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Rebels win, Workers lose.(Albians h

Subject: re: Rebels win, Workers lose.(Albians had to flee Kosovo before Nato came in)

Two years ago a US state department envoy branded as "terrorist" an armed 
group in Kosovo. Last month the political leader of that group -- the Kosovo 
Liberation Army - was received by the secretary of state. The parallel is 
worth examining.

Back to Kosovo, where in 1989, at about the same time as Daw Aung San Suu 
Kyi, the ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova was choosing the non-violent 
form of struggle for his people's independence. Personally, Mr Rugova does 
not stand comparison with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but the two were pursuing 
their struggles simultaneously. The patience of the Kosovo Albanians gave 
out earlier. (Perhaps Balkan character plus Islam is a more volatile mix 
than Asian character plus Buddhism?) A year ago, young people across Kosovo 
more or less dumped Mr Rugova and turned to guns.
Thus the violent, provocative actions of the Kosovo Liberation Army -
followed by the predictably barbarous response from the Serbian security 
forces - brought the group and the cause of Kosovo independence to the 
world's attention.
One may agree or disagree with the ethnic Albanians' methods and goals. The 
Western powers, led by the United States, are confused on that score. But 
there is no denying that by grabbing the Kalashnikovs, the fighter from 
Kosovo got the whole world to pay attention to them and their struggle. 
Otherwise, the NATO intervention would have never happened.
It was stuff like this that made young followers of pacifism in Kosovo don 
uniforms and become combatants. They now fly their double-headed eagle flag 
every five metres along the streets of Pristina.

The Burmese Embassy incident is a warning to the international community to 
apply pressure to the junta in Rangoon and give support to the pro-democracy 
efforts of the opposition before all the pacifists in Burma learn how to 
handle Kalashnikovs.

[ANNA HUSARSKA is an associate researcher at the Centre d'Etudes et de
Recherches Internationals in Paris]







>From: Dawn Star <dawnstar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: dawnstar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: Sue Huang <susuhuang@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>CC: heiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, bina@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, bgt@xxxxxxxxxxx,        
>burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: Rebels win, Workers lose
>Date: Thu, 07 Oct 1999 22:44:54 +0100
>
>susu, you say use brains, then use them. one week stand off and you'll
>get yourself closer to dead or imprisoned for a long long time. i agree
>with others, instead of slamming these guys, why dont you just bite your
>lip, and save the videos for mtv and other internet fashion, this was a
>deadly standoff, and dangerous, and you dont seem to get it yet wherever
>you are in your safe haven. again, if you got a good plan, dont post in
>on the net because you know thats just showing off, go under and plan it
>carefull with the underground contacts, and let us all get on to some
>serious work, because you are distracting, and wearing thin, or go to
>the newsgroups, soc.culture.burma, they will love you there, ds
>
>
>Sue Huang wrote:
> >
> > dear heiko,
> >
> > also in US, no notice of this. one paragraph in new york times, one
> > paragraph in wash post. it was over before it started.
> >
> > better strategy: seize embassy, bring videocams and computer, do LIVE
> > INTERNET BROADCAST FROM INSIDE. must do for a long time, one week at 
>least.
> >
> > would be major international media event! FIRST TIME EVER - WOW! get 
>message
> > out to millions! take live internet questions! interview with hostages! 
>make
> > human contact, get sympathy.
> >
> > but -- i do not advocate this. it is still violence. always backfires.
> >
> > susu
> >
> > >From: Heiko Schaefer <heiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > >To: Sue Huang <susuhuang@xxxxxxxxxxx>, bina@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,        
>"Burma
> > >GroupTübingen - Mailing List" <bgt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > >CC: Burma Net News <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > >Subject: Re: Rebels win, Workers lose
> > >Date: Thu, 07 Oct 1999 16:17:54 +0200
> > >
> > >Dear Susu, dear John,
> > >
> > >I need to support Susu's opinion. It is true, the media attention was
> > >nearly like ZERO. First, this news came like a flash from sky and so
> > >fast it disappeared. Burma need to be more in the news, so that the
> > >people recognise it. I asked a lot of people if they heard about it. It
> > >was in Germany's top news programme (Tagesschau) on TV, but only at the
> > >second day. No other news in TV even mentioned it. But NOBODY did know
> > >anything about it.
> > >
> > >Even if the BGT is suspended now, I can no more read how much these
> > >people are hailed. Okay, I also support this people, but not in their
> > >use of violence. Moreover I slowly get a quite different view of this
> > >hostage taking (see my 2 postings in BurmaNet-news at 7. Oct.) If it 
>was
> > >the idea of any opposition group, than it was just stupid or if it was
> > >planned by the government, it will show us small group, how much
> > >neccesary our fight is, but the remaining world will ignore it again.
> > >
> > >Regards
> > >Heiko
> > >
> > >Sue Huang wrote:
> > > >
> > > > hello??? EVERYBODY lose from this stupid embassy attack, indiana.
> > >innocent
> > > > workers hurt, as you say. crackdown on ABSDF and other groups in BKK 
>has
> > > > been announced by thai government. vigorous students made nld look 
>like
> > > > terror-sponsoring group. any hope for early release of rachel 
>goldwyn
> > > > probably gone. bangkok embassy security now upgraded, meaning any
> > >SERIOUS
> > > > long-term occupation, seizure of files etc may no longer be 
>possible.
> > >border
> > > > closed making prices go up in rangoon. whole movement now looks
> > > > disorganized, no leadership. credibility has been lost.
> > > >
> > > > name one positive accomplishment. answer: ten minutes of media
> > >attention.
> > > > big deal.
> > > >
> > > > so, hooray for vigorous students. have guns instead of brains.
> > > >
> > > > susu
> > > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >+================== Burma Group Tuebingen ==================+
> > >| Heiko Schaefer                  | heiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx     |
> > >| Beim Herbstenhof 42             |                         |
> > >| 72076 Tuebingen, Germany        | Tel: ++49 7071 55 25 54 |
> > >+-----------------------------------------------------------+
> > >|              http://www.burmagroup.de/                    |
> > >+===========================================================+
> > >             -- PGP-Key on request available! --
> > ><< heiko.vcf >>
> >
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