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SLORC Press on Political Defiance



Article by Di Hlaing: "Inception of Political Defiance" in Burmese 
government daily MYANMAR ALIN August 9, 1996 p

[Translated Excerpt] Political defiance has many
other names such as nonviolent resistance, nonviolent 
struggle, mass struggle, civil disobedience, and
confrontation. Actually, political defiance means to oppose
the government in various ways except the armed
revolutionary method. Political defiance does not employ
military methods, but people who want to engage militarily
are allies of those who practice political defiance. In
other words, they are connected. Let us leave this issue
for a while.
When did political defiance come into existence?
Gene Sharpe wrote: "Nonviolent revolutions took place
in 494 BC. During that time, the lower-class people refused
to offer assistance to their masters in Rome."
Regarding the collapse of Communism in Europe, Gene 
Sharpe said it was not surprising and added that people
should not make a big issue of it. He said there were many
nonviolent struggles in history. That is why we need to
look into what had happened in Rome during 494 BC as
mentioned by Gene Sharpe. I think it would be difficult to
find at present the book entitled "Milestones of World
History," 5th Edition, published by the Central Committee
Headquarters of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party in
1971 which mentioned what had happened in 494 BC. It was a
history book. One can also find about this matter in other
history books.
The book says Prince Romulus built Rome around 1000 
BC. [passage omitted on Roman history from 1000 BC to
writing of the Roman Code of 12 Tables] 
Actually, Gene Sharpe's description of the political
defiance, which took place in 494 BC, was a movement by the
poor Romans. It was a method of demanding rights by staging
mass demonstrations. He said the people achieved the 
democracy in this manner. [passage omitted on development of
 democracy and emergence of Sophism in Greece, philosophy of
 Sophism, death of the Greek philosopher Socrates, and
emergence of Mobocracy]
Although political defiance was started by the poor 
Romans it was based on the Sophism. Political defiance is, 
actually, an anarchism that is adorned with tactics of
modern psychological warfare. Laymen may like this tactic.
People who are crazy for power, corrupt public service
personnel, lazy people, opportunists, and people who do not
want to obey the law may very much prefer other tactics.
Eastern Europe has proven that political defiance leads to
the disintegration of the nation, bloody wars, and
sufferings.
Gene Sharpe said political defiance began in 494 BC 
and added that it was nothing new. He also noted the fall of
 Communism within 10 years--between 1980s and 1990s. He 
noted political defiance in East Germany and Czechoslovakia
which lead to the fall of Communism there, but he did not
talk about the separation of Czech and Slovakia. He also
mentioned the fall of the ruling military governments in El
Salvador and Guatemala within two weeks and the fall of the
Shah of Iran within months. Moreover, Gene Sharpe thinks
that the disintegration of the Soviet Union led to the
independence of former republics.
He said political defiance overthrew the socialist 
government in Myanmar [Burma]. During that time, the
country came so close to disintegration. 
This time would you allow your beloved Myanmar to be
disintegrated due to political defiance?

[End excerpt.] 

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