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Into the 21st Century (r)



Dear Dr. Sum and all readers of Burma Net,

Let me put this discussion back to the main road. 
   (1) This 21st century discussion thread was being focus on the
       education system of Burma 
   (2) Accordingly the eleven comments were posted by me yesterday.
   (3) It is clear that (let me repeat) the present education system
       doesn't lead to creat a civil society in Burma let alone a
       democratic society.
   (4) Let us assume that in 1998, in few months from now, the first  
       tripartite dialouge begins!
   (5) What will be the vision in our leader's mind of a new education
       system look like?
   (6) Knowing their collective minds and reading their writings, it 
       is for sure that there will be an education system which
       will lead to 
         (a) the reconstruction of Burma through socio-technical processes
             of human and institutional capacity building in the best 
             interest of the Burmese peoples;{Burmese peoples = all 136
             kinds of ethnic people including Burman ***]
         (b) the promotion of a sense of community in all walks of life,
             in which a shared use of resources and facilities of Burma
             provides a unifying force: and 
         (c) the work of reconciliation through universities,schools,
             religious ceremonies (i.e for all religions)pursuing the
             sense of peace, hope and love(metta) among all ethnic 
             peoples of Burma including Burman.
         (d) pursuing international exchange programs for the Burmese
             peoples (ie. 136 kinds of ethnic peoples including Burman)  
             directed to an education which provides freedom of thought,
             creativity, competence, and an access to effective and 
             efficient participation in the reconstruction of Burma
             with *non-discriminative* policy.


Having said that, let me comment on one of the most important points. 
It is this SPDC/SLORC used and still is using Buddhism as their 
political weapon. It is sure that this *damage has been done to us, 
but the *DUTY to fix it right again until we all reach to a new Burma
where all religions can live together in peace is on our shoulders, 
all of us shoulders. It is possible to fix it, for we have a remedy.
The remedy is our WISDOM! We could 1. try to analyse the layers of the
complexity (eg. as it was explained above how to fix our education 
system) and 2. fix it layer by layer by all of us.

In my view, Burmease population has two layers in *meso scale, 1.
oppressor layer i.e. the military regime and 2. oppressed layer 
i.e. grassroots peoples and the democratic forces in and outside 
Burma. The oppressed should be united in order to remove the 
oppressors in the first place; parallel to that is the preparedness 
for the reconstruction of a new Burma.

Please see the following news release:
	From: brelief@xxxxxxx
	To: Recipients of burmanet-l <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>

	BANGKOK POST March 31, 1998
	In brief

	Burmese monks have vowed to take nationwide strike action 
	over alleged persecution and harassment at the hands of the 
	ruling junta.

	The All-Burma Young Monks Union said yesterday 20,000 monks
	had been barred from participation in state-run monastic 
	exams and are protesting against strict military supervision 
	of the monkhood.

	Monks have called on students and ethnic forces in Burma as 
	well as "democratic forces abroad "to support the strike,
	which was to begin yesterday unless the junta stopped its 
	harassment of examinees.
	-AFP

With metta and solidarity,
NiNi
======================================================================
On 7 Apr 1998 suantak@xxxxxx wrote:

> OKKAR!
> The students who attend are not only the children of the military but
> Buddhist officers.  Children of the military who passed the matriculation
> with four or five distinctions were admitted to the medical and engineering
> faculties but only if they are the children of parents who are Buddhists.
> The children of Christian or Muslim are not elegible for admission to these
> faculties even if they have the same results or better than Buddhist
> students.
> 
> The Burmese military has been promoting Buddhism and the ethnic Burman or
> Myanmar for the last forty years, and that is why the SPDC is a pure Burmese
> government and the military is lead by a pure Myanmar generals. Not a single
> non-Burman is a Brigadier or General in the present Burmese Army.  You may
> say "How about General Abel?".  Well! he grew up among the Burman or Myanmar
> people and knows the ways of the Myanmar or Burman. If you are born and grew
> up in Myanmar or Burma then you are Burman or a Myanmar. Similar to General
> Khin Nyunt.  That is why the Burmese Army is running the the non-Burman
> areas as occupied territory or in other words as colonies. They rule with
> much more oppression and brutality than the British colonists or the
> Japanese facists.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nin@xxxxxx <nin@xxxxxx>
> To: Recipients of burmanet-l <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Monday, April 06, 1998 11:14 PM
> Subject: Re: Into the 21st Century
> 
> > Date: 05 Apr 1998 22:34:40
> > Subject: Re: Into the 21st Century
> >
> > In a message dated 98-04-05 13:51:18 EDT, suantak@xxxxxx:
> >
> > #You did not mention the Burmese military's medical and
> > #engineering teaching facilities at the Mingaladon Army
> > #quarters. While the schools and colleges of the people
> > #are closed, the sons and daughters of the military are
> > #continuing their studies as if nothing has happened.
> >
> >   #Is this how you prepare the future of the youth of our
> > #country? Please be real.
> >
> >$$$Excerpt from OKKAR's reply read as follows:
> >
> >$$$To be real,  the Burmese military's medical and engineering
> >   teaching facilities are not only for the children of the Army
> >   Personals.
> >
> >$$$The children of the civilians can also attend it. But after
> >   their graduation they will have to work as the Army officers
> >   for some years.
> >
> >$$$OK
> >======================================================================
> >
> >* Ni Ni's comments
> >
> >  (1)Reality is an interface between one's perception by (senses)
> >     or intellect and the facts.
> >     [Note: Since virtual reality exists in the world of science,
> >            eg. virtual ship simulation, pilot training, etc.,
> >            we have to put the word (senses) in the bracket.]
> >
> >  (2)It is OK's reality that makes us laugh. "they will have to ...."
> >     Why should they OKKAR? Can you answer this question? Why?
> >
> >  (3)It is OK's fact that presents itself of the status of the
> >     education system in Burma. "they will have to work as military
> >     officers for some years". Let me add, if they want to get access
> >     to the higher education. One can then draw a conclusion that
> >     this education system in Burma does not lead to create a civil
> >     society let alone a democratic society.
> >
> >  (4)Make no mistakes about the essense of "Education".
> >     It encompasses all faculties including *military science*.
> >
> >  (5)"Education" means(a)giving intellectural and moral training,
> >                      (b)development of character or mental power,
> >                      (c)systematic course of instruction on
> >                         physical or mental faculty.
> >
> >  (6)THE point I make here is that all students are not alike.
> >     Each student carries their own ambition and interest. No
> >     education system can force students to become uniform
> >     products, in other words, militarists. It is against nature.
> >     If a person or a system goes against nature, its destiny is
> >     a SURE failure.
> >
> >  (7)In Burma, the education system goes against nature. It was
> >     not successful and still not successful. If it continues in
> >     this way, it will never be successful.
> >
> >  (8)The constant instability in Burma during last 50 years and
> >     today is due to the lack of profound education system.
> >     Just think about a saying, "if one knows better, one will
> >     behave differently".
> >
> >  (9)It was easier to topple the Colonial Education.
> >
> >  (10)It is not easy to topple the militarised Education. Because
> >      it is brothers against brothers. To be specific,
> >      Brother_military against brother_civilians.
> >
> >  (11)Buddha taught us,"Volition(cetana) is Karma". The solution
> >      can be found in the mind of students in and outside Burma
> >      supported by their parents, relatives, teachers, neighbours,
> >      religious teachers, good will and human rights organisations.
> >
> >With metta and solidarity,
> >NiNi
> >===================================================================