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Truth and Ethics



		                 Truth and Ethics
                             ******************
                              (by Mya Thinn)

	I heard President Clinton?s  voice over the radio about 
a fortnight ago. Being up against the  wall  bout white water 
and the sexual harassment affairs, he was making a pathetic 
plea to the " press ; urging that they should base their 
reports  on  true facts and publish only the truth; that they 
should uphold " Journalistic Ethics" at all time. I trust  that 
Mr. Clinton will now understand how utterly disgusted we 
feel with the irresponsible attitude and behavior of the 
international media. It appears that the truth is no longer 
important in ultra free  societies; rather it is now much 
sensation one can  stir up is what matters.  Mrs. Hilary  
Clinton summed it up be very aptly on the ?Larry King 
Show?. Quote- " Now adays anything can be twisted- People 
are no longer given the benefit of the doubt"- unquote.

	On 25 February 1997, so- called Drs. Mary Clark and 
Mark Levy of Trinity  College, Cambridge arrived at tile 
gate of the Ministry of Forestry in Yangon. Although they 
did not have a prior appointment, they were ushered in and 
met by Advisor U Ye Myint, who believing them to be 
genuine environmental scientists, explained matters 
concerning  environmental and Forestry policies, issues, 
concerns and efforts being undertaken  to concerns What we 
have now, for posterity.

	On 23 March 1997, the article ?Burma?s Junta goes 
green?, save the rhino, Kill the people" appeared in the 
London Observer. It was written by Adrian Levy, Cathy 
Scott-Clark and David Harrison. Quote "Nature groups work 
with Junta in Burma's ethnic killing fields. World renowned 
wildlife groups are working with Bun military regime on 
huge conservation projects on sites being cleared by 
systematic slaughter of the Karen ethnic Minority. Human 
rights groups condemned the conservation groups' 
collaboration and demanded their immediate withdrawal"- 
unquote Their main focus was to discredit our plans to 
establish the Myinmoletkat Nature Reserve, and deprive us 
of all international assistance.

	They openly admitted to having entered Myanmar 
illegally across the border from Thailand and flirting with 
illegal insurgent groups. They came to the Ministry of 
Forestry in Yangon, under false pretenses. Then went back 
and wrote a whole bag full of lies. The Ministry of Forestry 
is not at the end of a long tree lined road, but just off  the 
main road down a short lane. There is only one main gate 
and no road blocks. The security personnel are the police not 
the military. Their uniforms are Khaki not blue. They don't 
carry their weapons with bayonets fixed. There are no 
sinister military intelligence officers with reflector sunglasses 
around.

	Yes, the Myinmoletkat  Nature Reserve is large, 
comprising almost 1.2 million hectares and represents a large 
expanse of tropical rain forest ecosystems remaining in 
pristine conditions which is home to rare flora and fauna as 
they have rightly observed. It is however not a political face 
saving exercise, but committed endeavour to save what is 
left of the natural environment it is not in the?? Karen area " 
as claimed, but in the Tanintharyi Division much  farther 
south, that is mostly inhabited by the Tavoy and Myeik  
people who are basically Burmese. There are cluster, of 
Karens, Mons, Shans, Malays, Chinese, Indians widely 
dispersed along the narrow strip. The K.N.U insurgents are 
a later addition as they extended their territory  Southwards 
after the army had squashed the former occupants, the Burma 
Communist Party. Pockets of K.N.U groups are merely 
economic bandits, who are hindering development of the 
border areas, and do not in any way represent the Karen 
interest.

	We have not sought assistance from any international 
conservation organization; and none of them have been 
involved in the Myinmoletkat project till now. Organizations 
such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation  
Society are here because they have travelled 
extensively inside Myanmar and know at first hand our true 
situation.  W.C.S is not involved in establishing a 
management plan for Lampi National Marine Park, but 
merely assisted us in acquiring of expertise in assessing our 
coral reefs.  We have never claimed close relations with the 
World Wildlife Fund; though we have made some overtures 
to invite them over so that they could see things for 
themselves. But we have been working closely with 
subsidiaries of  W.W.F such as the Asian Elephant Specialist 
Group. These renowned organizations dedicated to 
conservation have been helping us with what little resources 
they can muster, mainly in capacity building at the grass 
roots level. It is beyond comprehension how degenerate, 
unprincipled and unethical people can become; to the extent 
of compromising environmental conservation for political and 
personal interests.

	The news that gullible politicians in Washington had 
reacted swiftly to this insidious article, was stunning. 
Immediately a thought occurred to me, that perhaps this was 
a deliberate pre-meditated and carefully coordinated move 
to discredit the international recognition we have received 
for having conserved our natural environment. Honourable,
dignified and dedicated scientists were summoned before a 
congressional panel, put to the grind and ordered to stop all 
activities in Myanmar. It is a blatant display of dictatorial, 
undemocratic practises. We grieve at the thought of our 
honourable colleagues in conservation being made to cower
under the misguided dictates of politicians of dubious           
calibre and intentions, who neither understand nor  care about 
the environment and its relation to the susceptibility of the 
human race.

	Myanmar is one of the highest biodiversity countries in 
Asia, all the more reason why it should be accorded the 
utmost assistance. The programme for the expansion of the 
protected areas is being undertaken in  conformity will the 
Forest Policy which advocates increasing our protected gas 
coverage to 50% in the short term and 10% in the long term. 
The  inclusion of this reserve will raise the coverage to 3.5%  
We have identified other worthy areas too, and will plod 
along, regardless of  support or no support; and the likes of 
Levy, Scott-clark and Harrison trying to upset our plans.

	It is against the ideals and principles of the U.N charter 
to victimize a  sovereign state that is a full fledged member 
of the international previleges. Myanmar having signed the  
Biodiversity Convention and ratified it, has undeniable  
rights to financial resources technological and other inputs 
from the U.N and its related organizations; including the 
conservation NGOs who are obligated to assist nations with 
their conservation endeavors. No government has the right 
to coerce those organizations to turn their backs on any 
country; and reputable organizations should not allow 
themselves to be intimidated; instead, they should make a 
moral stand for what is right.

	President Clinton in  his address delivered in London 
recently, with Prime Minister Mr. Blair, stated that 
preventing environmental degradation was one of the 
priority commitments of his government . If it is so, I would 
like to urge the President to have the US government ratify 
the Biodiversity  Convention immediately, as they have not 
done so yet; and stop ill informed, self centred politicians 
and journalists from  undermining noble environmental conservation 
efforts being undertaken the interest of the 
future of mankind.

*********