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Organization: Forum for Democracy and Human Rights
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Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 13:05:40 +0000
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Subject: Struggle in Myanmar{Burma}
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Asiaweek (July 5, 1996) : Struggle in Myanmar

 =93Generals Choice=94 [EDITORALS; June 14]; which says SLORC must talk  
with Aung San Suu Kyi ;  is a voice of reason in a media  debate on Burma =
that 
has grown increasingly shill and devoid of new ideas. Daw Suu Kyi has rise=
n to 
the status of a virtual Deity in Burma and among her ardent supporters aro=
und 
the world; but am I the only one who detects a hint of arrogance and lack =
 of logic
 in some of her recent statements? Her purpose desire for dialogue seems t=
o have
 been replaced with  a wish for confrontation; a tactic that has never wor=
ked with
 BURMA=92S military government.

There is no indication that investment or travel boycott will work in Burm=
a=92s 
case. Repression has thrived on isolation for 34 years and no one gave a d=
amn 
till the military government abolished socialism and opened the country to=
 
capital investment in 1989. Military government could conceivably thrive f=
or 
another half century, with or without the rest of the world [with China=92=
s support
they have virtually nothing to fear ]. Will isolation lead to democracy? M=
ost 
likely it will turn the clock back. In spite of all the abuses in Burma, t=
here may 
be more freedom there now than at any time 1962. 

(Jake Guzman)
(Berkeley, Carlifornia)

An analyst in Singapore  said there is strong belief in ASEAN that one sho=
uld 
not comment on internal politics of another country. Yet Senior minister L=
ee 
Kuan Yew commented that only the Burmese army can  effectively run the 
country [On Her Own, THE NATION, June 21]. 

We who are born and bred in Burma are struggling for  democracy and human 
rights. The ethnic minorities are struggling  for their birthright against=
 Myanmar 
chauvinism (as in changing the name of the country to Myanmar ) and not th=
e 
disintegration of the Union of Burma. It is the Burmese army=92s human rig=
hts 
violations that are causing  the union to disintegrate.

(Kanbawza Win)
(Bangkok.)