years old if she 
were still alive, once asked, "Hey, where are Thakhin Aung San's [Aung 
San Suu Kyi's father] children and what are they doing?" I answered, 
"Mother, they live in England and I heard they are married to English 
people.  My mother said, "Oh -- what kind of kids are they?  I am very 
sad to know that they have discarded their father's country to live in 
England and marry the English.  They have no regard for their father or 
their country.  If only Thakhin Aung San were alive, I do not know 
whether he would kill or exile his daughter who married an Englishman.
My mother told us when we were young that U Phan was a head coolie, a 
colonial era usage, engaged in carrying sand and gravel from the Shwebo 
canal.  A lady laborer named "Ma San Set" was in his laborer group.  Ma 
San Set was attractive and had a pleasant personality.  An English 
officer, who knew a little Burmese, approached U Phan and said he wanted 
"Ma San Set."
U Phan said, "Hey, Ma San Set, the Englishman is giving preference to me 
and my work.  I know he is doing it because of you.  I feel bad and I do 
not agree.  You do not like him because he is from another race, so why 
don't you quit this job?"
Ma San Set replied, "My goodness, I couldn't even work peacefully as a 
coolie and now that this Englishman is after me I cannot continue to 
work.  Uncle Phan, I cannot become an Englishman's wife so I am quitting 
my job tomorrow.  I would rather sell roasted beans and jaggery, it would 
be more dignified than being a foreigner's wife and rich.,,
The poor Ma San Set's spirit is commendable.  She knew that she would be 
rich and her life would be secure if she had married the English officer, 
but she still preserved her country and her own status.  We should be 
proud of her strong will.
I feel, today's Myanmar [Burmese] ladies do not think of Ma San Set as an 
example, but instead envy Ma Suu Kyi.  I see frequent advertisements in 
the newspapers about Myanmar ladies marrying English, American, and other 
foreigners with parental consent.  Their parents might think it is 
prestigious to be married to a foreigner and I do not know whether they 
can feel proud of their race and religion.
I do not know they feel that marrying a foreigner like Ma Suu Kyi, the 
daughter of a national leader, is a prestigious act, or if it makes them 
feel great, proud, and able to use foreign things, or if they think the 
English and the Americans are better.
I would like to shout from the road junction, Myanmar ladies do not envy 
the race-destruction act!

End Text.
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KYEMON Article by Di Hlaing: "If You're Brazen Enough", in Burmese July 
1,1996, p. 5

[Translated Text] Western political experts have noted that Political 
Defiance [PD] is a method of bringing down dictatorial regimes; but the 
Soviet-led Eastern Bloc said that actually PD methods caused their 
disintegration.  Although Myanmar [Burma] practiced socialism, it was not 
a member of any socialist bloc and did not rely on anyone.  If powerful 
Warsaw Pact countries can disintegrate, then what of a self-reliant 
socialist state like Myanmar?
The West, using democracy development as an excuse, managed to crumble 
the East Bloc during the Cold War.  They let the countries crumble, for 
the important thing was for their allies to gain power.  Gene Sharpe 
[political expert] noted the August 1991 Russian coup led by hard-liners 
was unsuccessful because non-violent methods were the dominate methods.  
The world knew that tanks fired at the parliament building.  Right or 
wrong, is firing from tanks a nonviolent means?
PD activity, no matter how you define it -- political defiance, 
non-violent method, confrontation, power defiant policy, public struggle 
-- is to oppose, intimidate, and bring down the government without armed 
struggle.  Once the government is toppled you will gain power, you can do 
what you want to do, and you can crush the opposition, that's all.
The nation survived the socialist era with no substantial support from 
the West or the East Bloc, but after a time, it weakened.  They were also 
facing a lot of enemies -- armed and unarmed opposition, leftists and 
rightists, overt and covert local and external destructionists.  The 1988 
disturbances became a venue for the UGs [Underground Communists] and the 
PDs (political defiant persons] to try to gain power by using democracy 
as an excuse, when the socialist government was unable to control the 
country.
 If the socialist government was, shall we say, toppled by the PD method 
with the blind participation of the people, then who would be the 
government?  Who would take over power?  Who would govern Myanmar, which 
is on the verge of destruction and disintegration?  Who has the 
qualifications to govern the country?  Should we hand over power to PD 
murderers who commented on the beheadings?  Should we ask the Gay 
Association to form a government?  Or should we call on the Elementary 
Teachers Association?
Were the Four Greats -- U Nu, U Aung Gyi, U Tin Oo, and Daw Aung San Suu 
Kyi -- united at that time?  Were they able to form a government?  The 
war of the Four Greats would have started there and then if only they had 
guns.
As anarchy and violence became rampant, the Defense Services had to take 
control of the country.  To whom could they hand over power?  There were 
lots of power mongers.  Gene Sharpe's method was not to accept a military 
coup and to continue the struggle so what did they do next?
They demanded elections, so elections were held.  They said the elections 
were free and fair, only because they won.  If they had lost they would 
say the military government rigged the elections.  After the elections 
there arose the problem of handing over power.  Some say that this was 
the main problem.  Yes, indeed it was.
Have you thought about what would have happened had-power been handed 
over to the National League for Democracy [NLD] after the elections?  
People from the democratic forces know that, apart from the military, how 
can a civilian government govern the country without a constitution?
Some have remarked that you become a parliamentarian one day, convene the 
parliament that same day, and the issue the Constitution [preceding word 
published in English] the next.  There is nothing more to it, so adopt 
[preceding word published in English] the Constitution [preceding word 
published in English] after legally approving [preceding word published 
in English] it, so you will be a legal government the day after tomorrow. 
 This is a very selfish idea to gain one's interest.
The NLD already has a draft constitution and they will try to approve, 
ratify, and utilize it.  They have also discussed plans to relocate the 
War Office to Indaing [about 30 miles from Rangoon] to prevent further 
coups, to oust military officers above the rank of lieutenant colonel 
from the Defense Services, to decrease the strength of the military by 25 
percent, and to become allies with the West.
The following would happen if power were handed over to the NLD:
       1.	They would ratify an unknown constitution.
2.	They would control, destroy, and reform the Defense Services
 according to Gene Sharpe's methods.
3.	According to Gene Sharpe's democratic state philosophy, the military 
does not to be strong; but the people must be able to defend the country 
so pocket armies would then emerge.
4.	At that time, the end of May 1990, there were only a few armed 
insurgent groups that had made peace with the SLORC [State Law and Order 
Restoration Council].  The Defense Services were still negotiating peace 
with other groups and these peace initiatives could be jeopardized.
5.	Relations with the People's Republic of China would deteriorate due to 
the policy of heavy reliance on the West.
Furthermore, during the campaign, the NLD leaders made pledges to other 
parties and political forces, shared parliamentary seats, and let 
candidates run under the banner of the Khamauk [traditional hat and NLD 
party symbol].  Most elected representatives have also violated 
regulations.
The most important factor was not having a constitution.  The 
daughter-in-law (derogative reference to Aung San Suu Kyi] knew that.  
That was why the daughter-in-law made the following speech at the meeting 
between the NLD and the United Nationalities League for Democracy held at 
No. 393, first floor, Bo Aung Gyaw Road, on 15 July 1989; "The elections 
will be held after 10 months, but the matter of power transfer is not 
clear.  What I understood was that the SLORC spokesmen told foreign 
journalists that they need to ratify a constitution before handing over 
power."
The daughter-in-law knows too much.  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself has 
accepted that it is not possible to hand over power without a 
constitution.  Why is she adamantly seeking the transfer of power?  It is 
clear, she is afraid she might not get it once the constitution is 
ratified.  Moreover, the stealthily written constitution is useless.
So the acts of the daughter-in-law's group is clear.  They are blindly 
following orders from the West, which come through her husband.  The 
people are not accepting that, they are vehemently rejecting and angrily 
opposing it.  The daughter-in-law might notice the mass rallies and then 
sense whether or not the public would accept it.  May I remind you that 
if you insist on brazenly staying, you will have to face the peoples' 
consequences.

End text.