The Burmese Junta-Modern Machivelli
Kanbawza Win(August,19,2001)
Mizzima News Group(www.mizzima.com)
When Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" he had no idea that the Burmese Junta would copy his theory of the end justifies the means and use it against all odds.
This is exactly what the dictatorial regimes of the world are doing and among them, the Burmese military stood out conspicuously having set up a record of more than four decades of totalitarian rule. Machiavelllism has been modified successfully and adapted with an up to date application.
The architect was none other than the old General Ne Win, who compelled the civilian government of U Nu to hand over power to him in 1959 under the smokescreen of being a Caretaker Government followed by the real coup of 1962 and again the proxy coup in 1988. Like a puppet master, he could pull any string he desired. If any of his subordinate became too powerful he axed them starting with Brigadier Aung Gyi, Tin Pe etc on to Col. Tin Oo.
He had succeeded in creating a class of Burmese generals who would carry on his treacherous traditions to the end that justify the means. He make his presence felt when he foresaw that the agreement between the Junta and the pro democracy movement was about to be reached, and he appeared publicly under the guise of celebrating his 90th birthday. In other words he has successfully transplanted his malevolent ideas into the mind of Burmese generals. He intimately understood that Western rhetoric with no follow-up actions is just a paper tiger. The United Nations itself is a big debating society and is able to counter all approaches with his wits. The latest trump card being the long drawn out Secret Negotiations.
Using the Secret Negotiations the Junta has been able to drive a wedge between the pro democracy and the ethnic forces, knowing full well that it will be a formidable force once they remain united. Moreover, the Junta managed to splinter the overseas Burmese groups between the Myanmar and the non-Myanmar. The overseas opposition. spearheaded by the National Coalition Government of Burma (NCGUB) is dominated by the Myanmar group which the Burmese Military Intelligence has been able to woo successfully. But the crowning achievement of Ne Win is that it could prove to the international community that the members of the Junta are reasonable guys and that only because of unfavorable circumstances have they been forced them to do things that they themselves loathed. The Junta said, "Our negotiations are going on well, who says that it has stalled. A spoilt daughter refusing to attend her father’s memorial ceremony does not indicate that we are at odd ends.
Mind you! Don’t denounce us as we are committing gross human rights violations, forced relocations, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution etc, etc. These are all wild accusations. Thus the small amount of forced labour which we have practiced ( we are forced to admit grudgingly) according to our traditions of Loke Ah Pae (voluntarily labour) is now in the process of eliminating it entirely from Burma, and the prove of it can be seen that we are cooperating with the ILO itself. What more do you want to say about forced labour when we admit our little mistake and is ready to remedy it.(Don’t reveal that we have trained our military personnel how to answer when the ILO team visit them)
On the subject of foreign policy, we have solemnly declared that we are non- aligned and followed an independent foreign policy. And the proof of it is that we have rejoined the Non Aligned Movement, which we once construed to be too much aligned to the left. Moreover, we are friendly with all the neighboring countries. Trade relations have been carried both with India and China the two major powers within the country’s vicinity. And as far as the national defense is concerned, we alone are maker of our own destiny and can decide on whatever we to buy. What is your business if we allow the Chinese radar stations on our soil and of course some missiles for our defense just like any other legitimate government does?.
Burma is an independent Asian country, and no power on earth could dictate us as what we should and should not do. Who are you to interfere in their domestic affairs? We have made it known that as an Asian country we adhere to the Asian values, and in the near future will have a semblance of democracy like Singapore and Malaysia; that is why all the Asian countries especially ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have graciously supported us with their constructive engagement policy. Big brother Pauk Paw (the Burmese word for Chinese) has shored up our defense with sales of $1.4 billion and of course very soon we are going for nuclear and Russia has favored us selling some MIGs while Nippon will take care of our hydro electricity. Obviously as a host we don’t want you and the other tourist to be in the dark if the brown out occurs. Remember we are being recognized by China and India numbering some 4 billion people which is more than half of the world’s population proves that we are not isolated as your Western press often portrayed.
You Western governments, and especially overseas Burmese who are the lackeys of imperialism, do not have any right to impose your Western values and your brand of democracy on us. Who says we hate democracy? We have declared that democracy is our goal and not only do we adore it but the transition should be slow so that it will take root. This itself proofs that we are peace-loving generals.
What more prove do you want when we have cordially welcome Razali Ismail the special envoy of UN Secretary General. We listened to his conflict resolution approach and have compromised and the proof is that we are dialoguing with our arch enemy Mrs Aris, a farang’s wife who is out-and-out trying to destroy us and the noble tradition of the Burmese Tatmadaw (army). Moreover, we have demonstrated our sincerity by releasing hundreds of political prisoners ( don’t let the world knows that we re holding thousands of them) while the rest as Min Ko Naing, plus students, youths, writers, professional etc are all criminals who will have to be dealt accordingly. Every sovereign nations has the right to do that and why is Amnesty International, Asia Watch, Human Rights Watch are making noises with their catcalls?
Even though we adhere to the Asian version of human rights, which Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore (please forget about his treatment of Dr Chee of SDP), Mahathir of Malaysia (don’t mention Anwar Ibrahim) not to mention of our immediate neighbor China have all been practicing, we still give some credence to the Western version of human rights. That is why we invited the Australian team of human rights workers to teach our army personnel about the Western version of human rights: for after all we still belongs to the family of civilized nations. Judging from this aspect you Western governments are hypocrites.
What more proof do you want when we can clearly read your signals? Do you think that we are fools? We don’t give a dam care about Uncle Sam’s rhetoric when he quietly sent its companies to do business with us. Take for UNOCAL alone, which gives us $ 400 million annually just for the right to extract offshore oil from our waters; not to mention Vice President Dick Cheney’s companies investment in Burma. In the same way the French government need not teach us "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" when the work of TOTAL partly owned by the French government is known by every Burmese. The British can forget about their version of human rights when we know that Premier Oil has doubled its profit in Burma. Our small arms industries are all German made. Hence your grand design of isolating or punishing us for your perceived human rights violations is next to nothing.
What a funny accusation is that we are using torture methods and that we are using torture and that the prisoners are mistreated. You can ask the ICRC (International Commission for the Red Cross) stationed in Rangoon. They have been allowed to visit any Burmese jails they so desired. Torture is a thing of the past occurred hundred of years ago, during the Burmese monarchal days. But that is history and one will have to forget the unpleasant past if you want to have good relations with us for the future.
You accused us of lying. Can any of you kindly point us out any government that does not lie? Every regime has lied to suit is own purpose and we are no exception. Seeing is believing, why don’t you come to Burma and witness with your eyes of how the country has progressed from the Burmese Socialist days? Surely we will take you to all the tourist sites. It is not a lie when we say that only 6 persons were killed and not hundreds of thousands as you used to portray and this has been proven by our former Foreign Minster Ohn Gyaw.(now a bustard having sought asylum in Canada and living quietly in Toronto).
We have opened up our country and economy and we have even admitted the presence of AIDS (whom you label as Na Wa Ta disease). In spite of our cultural taboos, we have tried our level best although we could not be ranked along as Presidents of Uganda, Mozambique and Kenya in the UN submit on the epidemic in New York.
You Anglo-American don’t be so pharisaical in our ethnic cleansing. Almost every nation has its own version of ethnic cleansing. Americans and Canadians, what did you do with your natives Red Indians (aboriginals) not to mention the blacks?. So far we have not seen any prominent native presidents or political figure. As far as Britain is concern we would like to ask where are the Saxons? Didn’t the Normans led by William the Conqueror came from Normandy in France kill, rape and marry the Saxons to forge a great nation of Great Britain? So you all better shut up in our ethnic cleansing policy.
Of course in our hearts of hearts we knew that the non Myanmar such as the Shan, Kachin, Chin, Mon and Arakanese are neither ethnic minorities, nor are they indigenous. They are capable of administering themselves, albeit under the British supervision. Of course they have their own history and culture and once upon a time they were the majority while the Myanmarese are just the minority. But they have willingly chosen to be with us in the famous Panglong Conference. Naturally we are able to trick and exploit them and in a few decades, we the Myanmar tribe will overwhelm every ethnic tribe including the Wa which we found it very useful now.
You need not worry: as every nation has a long history of ethnic cleansing. We have our own history also, for when we start our nation of Myanmar thousands of years ago we have overwhelmed the dominant tribe of Pyu, Kanyan and Thet who all are now extinct Hanza, Pyeikthanoe. Famous in Burmese history and archeology are Pyu kingdoms and the most prominent ruler was Princess Pan Htwa. But as of now, none of the Pyu people is left. In the same way in less than a century non of the ethnic people be it Shan, Chin, Kachin, Mon, Karenni or Arakanese will be left and this is one of the reason of why we change our country from the name of Burma to Myanmar. Keep this secret to yourselves.
As far as narcotic are concerned we have demonstrated our desire by burning publicly all the narcotics, which we managed to Marshall. What is wrong with the narco based economy? Isn’t it you imperialist that started the Opium Wars in China and forced opium on the Asians? We are just copying the ways you have lead us. Please remember that the laundering of narco-dollars cannot be done by us alone without the help of your banks. Internationally we have helped to stem the tide and the proof of it can be seen when Interpol itself choose Rangoon as a venue for their meeting some years ago (don’t reveal that we have bought Interpol and that the conference was hosted just by the residence of Khun Has, the gentlemen of Rangoon)
Last but not least is that we are teaching political science to our future generations, of course the curriculum is of our choosing. We are not Eurocentric and will not teach the works of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle who wrote “Democracy” the government of the people for the people by the people. But our Asian theoretician especially the works of Mao Zedong that “the power comes out of the barrel of the gun. Nor do we reject all the Western philosophers but have successfully adapted and cooperated the works of Machiavelli into the modern day arena.
"Mein Kampf" has been incorporate into our curriculum where the Theory of Lebensraum and Living Space has been practiced as Hitler has done in Europe. A master race, one country, one people and one religion is far better than divergent views and opinions. So why accuse us as ethnic cleansing for in our Golden Land we have an ever increasing population of 46 million plus; and if we sent two million as refugees to our peripheral, they should be considered as undesirable.
In short we have an Anglo-Burman phrase "Good Tae Htin Do the Do" meaning do anything what you think is right and don’t give a dam care to others opinion. Say anything you like to us. We don’t care and what we have done we cherished it and we will show our joy by clapping our hoofs.”