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Mizzima: Oh! Darling, You Came Late



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                       Oh! Darling, You Came Late

By Kanbawza Win
July 10, 2001

           ?Oh? Darling you came late,? I mused to myself as I read the
news that the Thai parliamentarians were endeavoring to contact their
counterparts in the Burmese democratic provisional government, better
known as the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma. Had
they supported the Burmese democracy movement in 1988 when the Junta?s
lifeline was shoestring thin and was about to be terminated because its
foreign exchange  had only a few days left, the Thai could have easily
dealt a knock- out blow. In its place a peace-loving democratic
government could have been installed and obviously the Thai-Burma
bilateral relations would have been much rosier than they are now.
Instead of a pariah government, a well- supported government by the
people whose rationale and psyche would be more civilized and  humane
than the genocidal Junta would definitely make this part of the world a
much better place. Obviously,  the bilateral relations of the two
countries would have been far  rosier  than with the marauding generals
who love to infringe on the border lands of Thailand under various
pretexts. There wouldn?t be any narco-related problems in Thailand
because at that juncture the Junta involvement was minimal. Obviously
the Burmese refugees would voluntarily find their way back home as their
country would be democratic and become peaceful if not prosperous.

But fate doesn?t play this way. It has skillfully used General Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh, better known to the Burmese as the Thai gorilla who goes
to Rangoon and embraces the head of the Junta saying ?A Ko Gyi? (big
brother), the only Burmese words he seems to know, and shores up the
vehemently hated Junta with his Constructive Engagement policy. Since
then the genie is out of the bottle and as the fable goes, became so
monstrous and powerful that it is now threatening to eat the very person
that let him out of the bottle. In other words, the rag-tag Burmese army
of 17,000 of the 80s has become a formidable force of  half a million
men equipped with modern sophisticated weapons.

What is more these weapons were purchased with the proceeds from the
narcotic drugs as Burma remains king of the opium-producing countries of
the world. It is the people of Thailand who are dearly paying the price
now. A rough estimate puts the figure at 500 million pills that are
produced annually in Burma, which flooded Thailand, now there are 2
million addicts. At this rate it can easily destroy the fabric of the
Thai society itself. The flooding of the Thai market with yaba
(Amphetamine tablets) compels  everyone in the border area to cash in on
this quick money which is ruining the Thai society. Whole villages along
the border are becoming involved in yaba trafficking. Thai teachers
peddle drugs in schools; police and army people participate as big
investors in the trade and so on and on. Had General Chavilit not been
under the petticoat government and had he stood fast on the principles
of a true leader and refused to let his better half get the better of
him by taking the Burmese logging and fishing concession, the history of
the two countries would have been quite different. Now as the current
situation stands, the Thai policy of ?Turning Indochina from the
battlefield into a market place? is being realized in the form of
thriving markets of all sorts of narcotics in Indochina, particularly
the Golden Triangle. There are various categories of  drugs be it
Opium,  Heroine No4, Yaba or anything you can name.

The narco generals of Burma and internationally well-known drug war
lords such as Khun Hsa, Lao Hse Han, Weh Hsu Kang, Peng Jaisheng (with
his seven wives) who are now the gentlemen of Rangoon under the
protection and patronage of the greatest drug war lord, the Burmese
Junta, are smiling and clapping their hoofs. What can Thailand do? On
the other hand economic collapse would likely follow any attempt to wipe
it out the drug trade. Burma is the only state in the world which
survives on the export of narcotics. It would be economic suicide for
the Burmese government to do anything substantial about the country's
lucrative drug trade.

Had the Thai leaders lent their ears to the vision of the Burmese
pro-democracy fighters and ethnic leaders so abundant in Thailand, it
would have cost less than what it is now. Successive  administrations of
Thailand have blindly adhered to the Constructive Engagement Policy so
that now it seems that there could be war between the two neighbours.
Even though Premier Thaksin Shinawatra?s trip to Burma claims success,
it still needs to be seen, given the record of the Junta in not handing
over power to the winning party. If it comes to blows it will not only
prove that ASEAN was just a paper tiger, but will also tarnish the image
of Buddhism, as both countries  belong to the Theravadha school of
thought.

One can easily recollect  how the Thai army cooperated with the Burmese
army in suppressing the pro- democracy and ethnic forces in the
Thai-Burma border areas. Resistence and refugee camps like Nat Ein
Daung, Moe Daung, Minthame, Salween, Saw Hta, Zedi-Samohn (three-pagoda
pass) etc, are all fallen because the Thai authorities allowed the
Burmese army to attack from behind. The immediate result was the influx
of the refugees into Bangkok and several Thai cities. Finally,
Marnaeplaw the symbol of Burmese ethnic and democratic resistance was
permitted to fall. In other words the Thais successfully eliminated any
buffer between the Burmese and the Thai army. By these means it hope to
please the Junta?s  and would be in a position to exploit the people and
natural resources of Burma. Even though business always overrules the
conscience we would be loath ourselves to label the then Thai
authorities as ?Ingratitude? in view of the fact that at the height of
the Indochina war when the Vietnamese forces had already occupied
Cambodia and were infringing on Thailand, it was the Burmese ethnic
forces literally dressed in Thai uniforms that mopped up the Vietnamese
invaders. Of course it would be galling for the Thai security
authorities to admit it but it cannot be denied that when Thailand had
to point its guns to the east, the rear west was taken care of by the
ethnic forces. It seems that retribution comes very quickly.

It is only now that Thailand has come to realize its folly. In other
words, the prodigal son has realized his mistake and wants to go home
naturally the old father who has always loved his son is more than ready
to forgive him. However, as the story goes, the father makes him bathe
and dress up before celebrating. To make it more simple, the
pro-democracy forces and the ethnic groups stationed in Thailand-Burma
border areas want respect, recognition and consideration from the Thai
authorities. Everybody knows that Thailand plays a crucial part not only
in terms of logistics but also guarding the rear. It must  not cooperate
with the Burmese army to attack the freedom-fighting forces from behind.
They must treat the refugees as human beings. This explicitly means that
allowing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
access to the border camps and allowing the international humanitarian
groups to help these unfortunate refugees must be done even if it means
that the Thai would siphon off the cream as they had done with the Indo
Chinese refugee aid of the 60s and 70s.

Consideration, or as Lord Buddha teaches  ?Do to others as other would
have them do unto you ?is a prime factor in dealing with the Burmese,
both refugees and migrant workers. It is a very good thing to help the
Shan fighters in several ways; but how about recognizing the 100,000
Shan refugees who have fled to Thailand? The United Nations and the
international community have realized that because of the Junta?s
"ethnic cleansing" policy, to implement its "racial supremacy,"forced
assimilation, cultural genocide and gross human rights violations are
everyday occurrences. The Shan has every right to be given  a camp like
any other Burmese ethnic group. The fact that the Thai are encouraging
the Shan while at the same time not recognizing the Shan people who fled
as refugees is beyond our comprehension. If ?hypocrisy? have an odor it
stinks obnoxiously in the international community, given the fact that
most of the Burmese who fled to the border areas from persecution are
not construed as refugees but as illegal immigrants subjected to all
sorts of persecution. We hope and pray that the Thai authorities will
now be imbued with enough vision and statesmanship to look at the long
term and will never pronounce the much-hated phrase as ?Constructive
Engagement,? which is synonymous with gross human rights violations.

So as a Burmese ethnic democrat we would quietly whisper to you. ?Oh
darling you came very late but still love springs eternal in my breast.
However, before you go to bed with me, you must take a good bath and put
on perfume because you stinks so horribly?



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<center><b><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Oh! Darling, You Came Late</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>By Kanbawza Win</font></font></i>
<br><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>July 10, 2001</font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<b>?Oh? Darling you came late,?</b> I mused to myself as I read the news
that the Thai parliamentarians were endeavoring to contact their counterparts
in the Burmese democratic provisional government, better known as the National
Coalition Government of the Union of Burma. Had they supported the Burmese
democracy movement in 1988 when the Junta?s lifeline was shoestring thin
and was about to be terminated because its foreign exchange&nbsp; had only
a few days left, the Thai could have easily dealt a knock- out blow. In
its place a peace-loving democratic government could have been installed
and obviously the Thai-Burma bilateral relations would have been much rosier
than they are now. Instead of a pariah government, a well- supported government
by the people whose rationale and psyche would be more civilized and&nbsp;
humane than the genocidal Junta would definitely make this part of the
world a much better place. Obviously,&nbsp; the bilateral relations of
the two countries would have been far&nbsp; rosier&nbsp; than with the
marauding generals who love to infringe on the border lands of Thailand
under various pretexts. There wouldn?t be any narco-related problems in
Thailand because at that juncture the Junta involvement was minimal. Obviously
the Burmese refugees would voluntarily find their way back home as their
country would be democratic and become peaceful if not prosperous.</font>
<p><font size=+1>But fate doesn?t play this way. It has skillfully used
General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, better known to the Burmese as the Thai
gorilla who goes to Rangoon and embraces the head of the Junta saying 
<b>?A
Ko Gyi?</b> (big brother), the only Burmese words he seems to know, and
shores up the vehemently hated Junta with his Constructive Engagement policy.
Since then the genie is out of the bottle and as the fable goes, became
so monstrous and powerful that it is now threatening to eat the very person
that let him out of the bottle. In other words, the rag-tag Burmese army
of 17,000 of the 80s has become a formidable force of&nbsp; half a million
men equipped with modern sophisticated weapons.</font>
<p><font size=+1>What is more these weapons were purchased with the proceeds
from the narcotic drugs as Burma remains king of the opium-producing countries
of the world. It is the people of Thailand who are dearly paying the price
now. A rough estimate puts the figure at 500 million pills that are produced
annually in Burma, which flooded Thailand, now there are 2 million addicts.
At this rate it can easily destroy the fabric of the Thai society itself.
The flooding of the Thai market with yaba (Amphetamine tablets) compels&nbsp;
everyone in the border area to cash in on this quick money which is ruining
the Thai society. Whole villages along the border are becoming involved
in yaba trafficking. Thai teachers peddle drugs in schools; police and
army people participate as big investors in the trade and so on and on.
Had General Chavilit not been under the petticoat government and had he
stood fast on the principles of a true leader and refused to let his better
half get the better of him by taking the Burmese logging and fishing concession,
the history of the two countries would have been quite different. Now as
the current situation stands, the Thai policy of <b>?Turning Indochina
from the battlefield into a market place?</b> is being realized in the
form of&nbsp; thriving markets of all sorts of narcotics in Indochina,
particularly the Golden Triangle. There are various categories of&nbsp;
drugs be it Opium,&nbsp; Heroine No4, Yaba or anything you can name.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The narco generals of Burma and internationally well-known
drug war lords such as Khun Hsa, Lao Hse Han, Weh Hsu Kang, Peng Jaisheng
(with his seven wives) who are now the gentlemen of Rangoon under the protection
and patronage of the greatest drug war lord, the Burmese Junta, are smiling
and clapping their hoofs. What can Thailand do? On the other hand economic
collapse would likely follow any attempt to wipe it out the drug trade.
<b>Burma
is the only state in the world which survives on the export of narcotics.</b>
It would be economic suicide for the Burmese government to do anything
substantial about the country's lucrative drug trade.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Had the Thai leaders lent their ears to the vision of
the Burmese pro-democracy fighters and ethnic leaders so abundant in Thailand,
it would have cost less than what it is now. Successive&nbsp; administrations
of Thailand have blindly adhered to the <b>Constructive Engagement Policy</b>
so that now it seems that there could be war between the two neighbours.
Even though Premier Thaksin Shinawatra?s trip to Burma claims success,
it still needs to be seen, given the record of the Junta in not handing
over power to the winning party. If it comes to blows it will not only
prove that ASEAN was just a paper tiger, but will also tarnish the image
of Buddhism, as both countries&nbsp; belong to the Theravadha school of
thought.</font>
<p><font size=+1>One can easily recollect&nbsp; how the Thai army cooperated
with the Burmese army in suppressing the pro- democracy and ethnic forces
in the Thai-Burma border areas. Resistence and refugee camps like Nat Ein
Daung, Moe Daung, Minthame, Salween, Saw Hta, Zedi-Samohn (three-pagoda
pass) etc, are all fallen because the Thai authorities allowed the Burmese
army to attack from behind. The immediate result was the influx of the
refugees into Bangkok and several Thai cities. Finally, Marnaeplaw the
symbol of Burmese ethnic and democratic resistance was permitted to fall.
In other words the Thais successfully eliminated any buffer between the
Burmese and the Thai army. By these means it hope to please the Junta?s&nbsp;
and would be in a position to exploit the people and natural resources
of Burma. Even though business always overrules the conscience we would
be loath ourselves to label the then Thai authorities as <b>?Ingratitude?</b>
in view of the fact that at the height of the Indochina war when the Vietnamese
forces had already occupied Cambodia and were infringing on Thailand, it
was the Burmese ethnic forces literally dressed in Thai uniforms that mopped
up the Vietnamese invaders. Of course it would be galling for the Thai
security authorities to admit it but it cannot be denied that when Thailand
had to point its guns to the east, the rear west was taken care of by the
ethnic forces. It seems that retribution comes very quickly.</font>
<p><font size=+1>It is only now that Thailand has come to realize its folly.
In other words, the prodigal son has realized his mistake and wants to
go home naturally the old father who has always loved his son is more than
ready to forgive him. However, as the story goes, the father makes him
bathe and dress up before celebrating. To make it more simple, the pro-democracy
forces and the ethnic groups stationed in Thailand-Burma border areas want
respect, recognition and consideration from the Thai authorities. Everybody
knows that Thailand plays a crucial part not only in terms of logistics
but also guarding the rear. It must&nbsp; not cooperate with the Burmese
army to attack the freedom-fighting forces from behind. They must treat
the refugees as human beings. This explicitly means that allowing the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to the border camps
and allowing the international humanitarian groups to help these unfortunate
refugees must be done even if it means that the Thai would siphon off the
cream as they had done with the Indo Chinese refugee aid of the 60s and
70s.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Consideration, or as Lord Buddha teaches&nbsp; ?Do to
others as other would have them do unto you ?is a prime factor in dealing
with the Burmese, both refugees and migrant workers. It is a very good
thing to help the Shan fighters in several ways; but how about recognizing
the 100,000 Shan refugees who have fled to Thailand? The United Nations
and the international community have realized that because of the Junta?s
<b>"ethnic
cleansing</b>" policy, to implement its <b>"racial supremacy</b>,"forced
assimilation, cultural genocide and gross human rights violations are everyday
occurrences. The Shan has every right to be given&nbsp; a camp like any
other Burmese ethnic group. The fact that the Thai are encouraging the
Shan while at the same time not recognizing the Shan people who fled as
refugees is beyond our comprehension. If <b>?hypocrisy? </b>have an odor
it stinks obnoxiously in the international community, given the fact that
most of the Burmese who fled to the border areas from persecution are not
construed as refugees but as illegal immigrants subjected to all sorts
of persecution. We hope and pray that the Thai authorities will now be
imbued with enough vision and statesmanship to look at the long term and
will never pronounce the much-hated phrase as ?<b>Constructive Engagement,</b>?
which is synonymous with gross human rights violations.</font>
<p><font size=+1>So as a Burmese ethnic democrat we would quietly whisper
to you. <b>?Oh darling you came very late but still love springs eternal
in my breast. However, before you go to bed with me, you must take a good
bath and put on perfume because you stinks so horribly?</b></font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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