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Article:
7 September 1999
Lambs On The Altar
In these days, the brave Burmese soldiers lost their lives in combat, some
have become invalids. It was a pity, because they were sacrificing their
lives neither for the sake of their country nor the sake of their own, but
for the sake of Military Regime to be in power. Every family wants to find
their sons, their husbands, their fathers, to return home safe and sound
from the frontline. But in failing to do so, we understand and share their
grievance, just like the grieve of our Shan People when they lost their
relatives.
In the opinion of SSA we do not want these killings, but we have to fight
and struggle for the survival of our people and restore our freedom. We do
not want to solve these problems in blood, we want to solve by peaceful means.
Due to this opinion, we proposed the top brass of the SPDC (Senior General
Than Shwe, General Khin Nyunt, General Maung Aye) to solve the problems by
peaceful means, altogether 4 times, but was rejected. Instead they forced
their soldiers (who were the sons of the Burmese people) to increase their
efforts in the ethnic cleansing process. Therefore SSA have no choice, but
to protect themselves. In these fightings many of the sons of the Burmese
peasants had sacrificed their lives for nothing.
During the past 4 years against SSA, these sons of the Burmese people lost
in 1,500 dead and 2,000 disables in order to gain peace by way of blood.
This figure does not include the casualties in other front. We SSA and the
Shan people also have pity and feel sorry for them.
In the past the Shan States and Burma were good neighbors, but were
colonized by the British (Burma in 1885, Shan States 1887). In 1948,
believing that the Burmese were trust worthy, fair and equal, the ethnic
people had joined hands to gain independence, but they were later enslaved
under the Burmese military dictators. The peace and unity of the union
disintegrated and the killings went on until these present day. Although
SSA wish to solve these problems by peaceful means and did proposed but
were rejected. It was sure that the military juntas are obese in their
power and will hold it at any cost, by sacrificing the future human
resources of our country. So, we want to advice every parents and students
to think deeply to call back their sons and friends, not to become the
lambs those have been sacrificed on the altar for the sake of the Tyrannies.
There are two reasons why SPDC refused the proposed of the SSA. They are:
(a) Fearing that they might lost their grip in power.
(b) If the world knows the truth and intervene, they fear of been accuse
to be the true disintegrator of the Union.
During these military regimes they had made 3 historical mistakes.
(a) Since 1962 up to the present, the military juntas had been violating
the people. Killing of the students and the people, closing down the
universities and institutes, thus lowering the standard of education. They
enslave the people and killing them like plants and animals. As a result,
even during this SPDC regime, the Shan States people had suffered more than
20,000 (twenty thousand) dead, 15,000 villages relocated and the lost was
more than 10,000 (ten thousands million baht) in which all historical
evidence, ancient relics such as pagodas, monasteries (where old written
scripts were kept), other cultural relics and traditional way of life were
destroyed.
(b) The military junta had not only torn the Panglong agreement but also
destroyed the Spirit of Panglong and the Republic Union of Burma.
(c) If these problems are solve by peaceful means, the international
communities have to mediate, in doing so they fear it will expose their
involvement in the drug trade.
The main objective of the SPDC is to hold on their power, no matter it may
cost. As a result Burma is losing in every aspects, such as financial
aspect, social aspect, educational aspect, political aspect, democratic
aspect, the aspects on the rights of human and ethnics. As long as they are
caring only for their own interest and try to solve these problems by
military means, the killings will goes on, the sons of the Burmese people
will be more lambs that has to be sacrificed on the altar for the sake of
the power obese junta.
Sai Lern Seng
Namkham
----------
WHERE TO?
On emphasizing the political aspect of the Shan States we had been
following behind our opponent intead of leading them. We must learn the
weakness of our past leaders as a lesson and correct it for the future. The
activities for freedom of the Shan States can be divided into three periods.
(A) Pre independence period, in 1947. The Saophas were against the idea to
gain independence with the Burmese. But at that time "Shan States People's
Freedom Congress: which was the direct projection of the AFPFL - Anti
Fascist People's Freedom League", led by General Aung San. The policy of
SSPFC was anti feudalist and pro-Burmese. It was Shan against Shans without
sharing a common view for our Shan peoples. By that time Sao Shwe Theik,
the Saopha of Yawnghwe, was lured from his political standpoint, in which
the bait was "the first president of the Republic Union of Burma". It was
the first time we Shans lost. From that time to 1962. Shan SSPFC was
against the Shan Saophas.
(B) In 1962, BSPP (Burmese Socialist Program Party) led by General Ne Win
came to power by a coup d'etat which the Shan State Government was deposed.
During this Era (from 1962-1988) the Burmese had divided into three
antagonistic factions. They were:
1. The ruling BSPP led by General Ne Win.
2. The Democratic Government in Exile, led by the ex-Prime Minister U Nu,
based in Thailand.
3. The Burma Communist Party led by Thakhin Than Tun and later Thakhin Ba
Thein Tin, based in China.
Each faction filled their tanks with the ethnics, as war fodders. During
this period we Shans and other ethnics not only lost their lives in combat;
the people also lost their lives and properties in the cross-fire. It was
also a lost for the Shans.
(C) From 1988 up to the present, the regime was the SLORC which was later
renamed SPDC. In this periods the Burmese still had influence upon the
political parties and cease-fire groups of the ethnics. To solve the
problem of uprising in 1988, the junta had to make peace with the armed
ethnic groups. In another hand the ethnic was ousted Thakhin Ba Thein Tin
from the head of BCP. As the Burmese lost command on the ethnic, a
cease-fire was very necessary.
The cease-fire groups in the Shan States, they made cease-fire without
representing the state or nationality; they just made terms separately,
thinking for their own personal interest or only for their own group, were
lured into the Burmese trap. The ethnic Shans had had another lost.
The people were given rights to establish political parties, after they
had shown the desire and voted against the junta, the result of the
election was not recognized. The military junta while soothing the people
with a false democracy in one hand, they constructed their military might
in the other. They said the people could proposed their desire freely only
in the National Convention. In another Daw Aung San Suu Kyi declared to
obtain Democracy. Our Shan political leaders are also just waiting for the
National Convention and Democracy. In this way 11 years had influence and
divided by the juntas. As for our political parties, instead of
representing our nationalities, they cannot even stand for their own
parties. Although the people had shown their desire by voting, it was useless.
What is our future?
For our political Party, the SNLD, will there be changing or waiting
desperately to become withers and die. And for the cease-fire groups will
they change? Are the going to keep cease-firing for an unknown length of
time, waiting to be annihilate? What else? Our Shan people were wondering
for their future.
Lern Seng
(SSA)
SSA
POBox 41
Mae Ping PO
Chiangmai 50301
Thailand
E-mail: holo <ssanews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Tel/Fax: 66 53 338 261