BurmaNet News, March 26, 2009

[Editor]

March 26, 2009, Issue #3678


INSIDE BURMA
AFP: One dead in Myanmar blast: official
Washington Post: U.S. Diplomat, Burmese official meet; White House is
reviewing policy toward nation
Irrawaddy: Monks protest banning of “Dharma Lectures”
Narinjara: Retired police official arrested for connections with exiled media
Xinhua: Senior CPC official meets Myanmar top leader
Xinhua: Mobile phones in Myanmar increase in 2008

ON THE BORDER
SHAN: Migrant workers called upon to apply for passports

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Changes proposed on US economic sanctions

HEALTH / AIDS
DVB: Doctor warns tuberculosis is a greater threat than HIV/AIDS

DRUGS
New Light of Myanmar: Over 9,000 acres of poppy plantations destroyed this
year

OPINION / OTHER
National Post (Canada): Isolated heroine still haunts Burma – Peter Goodspeed
Mizzima News: From ‘people’s army’ to ‘enemy of the people' – Tettoe Aung
Asian Tribune: Thai Mediator Role: Foreign Minister needs in-depth study
on Burma’s ethnic conflict – Sai Wansai



____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

March 26, Agence France Presse
One dead in Myanmar blast: official

One person was killed and two others injured in a suspected bomb blast in
Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon Thursday, on the eve of the country's
annual military parade, official sources said.

The explosion happened at a guest house in the city's North Okkalapa
township, killing a man and wounding two women, the sources said on
condition of anonymity.

Military-ruled Myanmar has been rocked by a series of small bomb blasts in
recent months, with two small bombs exploding in Yangon in early March,
causing minor damage but no injuries.

In a string of explosions late last year, one man was killed in Yangon in
October and two people died in a township outside the city in a video cafe
bombing.

Although the country's ruling junta usually blames armed exile groups or
ethnic rebels, it has also pointed the finger at democracy activists.

State-run media in September accused two members of detained democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) of bombing
pro-government offices last year.

The NLD won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but the junta never
allowed it to take office. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest
almost constantly since.

The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962, partly justifying its grip on
power by claiming the need to fend off ethnic rebellions which have
plagued remote border areas for decades.
____________________________________

March 26, Washington Post
U.S. Diplomat, Burmese official meet; White House is reviewing policy
toward nation – Glenn Kessler

A senior U.S. diplomat met with the Burmese foreign minister in the ruling
junta's jungle capital yesterday, possibly signaling a softening in the
tense relations between the two countries.

The Obama administration is conducting a high-profile review of its policy
toward Burma, including whether unilateral sanctions have been effective,
and the State Department issued a statement late yesterday saying the
visit by Stephen Blake, director of the office for mainland Southeast
Asia, "does not reflect a change in policy or approach to Burma."

But the government of Burma, also known as Myanmar, has not recently
granted access to the foreign minister to any visiting U.S. official, and
the government's official newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, trumpeted
the meeting in an unusually glowing account. Normally, if the state-run
media mention the United States, they focus on the negative, such as
casualty figures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The government newspaper said Blake and Foreign Minister Nyan Win held
"cordial discussions on issues of mutual interests and the promotion of
bilateral relations between the Union of Myanmar and the United States."

Blake made a rare visit to Naypyidaw, the new capital, and also traveled
to Rangoon, the former capital, where he met with members of the
opposition party.

The junta's decision to grant Blake an audience with the foreign minister
is highly significant, said David I. Steinberg, director of Asian studies
at Georgetown University who met with government officials in Burma this
month. During his talks, he added, government officials "indicated they
are interested in improving relations."

Last month in Indonesia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
announced that the administration was reviewing its Burma policy.
"Clearly, the path we have taken in imposing sanctions hasn't influenced
the Burmese junta," she said, adding that the route taken by Burma's
neighbors of "reaching out and trying to engage them has not influenced
them, either."

Burma is regarded as one of the world's most oppressive nations, ruled by
generals who have enriched themselves while much of the country remains
desperately poor. The National League for Democracy, the party of Nobel
Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide electoral victory
in 1990, but the military leadership refused to accept it. Since then, she
has been under house arrest for most of the time, as have hundreds of her
supporters.

European officials have been looking for guidance from the United States
on Burma policy, deferring a decision on whether to extend sanctions. But
the administration has given little hint of its approach, with officials
saying yesterday that the review is still incomplete.

"While we have not yet finalized our approach, we remain committed to
encouraging a genuine dialogue between the Burmese authorities and
opposition that leads to a free and democratic Burma that respects the
rights of its diverse citizens and is at peace with its neighbors," the
State Department said.

Prodded by the Bush administration, Congress has imposed increasingly
tough sanctions on Burma. But on Capitol Hill, there is also an increasing
willingness to reconsider the sanctions approach, including whether to use
humanitarian relief as a wedge into the country.

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, plans to make a Burma policy review a key part of his agenda
this year, because "he is dissatisfied where we are" in trying to promote
the return of civilian rule, a congressional aide said. Paul Grove, the
senior Republican aide on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for
foreign operations, also recently visited Burma's delta region to examine
assistance efforts.

Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), the new chairman of the East Asia panel of the
Foreign Relations Committee, is a fierce critic of the sanctions approach
and will play a major role in the congressional review. "I have said for
several years that it is to the benefit of all involved that we speak
directly with Burma's leadership and work toward resolving our
differences," he said yesterday.
____________________________________

March 26, Irrawaddy
Monks protest banning of “Dharma Lectures” – Min Lwin

Monks in upper Burma have launched a petition calling for an end to an
official ban on so-called “dharma lectures” featuring the Buddha’s
teachings, according to sources in Mandalay and Magwe divisions.

A monk in Kyaukpadaung Township, Mandalay Division, said the authorities
in Salay Township had banned not only dharma lectures but the production,
copying and sale of VCDs and CDs featuring the lectures. He said the ban
had been in force since January.

Novice monks from a monastery shave each others heads, in western Rangoon.
(Photo: AP)
“We are collecting signatures among the monks, and then we will send them
to state senior monks,” he said.

The banned VCDs and CDs feature some of Burma’s most respected senior
monks, including U Thumingala, U Nyanithara and U Kawvida.

The dharma lectures are based on classical Buddhist stories, but are often
interpreted as criticism of the government and its policies.

U Kawvida, a Buddhist scholar with a PhD degree, says in one VCD that the
worst disease is hunger, and that if people are poor and hungry it is a
universal truth that they will struggle.

In one banned CD, titled “The Way of Dumb People,” U Nyanithara, also
known as Thitagu Sayardaw, criticized the popular belief in numerology and
astrology.

His criticism was thought to have been aimed also at junta leader Snr-Gen
Than Shwe, who is famous for basing important decisions on his
astrologer's advice.

In VCDs and CDs that achieved wide popularity, U Nyanithara also talked
about democracy and open society.

____________________________________

March 26, Narinjara
Retired police official arrested for connections with exiled media

Retired police official U Mrat Tun was arrested by Burmese military
intelligence last week while he was on his way to Buthidaung from the
border town on Maungdaw, due to suspicion that he had links to an exiled
media group in Bangladesh, said his friend.

"He was arrested last week at a military gate located on the Buthidaung
and Maungdaw motor road when he was returning back to Buthidaung from
Maungdaw after completing business there," he said.

U Mrat Tun, aged 60, is from Tha Win Chaung Village in Pauktaw Township 20
miles east of Sittwe, and is a businessman working in the western border
area.

"He was transferred to the police department in Maungdaw yesterday after
five days of interrogation by military intelligence officials. I heard he
will be charged under immigration law by police as he went to Bangladesh
illegally," he said.

U Mrat Tun is being detained in the police lockup at the Maungdaw Myoma
police station and he has had no chance to visit with family members that
had come out to see him.

Recently Burmese military intelligence agents have been arresting people
in Arakan State on accusations that they have connections and involvement
with exiled media groups in Bangladesh.

Among those who have been arrested is Ko San Lwin, from Taungup in
southern Arakan, who was sentenced to five years in prison. Ko Tha Tun
from Buthidaung in northern Arakan was also sentenced to five years in
prison on charges of being involved in exiled media activities.

According to a local source, the military authority is likely determined
to crackdown on media activities in Arakan State because many stories of
human rights violations and forced labor are being published by exiled
media organizations.

____________________________________

March 26, Xinhua
Senior CPC official meets Myanmar top leader

Li Changchun, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met
with Than Shwe, chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC), here on Thursday, during which they exchanged views on
developing good-neighborly and friendly ties between China and Myanmar.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC
Central Committee, was on a visit at the invitation of the Myanmar
government.

Li conveyed greeting from Chinese President Hu Jintao to Than Shew in the
meeting. "China and Myanmar are good neighbors, friends and partners, and
the China-Myanmar friendship, which was built on the basis of Five
Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, has withstood the ordeal of time and
the changes in the international situation," Li said.

He described the features of China-Myanmar ties as "mutual respect,
equally treatment to the other, mutual trust and sincere cooperation."
Bilateral ties scored new progress after the ardent of the new century
with frequent high-level contacts and increasingly mutual trust in
political areas, he said, adding that the two nations also collaborated
with the other in regional and international issues.

The development of good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative ties with
neighboring countries constitutes an important part in China's foreign
policy. "As friendly neighbors and developing nations, China and Myanmar
face similar tasks of development. We should seize the new opportunity to
develop bilateral ties under the complex international situation," he
said.

He urged both to push forward concrete cooperation. China encourages the
Chinese enterprises to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation with
Myanmar in energy and resources, infrastructure, agriculture, industry,
mining and telecom sectors, he said.

Li also highly spoke of the progress made by Myanmar on political
construction, national reconciliation, economic development and the
improvement of people's life.

Than Shwe commended China's socio-economic achievements. Myanmar is one of
the first countries which recognized the new China after its founding in
1949. "The people of Myanmar is proud of this," Than Shwe said, adding
that "the further growth of bilateral ties comply with the fundamental
interests of both."

He reiterated that Myanmar supports China on issues related with China's
core interests.

Li flew from Yangon earlier this morning to Nay Pyi Taw. Myanmar is the
second-leg of Li's four-nation tour which will also take him to Republic
of Korea and Japan. He has already visited Australia.

____________________________________

March 26, Xinhua
Mobile phones in Myanmar increase in 2008

The number of GSM mobile phones in Myanmar hit 375,800 in 2008 up from
211,812 in 2007, according to the latest official progress-indicating
figures published in state- run press Thursday.

Other phones such as CDMA stood at 205,500 in number as of the year, while
auto-phones went to 153,344, the figures show.

GSM phones have been extensively used in Myanmar since it was introduced
in 2002 after cellular ones in 1993 and the DECT ( Digital Enhanced
Cordless Telecommunication) and CDMA in 1997.

According to the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications, GSM
(global system for mobile) phones in Myanmar can auto-roam over two dozen
townships far up to the border areas and mainly cover all other major
cities in addition to Yangon and Mandalay.

Meanwhile, Myanmar is making efforts to introduce world's up- date
audio-visual mobile phone for use in the country for the first time to
upgrade its telecommunication links.

The upgraded system will be based on the existing GSM network, the
authorities said, adding that the introduction of 3-G WCDMA system
represents Myanmar's entry into a new phase of its mobile phone system.

Moreover, Myanmar has planned full coverage of public access centers (PAC)
in every township in the country by this year to facilitate communication
links.

There has been over 400 PAC opened in 44 townships in Myanmar since 2004.

According to the telecommunications authorities, the number of internet
users in Myanmar has reached over 300,000, up from merely dozens four
years ago.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

March 26, Shan Herald Agency for News
Migrant workers called upon to apply for passports – Hseng Khio Fah

Migrant workers with work permit cards of Thailand have been called upon
to submit their Burmese national verification forms, in order to receive
travel documents from Burmese authorities to work legally in Thailand,
according to Nang Hern Kham, of Shan Radio Program and Education Media in
Chiangmai.


>From earlier this month, the provincial employment authorities have been

calling migrant workers to fill up the new nationality identification
forms.

A migrant worker, has to hand over a copy of his/her citizenship card, a
copy of his/her work permit cards issued by the Thai Labour Ministry,
his/her parent’s information, address, and a recommendation letter from
his/her boss or business owner, she said.

Each migrant worker has to spend about Kyat 3,000 for the Burmese
authorities, 500 Baht for Thai customs and 3,800 Baht for a working visa
in Thailand.

People, who do not have any documents or ID cards in Burma, can apply with
their work permit information. They must have documents such as labour
registration card (pink colour) or receipt of registration, and insurance
receipts. However, people whose work permits have expired are not allowed
to submit the form.

The forms are available at provincial employment offices, where photos and
the print of left finger of the worker concerned will be taken and sent to
the Migrant Worker Importation Regulation Division, which in turn will
forward it to the Burmese government, through diplomatic channels, for
each migrant worker to travel to the Myanmar National Verification Center
at Tachilek, Myawaddy and Kawthawng at the Thai-Burma border.

The form titled “Form to be filled by the applicant” must be filled in
Thai and Burmese languages, and for people, who cannot write in Burmese,
can fill it in English language.

People, with these documents, are allowed to go and work anywhere in
Thailand. They would also be allowed to apply for driving license; Nang
Hern Kham quoted an employment officer as saying.

For those who failed to submit the applications, their existing work
permits would be taken back and they would be sent back to Burma.  People
whose work permits have expired and who do not have work permits would be
sent back as well, she said.

“Due to this information, people are unable to decide whether they should
fill up or not,” she added.

There are at least 2 million legal and illegal migrant workers in
Thailand. However, there is no law to protect those migrant workers.

Yesterday, over 20 migrant workers in a garment factory in Sankhampheng
district, were ordered by their bosses to fill up the form, a worker, who
did not wish to be named said.

“There were about 6 people, who did not have Burmese ID cards. However, we
all filled it in accordance with our boss’s wish,” he said.

In 2006, Thailand and Burma had agreed to set up nationality
identification centers for Burmese migrant workers.  However, the two
countries failed to successfully implement the agreement.

Many workers are still apprehensive of believing this new information, due
to lessons learnt from the past.  They are afraid the Burmese authorities
will use the information to prosecute their families back home.

However, people holding these passports, who are still asked to pay extra
money to the Burmese military can inform the Thai authorities, Nang Hern
Kham quoted a Thai employment official as saying.

For more information on the subject, please look out for SHAN report
tomorrow.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

March 26, Irrawaddy
Changes proposed on US economic sanctions – Lawi Weng

A high-level US official told the Committee Representing People of
Parliament (CRPP) on Wednesday that some existing economic sanctions may
be withdrawn while other targeted sanctions may remain in place.

Aye Thar Aung, secretary of CRPP, said that Stephen Blake, the director of
the US State Department’s Office of Mainland Southeast Asia, made his
remarks at a meeting in Rangoon. No details of the new policy were
available.

The CRPP was formed following the 1990 election and is made up of elected
members of parliament and various opposition groups.

Meanwhile Nyan Win, a spokesperson of the National League for Democracy
(NLD), said that the NLD urged the US government to initiate talks with
the Burmese regime to help move the reconciliation process forward.

During a four-day visit, Blake also met with Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan
Win at the administrative capital of Naypyidaw.

Burma was Blake's last stop on a tour of Southeast Asia that also took him
to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Aung Naing Oo, a Burma political analyst in exile, said that it is good
sign that US officials are meeting with high-level members of the Burmese
junta.

However, he said that the US will not change its Burma policy dramatically
as long as the regime detains political prisoners, including democracy
icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

The US is Burma's strongest critic among the international community. In
1996, it began economic sanctions by freezing US investments in Burma
because of its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to
a democratically elected government.

In July 2003 following a junta-backed attack on Suu Kyi and her convoy in
May 2003, former President Gorge W. Bush placed tighter economic sanctions
on Burma which banned imports from Burma.

In October 2007, after a crackdown on the monk-led demonstrators in
September 2007, the US used a new method by imposing targeted sanctions,
visa bans as well as financial sanctions on  Burmese regime members, their
family and business cronies. Since then, at least six businessmen with
links to the junta cronies have been placed under US-targeted sanctions.

In July 2008, President Bush, the US Senate and House signed a new Burma
law, the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts)
Act 2008, which imposed new financial sanctions and travel restrictions on
the leaders of the junta and their associates; tightened the economic
sanctions imposed in 2003 by outlawing the importation of Burmese gems to
the US; and created a new position of “US Special Representative and
Policy Coordinator for Burma.”

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

March 26, Democratic Voice of Burma
Doctor warns tuberculosis is a greater threat than HIV/AIDS – Khin Maung
Soe Min

A doctor from a leading medical fund has claimed that an over-emphasis on
HIV/AIDS in Burma has ignored the threat posed by tuberculosis.

Dr Khin Swe Win of the Three Diseases Fund, which aims to reduce cases of
malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in Burma, has said the country is in
need of financial help to combat tuberculosis and has urged the
international community to increase its awareness of the disease.

“Now people’s attention is on HIV/AIDS but, in reality, most of the deaths
in our country are caused first by malaria and then tuberculosis second,”
he said.

“The AIDS-related death rate is lower than these two.”

The rate of tuberculosis infection along the Burma-India border has been
on the rise over the last decade, said Dr Aung Kyaw Oo, western Burma
region chair of the exiled National Health and Education Committee.

“About 10 years ago we found one or two people per village were infected
with the TB virus and now about one-third of the population of every
village is carrying the disease,” he said.

“It is partly because the government’s anti-TB campaigns are not reaching
these areas.”

____________________________________
DRUGS

March 26, New Light of Myanmar
Over 9,000 acres of poppy plantations destroyed this year

A total of 1,103.5 acres (446.57 hectares) of poppy plantations were
destroyed in Namhkam and Kutkai townships of Shan State (North), Pinlaung,
Phekhon, Hsihseng, Nyanugshwe, Loilem, Namhsam and Mongpan townships of
Shan State (South), Kengtung and Metmang townships of Shan State (East)
and Waingmaw, Tanai and Putao townships of Kachin State from 7 to 13
March.

Likewise, a total of 279.4 acres (113.07 hectares) of poppy plantations
were destroyed in Tangyan and -Namhkam townships of Shan State (North),
Pinlaung, Hsihseng and Maukme townships of Shan State (South), Mongton
Township of Shan State (East) and Waingmaw Township of Kachin State from
14 to 20 March. So far, a total of 9,275.76 acres of poppy plantations
have been destroyed in States and Divisions in this year's poppy
cultivation season.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

March 26, National Post (Canada)
Isolated heroine still haunts Burma – Peter Goodspeed

Despite years in detention and forced isolation, pro-democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi still has the power to encourage her followers and enrage
Burma's military rulers.

The charismatic daughter of independence hero, Aung San, and winner of the
1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle to bring democracy to her country,
she has been confined to her home without any contact with the outside
world since September, 2000.

Known fondly to the residents of Rangoon simply as "The Lady," she has
lived in virtual solitary confinement for 13 of the last 19 years in a
heavily guarded, whitewashed villa on the south shore of Inya Lake.

Surrounded by soldiers and coils of barbed wire, the sickly 63-year-old
widow is allowed to see only her doctor -- every two months -- a live-in
maid and her jailers.

Not since Nelson Mandela became the personification of South Africa's
struggle against apartheid, despite spending 27 years in jail, has anyone
else approached the same level of political heroism in the face of
repression.

Now, the United Nations has declared, for the fifth time in 18 years, Ms.
Suu Kyi's detention is arbitrary and a violation of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. But this time, the UN Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention added a twist to its ruling by declaring it also
violates Burma's own constitution.

The working group, an arm of the UN Human Rights Council, said Ms. Suu Kyi
is being held under Burma's 1975 State Protection Law, which provides for
the detention of anyone deemed a threat to the "security of the state or
public peace and tranquility" for up to five years.

Under this law, the detention order must be renewed every year and the law
says it is renewable for a maximum of only five years.

In Ms. Suu Kyi's case, that five-year period ended at the end of May, 2008.

The UN group called for her immediate release.

"I am under no illusion the junta will listen to the United Nations," says
Jared Genser, her family's Washington lawyer. "There is no quick and easy
answer to the problem of Burma, so we have to take it one step forward at
a time."

A breakthrough appears unlikely since Burma is undergoing yet another
political crackdown before parliamentary elections scheduled for early
next year.

This month, five members of Ms. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
(NLD) were arrested, joining about 2,100 political prisoners in Burma's
jails. That is almost double the number of political prisoners held in the
country at the same time last year.

The Burmese junta has unveiled a "road-map to democracy," which calls for
a national election next year to transfer power from uniformed officers to
a civilian dictatorship.

But the new constitution, approved by 94.5% of voters in an apparently
rigged referendum last year, guarantees a quarter of all legislative seats
to the armed forces and bars opposition leaders, such as Ms, Suu Kyi, from
ever holding office.

However, her continued imprisonment is proof of her political clout.
Though silent and ailing, she remains dangerous as the only person who can
unite a broad array of forces against the generals.

pgoodspeed at nationalpost.com---------

National PostTIMELINE OF DETENTION

1988: Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of her life in Britain, returns
to Burma as pro-democracy protests sweep country. Uprising crushed. 1989:
Placed under house arrest.

1990: As head of the opposition movement and NLD leader, wins national
elections by a landslide. Generals nullify elections.

1991: Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "one of the most extraordinary
examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades"

1995: Released and tens of thousands rally to her cause. 2000: Again
placed under house arrest. Awarded U. S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, U.
S.'s highest civilian honour.

____________________________________

March 26, Mizzima News

>From ‘people’s army’ to ‘enemy of the people' – Tettoe Aung


As Hegel said, “The only lesson we learn from history is that we do not
learn from history.” One thing for sure, is that we Burmese have not
learned from the proud history of our military. The founder of our
military, Bogyoke Aung San, stated in unambiguous terms that the Burmese
army (Tatmadaw) had not been founded for one man or one party, but rather
for the whole country. He rejected the view of those military personnel
who harbored the opinion that only they were capable of patriotism.

Those that subscribed to the more narrow definition of patriotism branded
people who dared to disagree with them as ‘axe handles’. If someone was
married to a non-Burmese or a foreigner, like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he or
she would be disowned.

The military’s view that they are the only ones capable of patriotism is
made explicit every March 27th, when they celebrate the once-called
‘Revolutionary Day’ as their exclusive ‘Armed Forces Day’. With the
general public kept away from the ceremonies, it seems to have never
occurred to them that there are others who are not soldiers who have
suffered and made all kinds of sacrifices for their country.

The irony is that the military, unlike celestial beings, are not born out
of thin air. They are the offspring - sons and daughters - of the people
whom they have chosen to turn against. Unlike the founding father, Bogyoke
Aung San, the military under Ne Win and his successors, Saw Maung and now
Than Shwe, has been indoctrinated to believe that they are above the
people whom they are supposed to serve. For them, only the soldiers
matter.

As an article published in The Irrawaddy about the ‘military mindset’
noted, the underlining rationale in military training is to make a person
immediately act or follow orders without thinking. There is no time for
them to think whether their actions are right or wrong. Such a mentality
was clearly on display in September 2007, as a young, Burmese soldier shot
dead a Japanese cameraman at point blank range. And even if foot soldiers
rise in rank to serve as officers or generals, still the lack of rational
thought prevails.

A study in ‘Killology’ by Colonel David Grossman shows that the training
methods a military uses are brutalization, classical conditioning, operant
conditioning and role-modeling. He writes: “Brutalization and
desensitizing is what happens at the boot camp. From the moment you step
off the bus you are physically and verbally abused. Your head is shaved,
you are herded together naked, and dressed alike, losing all vestiges of
individuality. This brutalization is designed to break down your existing
mores and norms and to accept a new set of values which embrace
destruction, violence and death as a way of life. In the end you are
desensitized to violence and accept it as a normal and essential survival
skill in your brutal new world.”

When it comes to ‘classical conditioning’ Grossman says, “The Japanese
were masters at using classical conditioning with their soldiers." Let us
not forget the fact that the Burmese military was founded with the help of
the Imperial Japanese military during the War. I recall how one of my
relatives, trained to be an officer under the Japanese, himself became a
Director of Training, incorporating similar methods of indoctrination to
that of the Japanese. As for myself, I wasn't cut out for that and even my
three month training at Phaung-gyi is something that I still feel
disgusted about every time I recall the experience.

The Burmese military may have been founded out of necessity as an
institution, but reason says that institutions, the military included, are
created to provide service for humanity, not to advance the personal
interests of those mandated to serve. In the same vein, Zhuge Liang wrote,
“When offices are chosen for persons, there is disorder; when persons are
chosen for offices, there is order.”

Yet, the Tatmadaw will continue to parade on March 27th of this year just
as they always do, marching merely for themselves and not, as it should
be, for the people.

____________________________________

March 26, Asian Tribune
Thai Mediator Role: Foreign Minister needs in-depth study on Burma’s
ethnic conflict – Sai Wansai

The core problem of the ethnic conflict in Burma is the successive
military regimes, including the present State Peace and Development
Council's (SPDC) insistence of its failed and inhumane policy of
Burmanisation and political-power monopoly, at all cost.

Burma is made up of, at least, eight major ethnic groups, including Burman
- the lowland dwelling and most numerous among ethnic groups. The
non-Burman ethnic groups are Kachin, Shan, Karenni, Karen, Mon, Arakan and
Chin.

Also there are numerous minorities within each state, which have, more or
less, existed peacefully in general. By this, it is meant that there has
been no “horizontal conflict” of going at each others throats or killings
like in African continent. But it is a vertical one, where all non-Burman
ethnic groups are being suppressed, occupied and colonised by the
successive Burmese military regimes, in the name of "national unity".

The heart of the problem, as stated from the outset, is the military
regimes’ implementation of ethnic and cultural genocide to obtain its
Burmanisation scheme.

As all know, the well documented ethnic cleansing, forced population
transfer, recruiting child soldiers, extra-judicial killings, using rape
as a weapon of war and numerous other human rights violations are being
committed, on a daily bases, which are ongoing in non-Burman ethnic areas.
This is how the SPDC have been implementing its Burmanisation policy, at
the expense of the non-Burman ethnic groups.

If this is not enough, the upcoming 2010 SPDC's approved nation-wide
election is designed to continue its Burmanisation and political-power
monopoly policies.

First, the constitution is drawn by the SPDC, where 25% of the seats will
go to the military without having to run for election. Second, its
self-created USDA and other splinter parties will enter the election and
will only allow some individual parties to contest for democratic
window-dressing purpose. Finally, the outcome is predictable for it will
be stage-managed from the beginning to the end.

To sum up, if Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya really wants to help in
reconciliation and democratisation process, it will do him well to look
into the grievances of the non-Burman ethnic groups and the suppression of
democratic rights all over Burma in general. There would be no way around,
other than to create an atmosphere of a level playing-field for all to
participate in a fair and open manner.

In concrete terms, he would need to urge the military junta to amend its
self-drawn constitution together with all ethnic and opposition groups,
release all political prisoners, declare nation-wide cease-fire and last
but not lest, to call for peace talks without precondition with all
opposition and resistance armed groups. Only then, there will be a
fighting chance of real reconciliation and democratisation process in this
long, deeply divided society.

Sai Wansai is the General Secretary of the exiled Shan Democratic Union