DISCIPLINED DEMOCRACY. (r)

[enmasse_1@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Re: Disciplined Democracy
=========================


I am very disturbed every time when anyone from the military clique 
uttered the word "Democracy". I am very concerned when I heard Than Shwe 
speak out of this newly coined word "Disciplined Democracy".

This is not the first time that the military regime came up with such a 
master-plan. Remember, at one time the father of SPDC/SLORC, RC 
(Revolutionary Council) had adopted a "Burmese Way to Socialism" and  
the BSPP ruled Burma only to turn the country into a Least Devloped 
Country (LDC) State and collapsed after the historic crisis in 1988. So, 
whatever they call it, "Disciplined Democracy" is going to be yet 
another of those kinds without the support of the populace.

With all these news about its show of strong-handedness on the students 
and opposition in Burma, I would not speculate very much on what Than 
Shwe had said in any positive sense, now. 

I also don't believe if at all that SPDC is trying to copy disciplined 
democracy from Singapore. It appears to me that the military regime in 
Burma is cooking up a constitution and preparing to install an 
Indonesian style of government to keep them in power long after the 
death of Ne Win. 

I don't think this is going to be an achievable venture altogether 
unless a genuine peaceful and reconcilliatary measures are put in place 
first. Deep down inside, people are fed up with the illegitimate rule of 
the corrupted generals in Burma since 1962. They are patiently waiting 
for the emergence of a democratic rule in the country. I hope this can 
be achieved peacefully. The ball is in the court of the SPDC, now.     

 

Minn Kyaw Minn
==============




 



>Date: 01 May 1998 23:32:21
>Reply-To: Conference "reg.burma" <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>From: saw-aung@xxxxxxxx
>Subject: DISCIPLINED DEMOCRACY.
>To: Recipients of burmanet-l <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>            Disciplined Democracy.
>Recently SPDC chairman General Than Shwe in his speeches
>indicated that the Military will not rule the country for ever. On the
>other hand he talked about disciplined democracy on many occasion.
>Another system that will keep them in power for ever. I believe he is
>trying to copy it from Indonesia and Singapore. Well, let me analyse
>Disciplined Democracy and see if it will work for the people of Burma.
>There are two opposite phrases in Burmese language. One is 
"chit-kyauk-yo
>they" and the other is "yun-kyauk-moan." Burmese parents used to teach
>their children to love, obey and respect their parents and the elders 
and
>in this case they often use the phrase chit-kyauk-yo they. On the other
>hand when a person hate another person the phrase yun-kyauk-moan is 
often
>used. Chit-kyauk-yo they means love , fear and respect. Yun-kyauk-moan
>means loathe, fear and hate. In both phrases the word fear is used but
>has a little different meaning. In the first one you fear only when you
>disobey your parents or the elders and do mischievous things and expect
>punishment from them. In the latter phrase you fear constantly that you
>will be harmed by the person you hate and loathe. As  mentioned above, 
I
>believe that SPDC is trying to copy disciplined democracy from 
Singapore
>Government. So I would review few characters of Singapore Government 
and
>compare to that of the Burma Military Regime. 1/ The former prime
>minister of Singapore Lee Kwan Yu is highly educated but the former 
head
>of State General Ne win is not. And still the ruling body of the
>Singapore Government is well educated while most of the Burma Military
>rulers are not. 2/ Singapore Government encourage education for its
>citizens and even invite and hire academics and scientists while Burma
>Military Junta close schools and universities for fear of students
>unrest. 3/During four decade the tiny Island nation has prospered so 
much
>that it now has accumulated cash reserve about 70 billion dollars while
>Burma military Regime has only few hundred million dollars cash 
reserve.
>I remember clearly before the military took over daily news papers
>printed how much the Government had cash reserve in the bank. At that
>time the cash reserve was 90-100 kadei.(1 kadei=10 millions.) After the
>Military took over news paper no longer printed foreign exchange 
reserve.
>The Military kept itself isolated from the world community and no body
>know where the cash go.
>4/ Singapore has a system that monitor and punish corrupt official and
>the business are transparent while the corruption in Burma military
>regime is rampant and business deal has many hidden costs.
>5/ Singapore has plentiful employment for its citizens and also attract
>people from neighboring countries to come to Singapore to seek
>employments. Burma military regime can not only give enough employment
>for its citizens but also create fears and unbearable situation that 
its
>highly educated citizens as well as unskilled laborers left the country
>and seek employment in neighboring countries. 
>6/ Rule of law prevails in Singapore and offenders are being punished
>accordingly while many innocent persons in Burma are being punished 
with
>long prison term but real criminals who killed, torture and rape the
>people go unpunished. Many such crimes are being committed by SPDC
>soldiers and officers alike but not a single of them is being punished.
>7/ Singapore care about its citizens who are getting into trouble 
abroad
>but SPDC do not care about its citizens who are getting into trouble
>abroad. If I remember it correctly in 1974 a scientific research
>boat,belonging to Singapore was captured by the Burma Navy and the crew
>were accused of stealing fish in Burmese waters. At that time I was
>responsible for conducting the case in the court of law and obtaining
>documents for repatriation of the crew members back to their country. 
As
>I have the opportunity to talk to them I was convinced that they have
>trust and respect for their Government. One crew member told me that 
the
>food in prison was bad  but they would not be for long because their
>prime minister would talk to the Burmese Government. And that was true.
>Before they serve their terms they all went home. recently I read about
>many Burmese citizens who work in Japan have  overstayed their stay
>permits. Among them one person had contracted aides and he knew he was
>going to die. Before he die he had a strong burning desire
>to see his family at his bed side. He could not get his documents
>revalidated because he could not pay ten percent the money he earn
>abroad, including his back areas of payments. It was a tragedy and a 
sad
>story the Burma Military regime do not care much about its citizen who
>was in physical and financial trouble. 
>8/ In Singapore people afraid of the Government when they have become
>offender of the law because they can expect hash punishment from the
>authority. In Burma people fearful of the Government because they will 
be
>picked up by MIS in the middle of the night for their political belief 
or
>merely carried out party activities. People are fearful of SPDC 
soldiers
>because they will be picked up for portering or being enslaved at
>construction site or being killed or being tortured or raped. 
>9/ Singapore Government do not confiscate people' properties but
>discourage the sale of their properties by imposing 100% capital gain 
tax
>within 3 year 
>for the sale of property. Burma Military Regime confiscate all the
>properties
>that they want in good business area and form joint venture business 
with
>drug king pin.
>10/ Singapore Government build suitable housing on government property 
to
>meet the demand of its citizens while SPDC move its citizens out of 
town
>where necessity such as transportation, water, electricity are not 
easily
>available.By looking at the above mentioned difference between the
>functioning of Singapore Government and that of the SPDC regime one can
>easily draw the conclusion that Singapore Government still win the love
>and trust of its citizens in spite of hash punishment imposed upon its
>offender of the law. I would therefore categorize Singapore Government 
as
>Chit-Kyauk-Yo they.
>On the other hand when you look at the functioning of the SPDC regime 
and
>the response of the people they loathe that their properties are being
>confiscated, their villages being destroyed, their rice barns being 
burnt
>down and their live stocks being robbed by SPDC soldiers. The people of
>Burma have constance fear that they will be put in jail for their
>political belief. In the country side people have fear that they will 
be
>enslaved, tortured, rape and killed by SPDC soldiers. So in my 
assessment
>the SPDC regime fall within the category of Yun-Kyauk-Moan.
>The Burma Military have ruled the country for 36 long years with
>different names but the people are still at the bottom level
>educationally, economically and mentally. The people are not happy
>because they are in constant fear of the government. The people are not
>happy because they can not earn their livelihood peacefully to earn
>enough food to eat. The minority people are not happy because their
>children can not learn their languages so that they can maintain their
>cultures. Well, if I have to mention many things that the people of 
Burma
>are not happy about there will not be enough space here and I do not
>intend to do so. 
>Just imagine and visualize what the country will become and how the
>people will function when democracy flourish. Many highly educated
>Burmese citizens who went abroad will come back and help out with
>education, rich nations and major financial institutions will be 
willing
>to help out with aids and loans which will  enable economy to get 
started
>its momentum and foreign investment will be coming in gradually. The 
size
>of the Army will be reduced and the energies  of the Army personnel 
will
>be diverted to the work force which is essential for rebuilding of the
>country and its economy. There will be much savings for the expense to
>keep a big Army and feed its soldiers. Refugees and Burmese citizens
>seeking employments in neighboring countries will voluntarily come back
>and restart their new lives in their home land with out fear.
>After long years of sufferings the people Burma deserve true democracy,
>not disciplined democracy which General Than Shwe often mentioned.
>Disciplined democracy is another system which SPDC is trying to create
>just to perpetuate  their hold on the people of Burma. Time has changed
>and it is time for SPDC to make a move to let the people form their own
>Government. Time for true and real reconciliation is overdue and the
>longer the SPDC try to hang on power the more damage will be done to 
the
>country and the people. The International community no longer believe
>SPDC propaganda and lies. I am sorry to say that. If the International
>community believe what the SPDC is trying to say the UN will not use
>tougher words each year to pass resolution to single out Burma Military
>Regime for its extensive human right abuse. SPDC will not need to spend
>hundred thousands of dollar to hire lobbyists to mend its tarnished
>image. So please be realistic and do what is best for the country and 
the
>people. As soldiers SPDC had vowed and is obliged to protect the people
>and their properties and if necessary to lay down their lives, but now 
it
>turn out to be the other way around. People have to suffer and die so
>that SPDC can still hang on power. 
>Before South Africa handed over Apartheid Government to majority rule,
>the then prime minister De Klerk had a hard time to convince his own
>party and the hard line members but SPDC do not need to convince any
>party to make decision for drastic change. If SPDC could dissolve the
>SLORC easily I believe they will not have any problem to make a change.
>As many people believe, it might probably need to have the blessings of
>the former head of  State General Ne Win.
>In conclusion, as ordinary citizen I earnestly appeal to General Than
>Shwe and colleague to please initiate dialogue between opposition 
leaders
>and minority leaders for true and meaningful reconciliation. I also
>appeal again to SPDC to help out with the smooth transition of the
>Military regime to the Civilian Government which the people desire to
>form. Even though I live comfortably but not lavishly in foreign land I
>still share mental anguish with my fellow countrymen in Burma. To all 
my
>fellow countrymen I wish you prosperity and happier the remainder of 
your
>lives and pray that God Bless you all abundantly and always. with LOVE.
>
>
>                              SAW AUNG KHIN. 
>
> 
>
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