In answer to Ma Thanegi

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

BRC?J received the following reply to Ma Thanegi

It is not so wonderful to hear from Ma Thanegi that she is tired of wasting
time for waiting for democracy which Daw Suu and friends are struggling to
introduce in Burma.
 
The majority of Burmese joined the democracy movement in August, 1988
because they had suffered very painfully under the totalitarian socialist
system for 26 years.

People became bored when democracy was not accomplished within a couple of
years. Then, whenever they had chance, everybody wanted to give their
comments on the method of approach to democracy based on their own
experience. This is a matter for argument and debate between academics.
Arguing is their work but not ours!

Our work is to see the reality and then find out why foreign investment is
not taking place in Burma.  That reason is very clearly because of lack of
international standards, laws and  regulations covering foreign investors
(Burma has these regulations, if at all, on paper only) and utter
incompetence compared to other Asian countries, such as China and Vietnam.
Those are the significant barriers.  Certainly lack of investment is not
because of Daw Suu's voice only.

Businessmen work from practical philosophy; they are concerned with what
prospects they have when they invest in foreign countries.  No one can
prevent a businessman's investment, except the in the unusual case of
American selective purchasing, if he wishes to invest.  Those who want to
invest in foreign countries usually refuse to pay graft because they are
taking the long view and investing for the long term. 

Another major consideration is that Burma does not enough trained,
knowledgable technicians to operate factories if investors do invest.
These days, many Japanese are going to China to establish factories there.
They have to use Japan-trained technicians as their assistants. Owing to
China's policy, there are a lot of Japanese, American, and European trained
personnel.  The Chinese goverments allows its citizens to go to abroad for
study without collecting income tax.  But, SLORC has no forward looking
policy of that sort.

How can we harvest, where there is no plantation?

We need democracy; we also need patience.

According to the old Burmese saying, the road has to appear when the
elephant passes.  I believe SLORC will have to create the way to democracy;
they cannot escape the inevitable forever.  But, not only lipservice, but
actually, in practice. Not in a totalitarian way but in a democratic way.

I hope Ma Thanegi has heard the comment of South Korea's newly elected
president, who said that Asian countries including his face severe economic
problems because of their lack of democracy.   
			
U Metta
Japan

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