[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

IHT interview: Lt. General Khin Ny



Subject: IHT interview:  Lt. General Khin Nyunt

Conference "reg.burma" <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>



Headline:  IHT interview:  Lt. General Khin Nyunt - Military
Intelligence, Chief Architect Secret Police21/11/96

Dear EURO-BURMANET readers: The following news story published in today,
Thursday Nov 21,1996 edition of the International Herald Tribune
(IHT),interview with Lt. General Khin Nyunt - Military Intelligence
(First Secretary, Slorc), Chief Architect Secret Police, Ne Win protegé,
head of Burma's dreaded Military Intelligence. Story prominently
featured, top page 6, photo Nyunt.  More lies and "bogus " propaganda
from the devil himself. Weighing the imbalance of the long tirade of
lies staged to avoid the direct question of human rights abuses, and
insults to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, we consider it indeed most unfortunate
that the IHT edits this interview delivering a decidedly one-sided and
simplistic account to forward SLORC's pathos. Are we to expect, in all
fairness and respect for the truth, that the IHT will publish an
interview with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? Dawn Star, EBN

Send comments to IHT, and EURO-BURMANET (Paris). 

Begin text

Q&A / General Khin Nyunt   Burma: An Inside View of the Military's
Control

For two decades Burma was shut off from the rest of the world under the
military dictatorship of General Ne Win. In 1988, after he announced his
retirement, the doors burst open and riots raged throughout the country.
Within months, the military quelled the protests by forming the State
Law and Order Restoration Council. In 1990, the council, under
Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, allowed elections, resulting in an
overwhelming majority for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League
for Democracy. Six years later, Burma is still under military rule,
languishing in poverty and accused of numereous abuses of human rights.
In Rangoon, General Khin Nyunt was intereviewed by Barbara Victor, an
author and journalist.

IHT: After Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for
Democracy, won the majority of the vote in the 1990 elections, why did
you refuse to relinguish power?

SLORC: When we first assumed responsibility in 1988 the situation was
unimaginable. The country was on the verge of chaos and anarchy, which
was the reason the armed forces assumed responsibility, to prevent the
country from slipping into disintegration. Since that time we have been
trying our best to build up our country to have a firm foundation of
economic development in accordance with our aims.

We also look at our situation in terms of geopolitics since our
neighbors are two of the most populous nations in the world -- China and
India. Our government has spent a lot of money for the development of
border areas, trying to dispel mistrust and suspicion by raising the
standard of living. We are also taking measures to eradicate opium by
crop substitution. While we are implementing the necessary reforms in
the political system, we are also introducing a new economic system, and
although our country has natural resources, we are lagging behind in
capital as well as in technology.

IHT: There have been many accusations that your government denies people
basic human rights. How do you respond to thos accusations?

SLORC: Although our government is in the form of a military government
or military junta, we are not suppressing the people. We are trying our
best as an interim government to achieve political stability and
economic development as well as bring about improvement in the social
sphere.

IHT: What about specific accusations such as forced labor and forced
relocation of people?

SLORC: People who have not been to the country before have an impression
that we are brutal and cruel, they regard us as oppressive, as if we are
ruling the country by force, as if there are no human rights in the
country. Why such a perception? This is essentially because the
information they get is through the media and also because the
information they get is not directly from us, the source is from third
partieis and as you know, there are groups in New York, Los Angeles and
Washington who are against us and the information theyare providing
cannot be positive to us. Another source of wrong information is the
armed groups operating along the border with Thailand.

IHT: Not only did your government ignore the election results and refuse
to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to leade the coutnry, but also put her
under house arrest for six years and still continue to arrest memebers
of her party. How do you justify your actions?

SLORC: She is trying her best to hinder our progress/ If she were to try
to make our work successful, it would be best for everybody but
unfortunately she is not. She is trying to cause political confusion and
instability and unrest when we have peace and tranquility in our
country.

IHT:  What is your most serious criticism of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi?

SLORC: Aung Suu Kyi was not here for most of her life, so naturally she
cannot understand all our problems. After her father passed away, she
went with her mother at the age of 14, when she was appointed ambassador
to India, and later she left for London. From that time she drifted
apart from our country and didn't regularly come back to our country.
She married an Englishman and settled down and became more apart from
the country. If she had come back and worked for the country and married
a Myanmar citizen, she may have been able to become a national leader.
But when she came back in 1988, at our invitation to care for her
aililng mother, the Communist Party cells saw her as a great advantage
because she is the daughter of a national hero. They beclieved that if
they could push her into the front and take advantage of her position it
would serve their purposes.

end text
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Metta, thank you, peace, happiness and long life. Virtually yours,
Dawn Star  (Paris)  <cd@xxxxxxx>
Euro-Burmanet  (Paris, France)

Burmanet / TOTAL Coordinator (France)
Free Burma Coalition
http://wicip.org/fbc/

NCGUB
815 Fifteenth Street NW
 Suite 910
Washington, DC 20005
<ncgub@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)
P.O Box 6720
ST.Olavs Plass
0130 Oslo, Norway
Tel: 47-22-200021, Tel/fax:47-22-362525

Norway NCGUB you must make e-mail address to
level one (1)maung@xxxxxxxxxxx (the PM office e-mail)
level two (2)NCGUB Europe, U Nwe Aung  e-mail
<101564.2652@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

US President  Bill Clinton < president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Ambassador Madeleine K  Albright ( United Nations US Ambassador) Fax 
(212) 415 4443

All members of the House can be reached via the Congressional
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

While some members have E-mail, electronic communication is not as
effective as a telephone call or fax.

President William Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
(202) 456-1414

Mr.Warren Christopher
Secretary of State
Department of State
Main State Building
2201 C. Street NW
Washington DC 20520-7512
(202) 647-4000

Mr. Anthony Lake
National Security Advisor 
National Security Council
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
(202) 456-9481

http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/main/

Your pass into the following sites, and much more.

http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/nld/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/daask/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/pepsi/

Help support our effort. Write now, to :

Mrs. Emma BONINO
EC HUMANITARIAN OFFICE

The European Commission
Directorate General 1B
External Relations
(Directorate 1B, D, Division 3)
Rue de la Lois/Westraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium
Fax:32-2-299-1047

EC Humanitarian Office 
http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/echo/echo


Join the Free Burma Coalition. Tel. 608-256-6572
zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Help support  the TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT by donating funds to
EURO-BURMANET:
Email cd@xxxxxxx

Send letters and cut-up UNOCAL / TEXACO / ARCO / TOTAL charge cards to:

Roger Beach, CEO
Unocal Corporation
2141 Rosecrans Blvd., Suite 4000 / El
Segundo, CA 90245
Tel: 310-726-7600

Gary Jones, CEO
Total North America
Total Tower, 900 19th Street
Denver,
CO 80202
Tel: 303-291-2000

Send your letters now :

TOTAL  SA
Thierry Desmarest, CEO
President of Exploration and Production,
24 Cours Michelet 
92800 Puteaux France

Paris France  Tel: 33-1-41-35-40-00  Fax: 33-1-41-35-64-65
Paris France  : <hourcard@xxxxxxxxx>
New York City  <TOTALNYC@xxxxxxx> , <roberth@xxxxxxxxx>

All members of the US House of Representatives can be reached
at  the Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

And remember, while some members have E-mail, electronic communication
is not as effective
as a telephone call or fax. Sent a letter, mark Free Burma Now, on the
envelop.
Its effective.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$