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Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 06:51:19 +1030
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Subject: REGARDING OUR MARGINALISED ETHNIC GROUPS(LETTER REPOSTED)
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20-JAN-99 6:00AM

REGARDING OUR MARGINALISED ETHNIC GROUPS

Of recent, there have been postings on internet regarding with
politically marginalised groups, such as Rohingyas and, also, some of
the Shan rebel groups favouring secession from Union. Noting these
issues are historically complex--which means no one would have complete
truth--the facts remains that the secessionist causes are the main
distraction to our ethnic federal movement and; the Rohingyas cannot be
considered as one of the indigenous ethnic minority groups. Following is
a letter in 1992 to a prominent human rights activist in Australia,
which reflect my personal view especially on these two issues: the
status of Rohingyas and the secessionist causes in Burma.

With best regards, U Ne Oo.
*********
1992: A Letter to Human Rights Activist

Added Note: Following is a letter, which is also my first human rights
activity in
Australia, to a prominenet human rights activist in Australia, The Hon.
Justice
Marcus Einfeld. I wrote to him in connection with his AUSTCARE report on
Burmese
refugee situation in Bangladesh and Thailand in 17 June 1992.(& He was
kind enough
to reply my letter.). 

At that time, there seems to be a lot of obscured and non-factual
perception about
Burmese people and Burma. I remember seeing a report which described the
Burmese society, like that of the Indians', is ingrained with the `caste
system': which
totally shocked me. On the one hand, no Burmese of dated views on Burma
really
speaks out, except the expatriates who already are in Australia since
mid-60s, about
Burma's political system and Burma's situations, which causing a lack of
materials on
a current situation within Burma. There were a lot of confusions among
outside
observers, especially the journalists, on the issues of the ethnic
minorities' revolts
and SLORC's deliberate persecution of Rohingyas; and about those of
political
struggles by Burmese students and NLD. 

In my letter, there was an obscured choice of word: "ethnic". Of course,
all people of
Burma have their own ethnic origin. A more precise term should be
"Indigenous
nationalities" rather than "ethnic" in my letter. 
--------------------------------------------------------
The Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld
Federal Court of Australia 

Dear Sir, 

I am a Burmese student studying at the University of Adelaide. I
graduated from, and worked
at, Rangoon University until recently. I have been in Australia for
4-years as a Scholar,
pursuing a doctorate degree. 

As a Burmese student in Australia, I appreciate Australians showing
their interest in Burma.
Since I am interested in Australians' opinions on Burma, I always search
for and study
publications about Burma. As Burma has been isolated for a long time,
there were inevitably
mis-interpretations in some of the reports. As I go through your
reports, I was encouraged that
at least there is one in Australia, who certainly understands about
Burma. Many thanks for
your report which carries incisive information and, to the best of my
belief, most promising
recommendations that would help to built a democratic Burma. 

As you have rightly pointed out, we agree that Burma is ethnically and
culturally diverse. As an
ethnic Burman, we are sure that we do not want to discriminate in any
way-socially or
constitutionally- against any of our minorities: Karen, Kachin, Mon,
Shan and Arakanese.
People of Burma have always lived in peace and harmony. 

In this context, of course, we must draw a line between the military,
which maintain hostility
towards some minorities, and Burman themselves. The military's treatment
of the
minorities-especially Karen and Rohingya-which people outside Burma
could interpret as
religious or racial persecution, are not the responsibility of Burmese
and Burmans. 

Historically, there have been divisions between the Burmans and Karens.
This division
between ethnic Karen and Burmans, which is of little relevance to our
generation, was created
by British rulers in 1930's. In our colonial period, the Karens probably
get along with the
British better. The British therefore recruits Karens for the forces
within Burma. In 1930, there
was a revolt, also known as Sayasan-peasant movements, which Burmans
peasants mostly
were involved. This revolt was brutally put down by the British, using
Karen forces. Since then
there have been hatred between the Burman and Karens. 

After our independence in 1948, the minorities has been waging war
against Rangoon. The
objective seems to be for a state of federations, or some with total
independence. This has led
Gen. Ne Win to took over power from U Nu, an elected prime
minister.Burma's history,
perhaps, is more distorted within the country than outside. We never
heard the true version of
what happened in 1948. Therefore, as Burmese of younger generation, the
minority revolt is
seen as unnecessary. Since the media within the country is just the
Govt.'s mouthpiece, we
have never heard of the atrocities that had been conducted by the Army.
There is also
propaganda, and to some extent could be true, that some of these ethnic
revolts are for
economic reasons. We never thought that the ethnic revolt was a counter
measure to Burman's
repression on its ethnics. We have never been privileged as an ethnic
Burman, economically or
socially. We, Burmans, are just as poor and suffering the military's
repression as the ethnics.
Since we have not discriminated against our ethnics - constitutionally
or socially, their call for
independent state is seen as unjustified. Therefore, it lead us to
believes that ethnic revolts are
for economic, rather than political objectives. 

The 1988 events certainly change these views. Experiencing the Army's
brutality towards our
people and students, it conceded that these ethnic revolts are
justified. The minority view on
Burman, perhaps, also have changed. The acceptance of Burmese students
by Karens forces
certainly prove this. 

The issue of Rohingya-Arakanese is more complicated. There have been a
reluctance to
accept Rohingya as an ethnic group. The reason has been not of their
religion, but its link with
the Bangladeshi community. Although Rohingyas have lived within Burma
for almost two
centuries, it would not be claimed as ethnic. Since Burma have had a
much earlier history,
perhaps a few thousand years, it is simply unreasonable to claim same
status as Karen, Mon,
Arakanese, etc. Australians, probably, might have a different view on
this. There is another
reason why we wouldn't agree on this. Burma is geographically located
between two giant
nation and therefore more sensitive in defining the term ``ethnics''. Of
course, we cannot
possibly give this kind of recognition as ethnics to what that might
attract more complicated
issues within our neighbors. 

We therefore feel sad, much as being ourselves, that Rohingya-Arakanese
has to flee from
their inhabitant. Although there may be some complications, we must and
we will, accept them
as citizens of Burma. We however cannot possibly accept Rohingya as one
of our ethnics. As
you have correctly predicted, Burmese people will not support
independent states of any kind
- on religious or ethnics grounds. Needless to say, the sympathy from
armed forces are out of
question, if one were to promote such independent states. 

Despite growing resentment towards its rulers and popular demands for
democracy, the
movements have an undertow from such facts. The military always justify
themselves as the
saviors of Burma from the separatists. To a Burmese, this claim of the
military, clearly, is
non-sense propaganda. However we do entertain fear that our Union might
actually secede.
The fact that it is a sensitive political issue, there are possibilities
that the government itself
might instigate the democratic forces to portray as separatists. 

Although there have been such fears, we can not simply allow the present
government and
political system to continue. The state of federal system, which the
NCGUB has endorsed,
may be found more acceptable to both Burmese and the ethnics. There have
been reports that
the various ethnics groups have accepted NCGUB. A question of how Burma
would be
rebuilt seem far too early to be determined. First and foremost, the
need is to restore
democratic government, which observe an independent judicial power and
freedom of speech.
I feel sure that Burmese people will find no difficulty to observe the
rules of laws, as our
society have always been a lawful society. Once democracy is restored,
social justice and
peace is assured. 

As a Burmese, I would like to express my gratitude to you in speaking
out against the
Australian companies dealing with SLORC. The Australian Govt. hasn't
shown much
willingness to raise the Human Right abuses in Burma in UN or even to
call off BHP and other
companies. Unless Australian public has shown interest in Burma, 

these politicians are unlikely to change their attitude. Therefore, I
would like to make the
request that you and other like-minded progressive citizens of Australia
push Australian
Government to take some action on Burma issue. 

Yours sincerely
Sd. U Ne Oo 


--
HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
[http://freeburma.org/[http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.htm]

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