Day One Remainder*

[tsoe@xxxxxxxxxxx]

BurmaNet Group:
BurmaNet Editor:
OSI Burma Project Director:

This e-mail is just a remainder of time for you to response
(regarding demand for Freedom of Expression in BurmaNet and against for
non-sense censorship threat imposed on Burmanet by you and your group
toward the Burmese community and grassroot activists).

We are counting time. Day one is passed.

Why do you silent?
BurmaNet editor, so-called Mr.Strider, a pseudonym, is silent. 
OSI Burma Project and its director, Daw Maureen is also silent.
(Unbelievable. I tried to believe that you guys are now out of town for a
while).

Remember, some people and activists have raised valid questions and
concerns to you against your censorship policy, and many people are
waiting your (and your group's) official response. You have not answered
the questions and concerns, yet. Instead, you (and your group) seem trying
to negelect the existence of Burmese communities and not to answer. Be
brave! Come on with your stand points, and let's debate about freedom of
expression and censorship in front of the Burmese community and grassroot
activists. Don't try to hide in a dark conner.

There are at least three times already that you have imposed the
Censorship threats on BurmaNet. Ugly and politically low! 
In the past (about months and year ago), I had directly contacted BurmaNet
editor not to do censorship. 
Burmanet editor, you replied me that the accidents were not censorships
but techanical problems. I tried to believe you (and your group). But, you
lied me. But, you (and your group) always come up again and again with a
backward idea of censorship, whenever the activists start debating about
ieffectiveness, corruptions and immoralities of some so-called leaders and
groups especially NCGUB and FTUB. 

I believe this time must be the last, and no more censorship threat by a
handful of self-centered people. That is why I(we) start debating about
freedom of expression and censorship with strong tone in front of Burmese
community, activists and supporters of Burma's democratic movement.

Let Burmese community and activists freely express and exchange their
concerns, denouncings, views, articles, news and comments, including
debates about ineffectiveness, corruptions and immoralities of the
so-called leaders, groups, organizations and individuals. Let Burmese
community and activists freely decide who is making junk mails, who is
making groundless accusations, who is just writing smooth-letters with
beautiful words for self-fame and self-gain, who is just trying to make
self-promoting, who (and which organization) is just distributing
statements after statements and who is really making principles and
policies.

Burmanet is a revolutionary forum. Burmanet is designed as a forum for
Burma's revolution and reform, not an ordinary copy-and-paste news and
statements-distributing forum only.  You (and your group), as self paid
employees with revolutionary funds, have the obligations to serve the open
forum for the Burmese community and activists. Through this forum, Burmese
community and activists can check and comment about not only the stubborn
Rangoon regime but also the corrupted bad activists. Clearly, it is not
your right to impose censorship toward the Burmese community because
BurmaNet is belonged to the revolution and Burmese community. I repeat
Burmanet is belonged to the revolution, not you (and your group's)
personal list-server. Therefore, your (and your group's) desire to impose
censorship on Burmanet in favor of some interest groups and individuals is
wrong. Please don't copy and follow the behaviors of SLORC/SPDC. 

As I said before, this time we will not let this issue go away easily
without notice and impact. You have two days left to answer to the entire
Burmese community and activists. (Please re-read the recent e-mails of
some activists and try to answer the questions). This is the first
remainder, and you still have two more remainders to receive (a remainder
per day).  If you still keep silent, we will assume that you (and your
group) have no willingness to answer the questions of the activists. Then,
the previously mentioned action will be taken. (Burmanet editor, under the
name of Strider, where do you put all the stuffs you had learned in Law
school?  Come on, man. Be American yourself, and let's debate).

For me, there is no compromise. 
In the name of revolution, we call for freedom of expression on BurmaNet!

Every morning I wake up, the first thing I realize is "Burma is still
under the military rule, and the revolution is still not finished yet".
Every morning I wake up, the second thing I do is "to salute the
fallen pro-democracy activists". 
Every morning I wake up, the third thing I do is "to wish a deep metta for
the political prinsoners".
Every morning I wake up, the forth thing I realize is "my contribution for
the revolution is so tiny, and need more pure contributions".
Every morning I wake up, the fifth thing I realize is "there is no room
for the corrupted bad activists in the future democratic Burma".

I believe you (and your group) will try to correct the wrong and will try
to contribute more and more real services (not lip-services, not on-paper
services) toward Burma's struggle for peace, liberty and justice.

Regards,

Than Soe
IU-Indiana 

____________________________________
On Wed, 28 Oct 1998, Than Soe wrote:

			Plus ... 2 new questions below.
> ----------------------
> BurmaNet Editor wrote:
> > As for the logistics of how messages will be monitored:  I will review the
> > messages and choose whether to approve them or not, then send the approved
> > messages out to the list.  A review board (consisting of males and
females,
> > Burmese and non-Burmese) will consider questionable messages and through
> > consensus make a decision about whether or not to allow distribution.
> 
> Sounds like a censorship committee of SLORC/SPDC!
> My questions:
>      o  Who are the names of the people in the so-called review board? 
>      o  How do you choose the review board --based on revolutionary
> 	  experiences or just someone you know?
>      o  You need to let the answers of above questions known to the
> 	  Burmese community and activists. 	

A new question (someone has already asked):
	o  Who did start the idea of censorship on Burmanet? Why?

A critical question:
	o  Are you willing to withdraw your cencership idea from Burmanet?