looking for Unity

[maungt@xxxxxxxxxx]

Reply-To: "Maung Maung Than" <@one.net.au>


>Dear Friends,
>
>I have been following your email debate about unity etc.
>
>You are right to challenge the movement for its fragmentation and lack
>of effectiveness, and apparent domination by wealthy, less democratic
>individauls and groups.
>
>One of the replies was right to say that unity must be a coalition, not
>monolithic, because of the complex character of Burmese society.
>However, that person seemed to dodge the deeper issues by saying that
>"we all have the same goal" without spelling out the goal.
>
>To advance the idea of a more effective democratic movement, based on a
>coalition structure, the parts of the coalition must more clearly define
>
>their goals and methods of work and build their organisational strength,
>
>and at the same time explore more and more defnitely how these goals,
>methods etc can contribute to a coalition with other groups.
>
>There should be well-defined coalition forums and conferences that can
>advance
>the common goals that emerge from this kind of process. Each group needs
>
>to look at its own history and deepen its analysis, admit to wrong ideas
>
>and wrong moves, and at the same time have people working at the
>alliance / coalition level.
>
>Your friend is also right to insist on a collective leadership. That
>fits with your criticism of the "stars" flying around the world, largely
>
>unaccountable to the suffering base.
>
>While everyone will agree on immediate political goals of recognition of
>
>CRPP and recognition of the 1990 election result, these are too
>abstract. The ideas of freedom, democracy and social justice must be
>given more shape and content if the ordinary working people of Burma are
>
>to be mobilised. This is where any differences will emerge - ethnic
>differences, class differences, gender issues, environmental
>differences. These difference should be respected but the more
>democratic ideas and values and the groups most active in a democratic
>way should win the most support and provide more and more effective
>direction or collective leadership to the democratic struggle.
>
>I am an Australian-born socialist, working mainly in the trade union
>movement, and in contact with the ABSDO in Sydney.
>
>bye for now
>
>Peter Murphy
>
>
>
>