Article by U Thaung

[burma@xxxxxxxxxxx]

New Yorkers were kidnapped by Burmese Government
By U Thaung

        The Burmese military government has kidnapped a huge 
number of New Yorkers and is demanding millions of dollars as 
ransom from the US Government. It appears that  the US Government 
might  surrender in the near future.
        The blackmail diplomacy of ransom  for irradiating opium 
fields was first introduced by Golden Triangle Drug  King  Khun Sa
a few years ago by demanding millions of dollars from the American 
Government for wiping out the opium fields. Perhaps Khun Sa the 
lord of drug, now residing at May Kha road military  elite quarters 
in Rangoon is advising the Burmese Generals for this cruel scheme.
        Nowadays the Burmese  military government's top priority 
is to fight drug, even though all the generals are sharing the wealth 
of drug monies from the two drug warlords. They are aiming for the 
forthcoming  UN Drug Conference , that will introduce a plan to aid 
billion of dollars from World Bank to the drug producing nations to 
substitute other crops in the opium fields.
        Action started with inviting newsmen from New York 
Times, Newsweek and other journalists and showing how  sincerely 
they want to fight the drug.  They are planning to invite America 
senators too.Col. Kyaw Thien, the chief of Myanmar's counternarcotics 
program,explained "This drug problem is not only the problem of the 
United States. It's our problem too.  We know that we cannot fight 
this alone" when he met the newsmen.
        "We think we can get rid of 60 percent of the heroin 
going into the U.S. in 12 months' time if the U.S. cooperates with us," 
said Lieut. Col. Hla Min, the deputy director of the Office of Strategic 
Studies, a planning branch of  military intelligence.
        The reason behind these offerings is that the Burmese 
Government wants to  perpetuate itself in power. For that they want 
to change their image and they need money.  Because of heavy military 
spendings and high theivings of the generals, the nation's coffers are 
totally empty  today. Thay cannot continue their repressive rule 
without American dollars.
        For the purpose of prolonging their power, the generals 
would do anything, even  really irradiating the drug fields. What 
would the US Government do?  The United States had cut off 
counternarcotics aid to  Burma  following the coup in 1988.
Restoring such aid could undercut other American economic sanctions 
and lend legitimacy  to a dictatorship that stands accused of 
widespread abuse of human rights. 
        Even yesterday in Geneva the UN Human Rights Commission  
unanimously adopted a resolution attacking widespread 
human-rights abuses in Burma.
     Forget human rights. The American Government will first 
have to save it's sons and daughters from drugs. We can see that 
the US would surrender the Burmese generals soon.
        If the Burmese generals succeeded in this blackmail diplomacy 
and collect ransom from the US ,the fate of 45 million Burmese would 
be enslaved for ever. 
        No one can do anything.  This is a mad world with cruel dictators.
                                                                        
        U Thaung