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Mizzima: The New Imperial Tzar



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                          The New Imperial Tzar

Kanbawza Win
September 6, 2001

How can the Dragon and the Bear can be in the same bed? Sooner or later
one will kill the other, I mused to myself as I read the news that
President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese leader Jiang Zemin signed a
treaty of alliance in Moscow last July. It clearly paint the picture
that these two authoritarian regimes resented the democratic American
primacy in international affairs and try to offset it by creating a
multipolar international stage. Even though it is the first treaty ever
inked since Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong signed Sino-Soviet Alliance in
the 50s, it has enlightened the small dictatorship of the world
particularly Iraq and Burma (which has just signed a treaty of
friendship) as they have been praying fervently for such an event.
Despite their rhetoric both Russia and China will lose much in terms of
trade with the US for China?s annual trade with the US is $115 million
while the trade between these two unholy alliance is just a miserable $8
million. In their futile attempt to counter balance the US they have
played havoc with the Burmese pro democracy movement. Both these
totalitarian regimes have encourage the Burmese Junta  under various
pretext.

The selling of MIG-29s fighters and a nuclear reactor which has the
capability of making nuclear weapons not only threaten the Burmese pro
democracy movement and ethnic freedom fighters but also tantamount to
turn the balance of scales in Southeast Asia. It does not come as a
surprise to us when Dmitriyet a former KGB?s First Chief Directorate in
Charge of Foreign Intelligence was sent by these new imperial Tzar to
Burma since the Russian Embassy ( whose compound enclose stone wall
being higher than the Berlin wall) just at the corner of the Burmese
Foreign Office on Prome Road in Rangoon was and still is  the
headquarters of the espionage activities of KGB on the Asian countries.

The history of bilateral relation between Soviet Russia and Burma albeit
rosy is strewn with thorns.  Even though the democratic government of U
Nu recognize Soviet Russia in 1949 and visited Moscow in Oct 1955,.the
Russian seems to have a hard time in gauging the mentality of a Burmese
democrat because Premier U Nu against the advice of his secretary U
Thant (former UN Secretary General) make a point blank remark to the
then 1st Secretary  of the CPSU (Communist  Party Soviet Union) Nikita
Khrushchev not to meddle in the internal Burmese affairs by encouraging
the Burmese Communist Party.. But this does not prevent Khrushchev and
Premier Marshal Bulganin from visiting Burma in December and of course
the Russian aid follows. We cannot construe that this act is from ?From
Russia With Love? but clearly meant to balance the American approach of
Marshall Plan and the PL 480 so popular with the Third World countries.
But we are thankful that we got a Russian hospital in Taunggyi, the
Rangoon Institute of Technology and of course the first modern hotel
better known as Inya lake hotel.

Russian commentaries on Burma during these early years were cordial but
superficial if compared to the coverage given to India, Indonesia and
the Middle East. Articles in ?Pravada? and ?Ivestiva?(the Burmese
counterpart of Myanmar Alin and News Agency Burma) marking the
anniversary events in Burma eulogize the bilateral relations and showed
very little insight into the country?s plight. The event came to a head
when the Soviet military attache in Rangoon attempted to escape in 1959.
He was gaged and put into a big box and transported from Rangoon to
Moscow under the pretext of the diplomatic pouch and there was a scuffle
when the Burmese reporters try to photograph. However when the top
Soviet diplomat Aleksandr Kaznacheyev stationed in Rangoon successfully
defected to the US  and revealed of how the Russian Embassy in Rangoon
is the headquarters of the Russian spy network on the US Pacific fleet
and other Asian countries, the world was aghast. The Russians has taken
advantage of the Burmese hospitality for ulterior motive. It was only
now that the Burmese government and the people realize of how evil are
the Russians. Shamefully, they have exploited an Asian hospitality.

When General Ne Win came to power, the sly Russians welcome the
?positive neutrality? policy of the  military government and lauded the
decision for the termination of the Ford and Asian Foundation in Burma.
An article in ?Pravada? carries that the Revolutionary Council is really
taking the country to the socialist utopia. By the time the Sino-soviet
split has come out in the open. The apparent warmth of the Sino-Burmese
relations with Chou En Lai visiting Burma and General Ne Win?s visit to
Beijing must be galling to the Russian. Gone is the fraternity of a
socialist brother,  when Kaufman spoke about hasty nationalization,
unemployment, shortage of consumer goods (as it is today) and declining
GNP depicting the shortcomings of Burmese Socialist Program Party.

But after the Chinese riots in Rangoon when Beijing try to impose a
cultural revolution on Burma and rightly label General Ne Win as the
Chiang Kai-sheik of Burma the Russians change their tone. Exchanges were
stepped up and the Russian press coverage became less critical..
Pravada?s correspondence A Malav and a Russian expert on Burmese affairs
was allowed back to Rangoon.

The Russian policy towards Burma before the present Junta came to power
was rather absurd. Even though they express persistent ideological
sympathy on the other hand, Russia?s outlay in Burma was negligible. If
compared to the relations with other progressive nations if we were to
use the Moscow? terms, it was not intimate and Burma prior to 1988 still
continue to purchase small arms from Burma..The Russians have seem to
forget that Burma under the old man Ne Win still adheres to the value of
neutrality and isolationism and will not side with the big power
struggle. On the other hand the Russians saw that an extensive financial
commitment, given to an uncertain state of Burma?s economy and political
instability was unwise.

On the Burmese side the sincerity of the Russians were tested not only
in the Russian embassy affair but also at one of Burma?s biggest dam,
better known in Burmese as ? Kyaikmauk Taung Dam? in central Burma.
Obviously the Burmese approach the American government to favour them
with a huge dam in the dry belt. The American sent their experts to make
a preliminary survey including soil testing and refused to give saying
that the soil tested was not favourable for the construction of a Dam.
General Ne Win and his cohorts were furious and accused the Americans
that because Burma has chosen the socialist path for development have
refused to help. Obviously they turn on the Russians who also send their
engineers. After some months the Russo-Burmese agreement on ?Kyaikmauk
Taung Dam? was signed and the dam was constructed at the cost of
millions of dollars. It was again hailed as a sign of solidarity from
the fraternal socialist country. But the water level never rise up and
the little water which has been flowing down to the farmers was entirely
stop taking away the livelihood of the people living downstream. It was
only after decades that the Burmese realize the treachery and
cunningness of the Russians.

Now the Russians have sold 10 MIGs-29 with a nuclear technology and is
training over three hundred Burmese soldiers in Russia . While the arms
deal is commercially motivated it tip the scale of the balance of power
especially when the Junta is finding a pretext of an external war not
only to enhance its army but also to unify the country in suppressing
the democracy movement. A Burmese democrat have witness that after the
disintegration of the Soviet Empire, Russian chauvinist have meddled all
around the former Soviet Union, keeping troops in Tajikistan,
encouraging rebellions in Georgia and Moldova, making sure Armenians and
Azerbaijanis continue fighting each other, demanding unacceptable
concession from the Baltic republic. The Russians have seek a monopoly
of peacekeeping duties in the former Soviet Republics and even have the
gall to ask others to pay for them where in fact what they want is a
free military base. Not enough of all these imperial re-conquest, now
they have interfere in the internal affairs of Burma by siding with the
Junta against the pro democracy movement led by the Nobel Peace laureate
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Perhaps the people in Petrograd (Moscow) construe
themselves as Peter The Great when in fact they are Ivan The Terrible.




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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+2>The New Imperial Tzar</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#CC0000">Kanbawza Win</font></i>
<br><i><font color="#CC0000">September 6, 2001</font></i>
<p>How can the Dragon and the Bear can be in the same bed? Sooner or later
one will kill the other, I mused to myself as I read the news that President
Vladimir Putin and the Chinese leader Jiang Zemin signed a treaty of alliance
in Moscow last July. It clearly paint the picture that these two authoritarian
regimes resented the democratic American primacy in international affairs
and try to offset it by creating a multipolar international stage. Even
though it is the first treaty ever inked since Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong
signed Sino-Soviet Alliance in the 50s, it has enlightened the small dictatorship
of the world particularly Iraq and Burma (which has just signed a treaty
of friendship) as they have been praying fervently for such an event. Despite
their rhetoric both Russia and China will lose much in terms of trade with
the US for China?s annual trade with the US is $115 million while the trade
between these two unholy alliance is just a miserable $8 million. In their
futile attempt to counter balance the US they have played havoc with the
Burmese pro democracy movement. Both these totalitarian regimes have encourage
the Burmese Junta&nbsp; under various pretext.
<p>The selling of MIG-29s fighters and a nuclear reactor which has the
capability of making nuclear weapons not only threaten the Burmese pro
democracy movement and ethnic freedom fighters but also tantamount to turn
the balance of scales in Southeast Asia. It does not come as a surprise
to us when Dmitriyet a former KGB?s First Chief Directorate in Charge of
Foreign Intelligence was sent by these new imperial Tzar to Burma since
the Russian Embassy ( whose compound enclose stone wall being higher than
the Berlin wall) just at the corner of the Burmese Foreign Office on Prome
Road in Rangoon was and still is&nbsp; the headquarters of the espionage
activities of KGB on the Asian countries.
<p>The history of bilateral relation between Soviet Russia and Burma albeit
rosy is strewn with thorns.&nbsp; Even though the democratic government
of U Nu recognize Soviet Russia in 1949 and visited Moscow in Oct 1955,.the
Russian seems to have a hard time in gauging the mentality of a Burmese
democrat because Premier U Nu against the advice of his secretary U Thant
(former UN Secretary General) make a point blank remark to the then 1st
Secretary&nbsp; of the CPSU (Communist&nbsp; Party Soviet Union) Nikita
Khrushchev not to meddle in the internal Burmese affairs by encouraging
the Burmese Communist Party.. But this does not prevent Khrushchev and
Premier Marshal Bulganin from visiting Burma in December and of course
the Russian aid follows. We cannot construe that this act is from ?From
Russia With Love? but clearly meant to balance the American approach of
Marshall Plan and the PL 480 so popular with the Third World countries.
But we are thankful that we got a Russian hospital in Taunggyi, the Rangoon
Institute of Technology and of course the first modern hotel better known
as Inya lake hotel.
<p>Russian commentaries on Burma during these early years were cordial
but superficial if compared to the coverage given to India, Indonesia and
the Middle East. Articles in ?Pravada? and ?Ivestiva?(the Burmese counterpart
of Myanmar Alin and News Agency Burma) marking the anniversary events in
Burma eulogize the bilateral relations and showed very little insight into
the country?s plight. The event came to a head when the Soviet military
attache in Rangoon attempted to escape in 1959. He was gaged and put into
a big box and transported from Rangoon to Moscow under the pretext of the
diplomatic pouch and there was a scuffle when the Burmese reporters try
to photograph. However when the top Soviet diplomat Aleksandr Kaznacheyev
stationed in Rangoon successfully defected to the US&nbsp; and revealed
of how the Russian Embassy in Rangoon is the headquarters of the Russian
spy network on the US Pacific fleet and other Asian countries, the world
was aghast. The Russians has taken advantage of the Burmese hospitality
for ulterior motive. It was only now that the Burmese government and the
people realize of how evil are the Russians. Shamefully, they have exploited
an Asian hospitality.
<p>When General Ne Win came to power, the sly Russians welcome the ?positive
neutrality? policy of the&nbsp; military government and lauded the decision
for the termination of the Ford and Asian Foundation in Burma. An article
in ?Pravada? carries that the Revolutionary Council is really taking the
country to the socialist utopia. By the time the Sino-soviet split has
come out in the open. The apparent warmth of the Sino-Burmese relations
with Chou En Lai visiting Burma and General Ne Win?s visit to Beijing must
be galling to the Russian. Gone is the fraternity of a socialist brother,&nbsp;
when Kaufman spoke about hasty nationalization, unemployment, shortage
of consumer goods (as it is today) and declining GNP depicting the shortcomings
of Burmese Socialist Program Party.
<p>But after the Chinese riots in Rangoon when Beijing try to impose a
cultural revolution on Burma and rightly label General Ne Win as the Chiang
Kai-sheik of Burma the Russians change their tone. Exchanges were stepped
up and the Russian press coverage became less critical.. Pravada?s correspondence
A Malav and a Russian expert on Burmese affairs was allowed back to Rangoon.
<p>The Russian policy towards Burma before the present Junta came to power
was rather absurd. Even though they express persistent ideological sympathy
on the other hand, Russia?s outlay in Burma was negligible. If compared
to the relations with other progressive nations if we were to use the Moscow?
terms, it was not intimate and Burma prior to 1988 still continue to purchase
small arms from Burma..The Russians have seem to forget that Burma under
the old man Ne Win still adheres to the value of neutrality and isolationism
and will not side with the big power struggle. On the other hand the Russians
saw that an extensive financial commitment, given to an uncertain state
of Burma?s economy and political instability was unwise.
<p>On the Burmese side the sincerity of the Russians were tested not only
in the Russian embassy affair but also at one of Burma?s biggest dam, better
known in Burmese as ? Kyaikmauk Taung Dam? in central Burma. Obviously
the Burmese approach the American government to favour them with a huge
dam in the dry belt. The American sent their experts to make a preliminary
survey including soil testing and refused to give saying that the soil
tested was not favourable for the construction of a Dam. General Ne Win
and his cohorts were furious and accused the Americans that because Burma
has chosen the socialist path for development have refused to help. Obviously
they turn on the Russians who also send their engineers. After some months
the Russo-Burmese agreement on ?Kyaikmauk Taung Dam? was signed and the
dam was constructed at the cost of millions of dollars. It was again hailed
as a sign of solidarity from the fraternal socialist country. But the water
level never rise up and the little water which has been flowing down to
the farmers was entirely stop taking away the livelihood of the people
living downstream. It was only after decades that the Burmese realize the
treachery and cunningness of the Russians.
<p>Now the Russians have sold 10 MIGs-29 with a nuclear technology and
is training over three hundred Burmese soldiers in Russia . While the arms
deal is commercially motivated it tip the scale of the balance of power
especially when the Junta is finding a pretext of an external war not only
to enhance its army but also to unify the country in suppressing the democracy
movement. A Burmese democrat have witness that after the disintegration
of the Soviet Empire, Russian chauvinist have meddled all around the former
Soviet Union, keeping troops in Tajikistan, encouraging rebellions in Georgia
and Moldova, making sure Armenians and Azerbaijanis continue fighting each
other, demanding unacceptable concession from the Baltic republic. The
Russians have seek a monopoly of peacekeeping duties in the former Soviet
Republics and even have the gall to ask others to pay for them where in
fact what they want is a free military base. Not enough of all these imperial
re-conquest, now they have interfere in the internal affairs of Burma by
siding with the Junta against the pro democracy movement led by the Nobel
Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Perhaps the people in Petrograd (Moscow)
construe themselves as Peter The Great when in fact they are Ivan The Terrible.
<br>&nbsp;
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