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On Martin Luther King Jr. Image Awa



Subject: On Martin Luther King Jr. Image Award 

Dear Friends:

I just finished all my mid-terms and planning to spend my break with some
more studies in HOPE. I am late but never forget to reply your messages of
congratulations on Martin Luther King Jr. Image Award.  I was very busy
with my studies and activities here at Indiana University at least to
educate local community about Burma where real struggle for freedom and
democracy is taking place. 

Thanks for your words to ALL who sent me congratulatory notes on Martin
Luther King Jr. Image Award. I feel this award honors the whole Free Burma
Movement that is brought up by the freedom thirsty spirits which exit in
our hearts.  I am in heartfelt-share with all our fellow students on the
borders and activists around the world who firmly stand for the truth,
which we must and we will at least until the freedom, justice and human
dignity are restored in our motherland.  It is our duty to carry the
burden of changes in our country, the changes that will maintain peaceful
life, freedom, justice and our dignity for humanity. Without peaceful
life, freedom and justice, we will not be able to maintain our nation's
dignity and our society along with international community.  This must be
our goal and this goal is not only for people who support us but also more
for those who oppose us. 

We must understand that this second revolution for Burma's true freedom
has no clear line to separate the sides like who is the enemy as we did
when our nation struggled for her independence from British colonial
rules. We are not fighting against alien colonizers.  We are fighting
against the betrayers of the Burmese people, those betrayers who at the
same time destroy and degrade human value and its dignity.  We may need to
educate those soldiers in Burmese Army who are carring "orders" of power
hungry neo-Nazi SLORC's generals. 

Here, I would like to say to those of SLORC's generals and supporters. If
you want to claim that you are not betraying the nation and its people. 
You got to show it with deeds not words. You have to accept the offer to
solve the country's burning problems in human manner, the offer that was
made in Gandhi Hall Declaration on July 29, 1990 by the people's
representatives.  You have moral duty to protect people's life.  You have
to obey their demand.  This is what Boe Gyoke Aung San wanted to see the
Burma Army to be. You neglect all of these and you kill unarmed people,
you jail all oppositions, you rape powerless women, and you force lovely
children to work for your survival.  You are creating comfort zone for
yourselves with people's blood and their lives.  You are lucky that the
patience is still alive in their hearts. 

The struggle that we are promoting is not only to restore the freedom,
democracy and dignity of Burmese people in Burma but also to maintain the
universal human dignity and human rights.  This is why Burmese lovers join
us in hand and stand from the truth. With the plight of their supportive
mind, our freedom movement have been shine in both inside and outside of
Burma. 

They, SLORC, recently shook hand with international criminals and toasted
a champagne glass, but refuse to shake hand with willful opposition which
is asking them to start construction of the nation in peaceful and
meaningful manners.  They also neglected the request that was made by 23
Burma's independent heroes and forefather politicians. This is the clear 
message that Burma Army is betraying the nation. It is not the army that
Gen. Aung San wanted to see.  It is the army of Gen. Ne Win. It is
protecting Gen. Ne Win's interest instead of the nation's interest. 

We must understand all of these.  We have duty to educate and rescue our
brother soldiers in current "Burmese Army under SLORC" from wrongdoings,
many of who originally joined the army to serve for national interest and
to protect people's lives.  But now under SLORC, those of our brother 
soldiers are carring out the orders which are issued by a handful of 
SLORC's generals who aim to crack-down anyone whoever ask them to act on 
behalf of the whole nation.  

They, SLORC, claim that they are not going to allow the country fall into
foreigners' hand.  But current SLORC's economic policies are letting our
country's citizens to become modern slaves of those foreign investment
companies; SLORC"s policies are leading our country's young ladies to
become semi-secretary prostitutes, letting our country's land fall into to
the hands of those foreigners who come into Burma with full of lust to
suck the blood of ordinary citizens by ignoring common-sense justice and
humanity.  Every day, farmers are struggling to get a "chili and salt"
meal while SLORC generals are toasting champagne and enjoying the parties
with those foreign partners.  Workers are hopless for their ambition to
construct the country to become a developing country while SLORC generals
are hopeful of developing poverty.  Teachers are mourning for the lost of
their beloved students and for the lost of hope for country's future.  
 
Please consider all of these realities and still firm with democracy and 
human rights. Our fight will overcome one day.

With hopeful dream,

Tun Myint