RFA and Moo Long's alert

[ShweZthar@xxxxxxx]

Jungle-88

Thanks for your posting to get burmese freedom-lovers the alert about the
backstairs intrigues conducted by the head of RFA, Burmese Program.

About six weeks ago, someone, if I remember correctly, who is
aungsoe@xxxxxxxxxxx, had posted an interesting essay on RFA. Ko Aung Soe ought
to repost the same material on Maykha and Burmanet for openness's sake, may I
request so, there may have been readers who overlooked it by the time it first
appeared on the net.

Once RFA, Burmese Program was innitially set up, several pro-democracy
students applied for broadcaster positions. None of them were hired except the
hand-picked candidates chosen by Soe Thin. But in one of my personal
conversations with Soe Thin later, I was affirmed by Soe Thin, head of RFA
Burmese Program and the guy sitting on the fense, that those presently working
for RFA Burmese Program have been appointed based on their merit and
qualifications. I was not one of those having taken tests to compete in RFA
Burmese Program's employment game. But I dare say some friends of mine not
chosen by SoeThin could have outperformed some present employees handpicked by
the same guy.

However I did have a personal  reason to approach Soe Thin with regard to
hiring procedure that takes place in RFA, which made every average intelligent
person suspicious. Soe Thin,  when I called him, was quite aware of my true
intention and of what had obssessed me while I was talking about the
broadcasting industry set up for promoting democracy in Burma. I was just
curious about certain wrong people promoting different interests in this
Burmese broadcasting industry, because the major hands running this industry
seem to remain indifferent to the democratic movement of Burma.

Several months later, I , to my surprise and without pleasure, found out that
Soe Thin had turned upside down the real nature of my conversation with him
that took place more than a year ago, making me look like someone miserable
enough to beg for a job from him. Soe Thin and his associates in RFA of DC
funded by US government and Norway Burmese radio station funded by Dr. Sein
Win have benefited from our movement without having paid their dues to the
cause of the Burmese people. When I talked to Soe Thin, it was only my
personal motive that drove me to dig information from him, and it was not a
business-like conversation. But little do I care Soe Thin's backstairs
intrigue to redicule me except my character

Throughout the past decade, what has dwindled the strength of our movement is
due to those few Burmese who are in one way or another old, aging, useless,
imcompetent, selfish, niggardly, howling, adverse, trifling, limited, illicit,
meretricious, vicious, vile, etc. have done everything to grab the seats of
decision-making positions-----not to help but to linger the Burmese democratic
movement. Here I would like to stress that things, both in Burma and the
world, are turning around lately and so nothing should be taken for granted.
One student leader of the 1970's cohort recently gave me a moral boost by
assuring that one day they(opportunists) will all be gone for and with the
sins they have done to the genuine freedom fighters.

Burmese intellectual students are not seeking material rewards for their
sacrifices so far, because if I am to speak from my own experiences, none of
us have ever felt that we have done enough. Real dues to Burma are to be paid
in the years to come. Almost always they all long for and get engaged in
challenges on their own account, serving their communities as effective
catalysts to change everything for the better. In revealing the portraits of
BIG BAD GUYS in overseas Burmese politics, their principles have guided their
language, tone, intention, thinking, agenda, capacity, and so on.

When we stand up and fight against any unjust force diminishing a just one, it
is only its core ideas and actions that we are against, through which this
unjust force has practiced to fail the just one. Struggles thus begin to arise
here and there because our core ideas and values have been insulted,
belittled, and discarded delibrately to the adventage of the unjust force. Yet
each force, good or bad, keeps going on its own track and proceeding from a
different mind-set, making it look like two opposite schools with the task of
producing two types of graduates for one arena.

Those who favor freedom can't or mustn't deprecate agitation. I read it
somewhere. Frederick Douglass had preached that, I think. So whoever has a
genuine desire to protect human capital for the good of his/her country should
not only think of but also agitate for a good cause. After several years of
resentful silence, a good number of Burmese students and activists have become
innovators in drawing a provocative inside portrait of the sluggish Burmese
politics overseas dominated by an unjust force.

To creat a picture, it takes inspiration first and foremost, and then such
material aids as canvas, paints, brushes etc. As far as Burmese political
students are concerned, their social concern for injustice and abuse of power
in the environment is where their battle begins. The inspiration has come from
the very beginning phase of the battle. And it will grow greater and greater
till the picture is finished. Not only SPDC but also FTUB, NCGUB and RFA
(especially head of Burmese Program) take pleasure in abusing their power, yet
we are still drawing and painting the portrait of the post-1988 Burmese pro-
democracy movement using every means we know how.

All we need is more hands to help one another become better, brighter,
revolutionaries in every sense of the word.

Thanks.
aasw