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OKKAR (r)
Dear Burmanetters,
As a journalist following events in Burma I think it is important that
the BurmaNet remains a source of factual information, and not a forum
for mud-slinging. However, it is equally important that we in the media
know who we are dealing with, and this is where Okkar's identity becomes
an important issue. No journalist can quote his material without knowing
who he is (regardless of his claiming that he is "a Karen elder", "a
Shan elder", "a Bangkok-based professor" or whatever).
1) It is worth noting that press releases from the Burmese embassy in
Washington are usually headed "From: Thuriya." See for instance the
latest press releases posted by Okkar. No doubt "Thuriya" is an
information/intelligence officer at the Washington embassy who sends
these press releases on to Okkar to be posted on the net.
2) Usually, no recipient is named for "Thuriya's" messages, but
Ambassador Tin Winn's letter to the editor of the Washington Post is an
exception. The heading, as Okkar posted it on the Net, says:
"Subj: The Letter to the Editor (Washington Post) (sic)
Date: 98-3-17 16:59:34 EST
To: KMTTO"
Thus, KMTTO is the source of Okkar's material, or more precisely, it
must be Okkar himself since there is no other e-mail entry between
"Thuriya", "KMTTO" and, on the Net, "OKKAR." So who is KMTTO? An address
list compiled by Bain & Associates on behalf of their client "Zay Kabar
Co. Ltd Account #16" contains, among many other names, the following:
"Lt.Col. Hla Min
011-951-246981 (office)
011-951-246980 (fax)
KMTTO@xxxxxxx"
Lt.Col Hla Min is the chief information officer of the Office of
Strategic Studies (OSS) in Rangoon, which is a "think-tank" run by Lt.
Gen. Khin Nyunt and the DDSI. I hope this clarifies matters. For us in
the media, it would be preferable if "Okkar" posted his messages and
statements under the name of the OSS, or the Washington embassy. In that
way, we could actually use (and quote) their material.
Sincerely,
Bertil Lintner
Bangkok