Monday, October 27, 2008

The ‘Myanma Way’

Regarding “UN Chief Not Likely to Achieve Much with Visit: Win Tin” [The Irrawaddy online; October 24, 2008]:

It is not good to prejudge before doing anything. In the case of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, he should know well that he has not much influence on the Burmese rulers. Behind them is China. So he should approach Myanmar [Burma] in a Myanma way. He cannot demand anything, but he should start from personal friendship and dialogue.

Maung Maung Lat


Lost Trust in the UN

Regarding “UN Chief Not Likely to Achieve Much with Visit: Win Tin” [The Irrawaddy online; October 24, 2008]:

The UN has a track record of inability to help with Burma's issues. Any single act by the UN legitimizes Burma's totalitarianism and makes the regime stronger. The Burmese people have never benefited from the UN's intervention. Instead, the UN and affiliated organizations' personnel reap the benefits for themselves. Many UN officials want to be stationed in Burma. The more the country bleeds, the more they benefit. [UN envoy] Gambari likes to stay in his current position because he needs to earn [his salary]. He keeps saying "we are working harder and continue to work." Major fund contributors to the UN know its role in Burma and elsewhere in the world is minimal. But they also need to use the UN as a shield when it is in their interest. Burma and 60 million Burmese are in the middle of nowhere. The UN likes a bleeding country like Burma. UN personnel don't want to work in western countries where they receive little help. They love working in Burma. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the world know that the UN intervention in Burma is failing and rapidly getting worse. Worse still, the Burmese people have lost trust in the UN and the image of the UN is deteriorating.

Sonny


No Big Deal

Regarding: “Movie Star Kyaw Hein to Retire to Monkshood” [The Irrawaddy online;
October 2, 2008; URL: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14369]:

I think this guy's becoming a monk or whatever isn't really a big deal. I just don't gather why the Burmese are paying too much attention to him. He is just one of those laymen. They should, instead of letting themselves be swept away by Kyaw Hein's whims, for example, wise up to the harsh realities of life in Burma, which has been going through the toughest economic strife. I would be more interested in some great deeds like that of Kyaw Thu who has been selflessly helping people. Look at how he put his life at risk when he joined the September uprising led by the monks.

Victor


Jailing Political Prisoners Shouldn’t be Tolerated

Regarding: “Burmese Junta Sentences NLD Activists” [The Irrawaddy online;
October 24, 2008]:

It is awful that political prisoners who have not committed any crimes are jailed for so-called offences. The world should not tolerate such unjust actions on the part of the military junta.

Hazel de Rosario


No Cause for Celebration

Regarding: “Bye Bye, Big Brother” [The Irrawaddy online, October 24, 2008;
URL: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14493]:

I would not celebrate the demise of the Burmese Big Brother. However, I was so glad to know that MI Chief Khin Nyunt was arrested and sentenced to 44 years imprisonment while some people were sorry for him because he was not a diehard of Than Shwe. I won't celebrate if the military government dismantles the notorious Insein Jail. Should we celebrate? I would say "No." It doesn't mean that the political prisoners will not get harsh treatment in the future because there are many jails as notorious as Insein. MI was an institutional tool of the military government to protect their power and to crush the people who were against them. Dismantling the MI does not mean that we will be free from illegal detention, torture, arrest and jail. Nowadays, under the military dictatorship, there are institutions similar to or worse than MI.

Yebaw


Realistic Message from Quintana

Regarding: “Democracy in Burma Will Take Generations: UN Official” [The Irrawaddy online, October 24, 2008]:

A breath of fresh air from Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma.