Spoilt regime can damage whole country: Burmese monk living outside Burma - Instablogs
Spoilt regime can damage whole country: Burmese monk living outside Burma
Rewata , Rangoon: Jan 28 2008
Made Popular Jan 28 2008
Myanmar :

Spoilt regime can damage whole country: Burmese monk living outside Burma
We Burmese celebrated January 4 as the 60th anniversary of country’s independence from United Kingdom. However, the question is haunting our minds that are we really free citizens? The military rule has brought the country to violence, poverty and huge displacement of its own people. The military rule is still holding the control governance since last 46 years.

In Burma, military controls the economy, political process, social mobility or life of common people as well. Military is a state within the state. More than one million Burmese have had no other option but to leave their own country to save their lives from poverty and persecution. Several small Burmese town located near the border areas have no water and electricity. They cross the Moei River almost daily to get foods from other side of the river.

However, Burmese, who are living in other countries, are still uncertain about their future. They live under the constant threat to be sent back to Burma at any point of time. The area falling in western border of Burma and Thailand are home to more than 140,000 Burmese refugees and several of them are living here since past 20 years. We monks are scared that if they returned to their own country they would be sent to the prison and disrobed.

I was taking care of Rangoon monastery and one day I decided to join the pro-democracy protests going on against the military rule in the country. When the military junta started the crackdown, I had no option but to flee from my own country to a neighboring country. Our pro-democratic movements were short-lived. The military ruler sent the troops to restrict the demonstration at any cost and the troops killed more than 100 people in traumatic repression.

“We monks are pillar of the beliefs in Burmese society but the rulers spread the trauma and shock among us. It will take a long time to heal.”

In earlier days, Burma was said to be the rice basket of Asia. The country has great natural resources but the military rulers exploited the resources and did nothing for the development of the country. Democracy was always in danger even just after independence and the military finally took control over the country in 1962.

Military junta unofficially declared world media as their enemy No. one. The rulers are trying to restrict even the use of Internet. The government has drafted draconian rules and regulations and switched off Internet and cable connections in several parts of the country. It also hiked the license fees of satellite dishes to stop people watching international news channels.

The 400,000-strong army is terrorizing its own citizens and thoughtlessly spoiling and damaging its own natural resources. As a Burmese citizen living outside of the country, I want to say one thing that the spoilt child may break toys and dolls and hurt family members for a certain time period but a spoilt regime may damage the whole country and its future generations.

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0 Stars
A true story of pain suffering by common people of Burma under the military regime. International community should create pressure on military junta in Burma to leave the seat for democratically-elected leaders.
1 Stars
Arefa
Kottayam, India
The saga of desperation is grave in Burma and it’s the time for the ants to unite against the suppression, because it’s Burmese who can help themselves, but the collective effort will be fruitful and merely monks protesting will never ever be successful in bringing the democracy to Burma.
1 Stars
Dante
Manila, Philippines
It's true that the Oil and gas Companies (both offshore and onshore) that are investing in Burma are making job easy for the Burmese Military junta to survive even after the economic sanctions and with all these going on there are little chances that Burmese will see the sunrise in democracy. If oil and gas interests would have not been there, this misery would have ended long ago. At present, keeping in view the plights of the people, there is a need to shed the profit mongering and to work for the suffering humanity and after watching the wretched dance in the streets of Rangoon, there is the firm need for the world to rein in the military rulers of Burma.
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Hiroshi
Tokyo, Japan
After all the chaos in the streets of Burma I want to ask where protectorates of democracy and humanity are doing, the UN and US I mean. What after all the Chinese, who have blessing hand on military rulers, are doing to avert the conflict? Miseries mean nothing in the present time mechanic, self-centered world wherein China and Russia have firm reasons to block moves in the UN Security Council intended to curb military junta. For them the bloodstained streets in Burma mean nothing for these emotionally bankrupt regimes. So no end in sight, only endless reprisal, perhaps that’s what the Burmese could do at the moment.
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Haris
islamabad, Pakistan
Until the world will be divided into two groups always looking to downgrade each other, this will happen. One will try to mediate, not to solve the conflict, but to explore its influence and the other group will oppose it and the result is what we see in Burma or Kosovo… and this will go on and on… Is there any positive outcome that you can imagine with this???
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Hazem
Hollywood, United States
hey!!! You all are crazy to expect anything from china. How a regime that is dictatorial itself can support the free and democratic society in Burma. India remains mum as usual, china won’t do anything, Russia will use veto to avert any strong move against the military ruler, and the chaos will continue… and again the blame will be on US and UN… this will even continue and again what else will continue is the misery for the innocents in Myanmar…united we stand and divided we fall and this is necessary for the world to unite against the wicked regimes to take it off the world for ever.
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Maurice
Yangon, Myanmar
Thanks a lot for covering story on Burma here. The monk living outside Burma has tried to show the world a tiny showcase of what is going on in the country. Only God can save us.
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Johann
Perth, Australia
World is the arena to flex the muscle for those who are emerging as the powers and those who already occupy the slot. Hence, the will to out do the concerns of each other is the game that goes on. Secondly, the games move around the oil and the gas reserves, which are the determining factors for any economy to grow. Therefore, these two had always and will always rule the world and Burma has vast resources of oil and gas and therefore, the conflict as well. I wish that the oil and gas reserves end soon and half of problems in world will end. But I never mean by that Burmese need to wait till then, but little longer than expected due to this. Because if these interests would end perhaps the military rule will also end but don’t wait till then just go get it…by hock or crock.
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Jason
Birmingham, United Kingdom
shut up you all advocating sanctions on the dictators. Do you have little sense that sanctions do nothing to the military rulers or to the dictators but hurt ppl more and add to their miseries. It’s easy, too easy indeed, to ask or argue in favor of the sanctions but its implications are too hurting for the common masses and expose them to more hardships under military dictatorship. There can be only one solution to this: put the sanctions off and help the ppl prosperous by trade, travel, educating... By doing so, a well-informed people will rise up and that will be the end of the dictatorship whereas Isolating Burma means only worsening the situation.
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Farzad
Tehran, Iran
Well, I think men have bigger brains than women do. Had there been a male leader to lead the rebellion in Burma, situation would’ve been different but they have incompetent Aung San Suu Kyi to lead them and she hardly leads. Burma needs a leader at the time and rest will follow. Had Napoleon not been there with army, other leaders had not been able to boost up the morale of the army to lead it to scores of victories. Because what a sword is without stain army is without a competent leader. I think I am clear with the meaning.
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Lakkana
Bangkok, Thailand
Burma is going downwards on all the fronts and the military junta is not accepting any positive steps suggested by international community. Killing own people is the biggest crime and the military rulers are doing the same.
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Kukuh
Jakarta, Indonesia
you have got a good idea and a nice thought that sanctions will only heart common masses, very right! But you didn’t tell the world how to enter in a nation without the permission of dictators who will never allow any threat to their regimes. There are so many problems before your solution comes in vogue. So don’t come with a foolish idea without taking the crises into consideration.
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Sujeeshwa
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Military rule will never end in Burma. I may sound in favor of dictators or out of mind for that matter, but this is the fact that all including Burmese should accept. Yea there are reasons as military junta have little to fear from being toppled by an out side force, for they have no nuclear weapons, they don’t support terrorism and the problem they have is just with their people and none with the international community. And international community that is concerned with its profits, hardly bothers whether Burmese are slaves to their military masters and that’s why the international apathy with the people. But is there is a worlds like “Humanity and Compassion” exist, then there is a need for the world community to take the action against the repression.
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Lyndelle
Wellington, New Zealand
you all above said that the oil and gas resources are making the things difficult for the world community to take any action as Russia and china are blocking any such move. May be, but the reason, which I find more vigorous for west’s reluctance, is lack of interests like the less oil and gas reserves and not much economic interests in Burma. So, the people in Burma can only expect the psychological and the moral support from outside and how long these supports, I wonder, will take to avert the powerful military regime in Burma. God and courage be with you people.
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Kabir
Kathmandu, Nepal
I truly feel the world should raise its voice against what's happening in Burma or in Fiji or in Pakistan. all the military dictators should be dethroned and we should form a world govt. to avoid it in any part of the world for putting of the brutalities. The Burmese government shouldnt be encouraged by anyone... Everyone has a Right to democracy... I pray for this to come true as soon as possible
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Phiriyaphong
Bangkok, Thailand
Myanmar is a state that is yet to be a cohesive country. The so-called nation was created through three wars happened in 19th century. The Burmese people were ruled by the potential roles of foreign observers, analysts, and potential donors. Economic disparities were the result of ethnic diversity and a rigid hierarchical structure of class or caste in the country. On the front of socio-economic, the state has been failed and this is the responsibility of international community to help the people of Burma in establishing democratic structure of governance in the country.
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Bin
Meerut, India
Because of its economic and political instability, Myanmar has become an instruments in the hands of countries like Japan, China, and India. For several years Myanmar has been victim of political stalemate, the result of ongoing deadlock between the military junta and the supporters of democratic movements. The country has also been the victim of differences between countries like China and the US, China and japan and China and India.
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Yawai
Yangon, Myanmar
Hey Farzad, think positive and correct man. how can you say that men have bigger brains than women do. Are you talking about the scientific proof? I am giving you here the economic data. Traditionally the status of Burmese women in theory and practice has been high in comparison with women in several developed countries. European observers noted that in the nineteenth century the position of Burmese women was higher than women in Europe. What do you say? Does the size of brain matter? Get some smaller brain with higher thinking dude.
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Stephanus
Jakarta, Indonesia
Can you imagine how the military dictators misusing the power in curbing people's rights. It has absolute control over all media and publishing houses and evidently involved in the suppression and elimination of essential components of civil society. the civil servants, professors and even school teachers live their lives on the mercy of military rulers. They have no freedom to import the ideas of governance from other countries. A censor board controls all the publications, literature, and the foreign books and journals imported in the country. The military is hitting hard the brains of young generation to control the country even in future.
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Max
New York City, United States
Military is everything in Myanmar or one can say it is like a state within a state. Military rulers have absolute control over all the components of state institutions and it has established some other assisting components which has divided the country into two blocks - military society and civilian society. This is not the end of story, the military rulers work hard to attract the younger generation to become the part of military just to weaken the pillars of civilian society and their democratic movements in the country. It has opened its own schools, colleges and health services, housing societies. It forces the civilian people to be isolated in their own country. The civilians are poor and have fewer academic opportunities and health facilities from the military dictators. Rewata said it correct that spoilt regime can damage the whole country. This is all happening in Myanmar
0 Stars
Yawai
Yangon, Myanmar
One percent of the population of Myanmar has either left the country or living in refugee camps near bordering areas. The worst thing is that these people are Myanmar has also lost about one percent of its total population is educated but aren't able to contribute in the growth and development of the country because of political repression, ethnic discrimination, almost no economic opportunity in the country.
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Risdianto
Tokyo, Japan
The military is not so what described here. After all, the military regime is the sole present and future institution that is capable of keeping Myanmar as a single country. Pluralism at its highest level may be resulted in destruction of national unity.
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Ayushi
Calicut, India
who is expecting that China would ever do anything good for any country in the world? Outside China, they need nothing and keep an eye on Myanmar only because of its rich natural resources reserve.
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Maurice
Yangon, Myanmar
Monks are the most revered people in Myanmar. Without their blessings nothing happens here. When they are being jailed, tortured and humiliated, it is very easy to understand what lies in store for the evil government and the country in future. The country will survive and be prosperous and a happy nation again, but the regime leaders will have a horrific end.
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Ahmed
Dhaka, Bangladesh
stable and democratic burma is good for near by countries. this militry dictaters are threatening. some years back they tried to attack Bangladesh during the Cox's bazar Rohingya Muslims crisis. very dangrous.
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Jared
Burlington, United States
It's a tragedy that the world can't help the Burmese because India needs the support of the Burmese junta to fight terrorists in its eastern states and China needs it as a strategic dept in South Asia.

There couldn't have been more world pressure on Burma than we have all witnessed over the years continuing till today. Without China and India doing their bit, nothing is going to happen.

An Iraqi-style regime change is simply out of the question there.
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Nikki
Wellington, New Zealand
I am sorry for the Burmese people and their leader Aung San Suu Kyi. I guess she will die in house arrest. What will happen after her? The people would be left with no leader for them.

I guess the Burmese military is waiting for her death. It's because of her the Burmese plight gets continuous international attention. Once she is gone, the world may lose focus and the Burmese people will be left finding a common popular leader.
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Indika
Colombo, Sri Lanka
burma is a completely ruined country. THe monks were teh last hope to change the goverment thinking because of there social status. as a sri lankan i can say buddhist monks have high place in soceity. may there be change in burma which is one of teh poorest countries in world.
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Sushant
Kathmandu, Nepal
What is India doing? I do not understand why it is so soft on Burma government. If it needs to fight terrorists in east it can do it by itself even if it means entering Burma. How can it be so afraid of Burmese army when it wants to become superpower? Burmese common people will always support India.
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Maurice
Yangon, Myanmar
We Burmese expect much from India than any other neighboring country because India is the largest democracy in the world. This is the duty of Indian leader to help pro-democratic people in establishing democratic institutions in Burma
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Bin
Meerut, India
For Indian leaders, Burma was always the buffer zone between India and China. later, India allowed China to play a dominant role in Burma. Now, China is playing the same role in Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal and Burma, the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman islands. This is good time for India to turn the clock back to China and to help Burmese people to form a democratic government in country.
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Dave
Bangkok, Thailand
India can do what Europe, US, Africa can’t do for Burma. Indians can't avoid doing its duty as a great power in the region.
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Suryasnata
Chandigarh, India
India should take advantage of the demand to play a crucial role in Myanmar. The European Union and the United States want India to repeat its role it completed in Nepal. The situation is different It would boost India's position in the whole region.
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Chonlada
Bangkok, Thailand
Indian media hasn't even play its role in showing the real picture of Myanmar. No doubt, media is pro-democracy in India but it opted to take extra cautious not to affect India’s strategic relations with Myanmar's generals.
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Michelle
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Well, we can do something like what we did to mugabe but imposing strict sanctions and pass a UN resolution that any country in the world that has any one of its top leaders visiting must be arrested. China won't veto that and we hope India would also support this idea. After all they are the major players. However, how is ASEAN including Burma as a member is baffling for the international community. Disgraceful.
0 Stars
Ariza
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Burma is dangerous for India, Bangladesh and for all of South Asia. Chinese prostitutes are operating in the Chinese-Burmese borders, Burma is killing its own ethnic minorities and Muslims. It has gone out of control. Shame on people who are supporting Burma and its dictators.
0 Stars
Fahim
Dhaka, Bangladesh
The position of Burma is like a stalemate. The world community can do nothing but sit and watch and India-China must be loathed. Both fuckingly dangerous countries for Asian peace.
0 Stars
Charli
Oslo, Norway
In the late 90s my husband and me went to Burma from India for a working honeymoon. I saw a lot of misery there. We used to run a clandestine radio channel to keep the democratic spirit of the Burmese people alive (and it is still there). The plight of displaced common citizens generally and ethnic Burmese in particular is reminiscent of Japanese occupation of Asian territories during the second world war.

Burma remains as one of the world's poorest countries with forced slavery, untold brutalities, disease and death.
0 Stars
Johnny
Ha Noi, Vietnam
ONly solution - attack burma and throw out the gorvment like they did khmer rouge in kampuchea. then hunt down the leaders and hang or shot them dead.
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Shweta
Shimla, India
Maurice said it correct, You shouldn't expect much from other countries rather try to develop leadership in your own region to move forward in the direction of establishing democratic institutions.
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Hayley
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Democracy is the single answer to each problem. Without giving power to people you can't expect smooth running of the state system. However, in some countries, families and dictators are running governments in he name of democracy like India and Pakistan. Isn't military rule better than such kind of democracy? people of Burma will have to decide their fate by deciding which form of government they want.
0 Stars
Daniel
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Leave India, every other country is facing similar fate - Sri lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Tibet, Pakistan, Afghanistan. Threse countries should learn from India how to develp democratic institutions while facing the same problems in past.
0 Stars
Pichet
Bangkok, Thailand
Let the Burmese reap what they sow in last 40 years.
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Gilbert
Bangkok, Thailand
Removing military dictators is the not the solution of the problem, the major problem is that, will the pro-democratic supporters and leaders set a political system accepted for all. The world is watching what is happening Sri lanka, Pakistan, Nepal. Will Aung San Suu Kyi have an answer to this, and would it be fair to burden her with this expectation? Will the divided ethnic groups suddenly come on the single platform? Won’t they fight for their share in the governance?
0 Stars
Mariam
Lahore, Pakistan
Forget the international community, the two giant neighbors, India and China, are not looking much interested in destabilizing military junta in Myanmar despite growing international pressure. The foreign policy makers in Beijing and New Delhi have never said openly against Myanmar. The reason is simple as both the countries don’t want to shake their economic interest business links with Myanmar just for the sake of political correctness.
0 Stars
Elias
Bombay, India
Indica - monks are not the last hope but the people of Burma. The tribes should be given their share in the governance. Giving absolute power in the hands of monks would create the same problem Myanmar is facing right now.
0 Stars
Manishkumar
Kottayam, India
We can't ignore the voice of a Burmese- Maurice- thanking the author and the site for making Burma story a mainstream coverage. "Only God can save us", what he said.
0 Stars
Golf
Bangkok, Thailand
pro-Democratic groups working in Myanmar should establish direct links with political parties in India to learn principles of democracy to apply in reality.
0 Stars
Siamak
Tehran, Iran
Nothing is wrong in military rule if the generals start believing in giving all the fundamental rights to common people. Democracy is not 'stick of magic' that will destroy all ills in society. the ruling groups should think positively in giving people their shares in the development of the country.
0 Stars
Nathaniel
London, United Kingdom
sanctions would more hurt common people of Myanmar than the military rulers so drop the idea to impose the sanctions...
0 Stars
Zeenath
Male, Maldives
men have bigger brains than women do. Had there been a male leader to lead the rebellion in Burma than Aung San Suu Kyi. Do you have brain Farzad?
0 Stars
Maurice
Yangon, Myanmar
Great reserve of natural resources in the country are sometimes proved as dangerous for the innocent people living on it because it leads the country to unending fight to take the control of the resources. This is what happening in Burma.
1 Stars
Haris
islamabad, Pakistan
This is open now, India is not so much interested in sloving Myanmar problem because the military rule in Myanmar is good for India. The same Indian leadership opposes military rule in Pakistan. Isn't it an example of double standard?
1 Stars
Golf
Bangkok, Thailand
Only Burmese people themselves can solve their own problem. Establishing democracy is not the answer of all problem but the smoothrun of democratic institutions would make Burma a peaceful country.
1 Stars
Ho
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Western countries, India, China, Thailand should impose sanctions on Military-ruled Burma soon to create moral pressure over military rulers to leave the seat for democratic leaders.
1 Stars
Madushi
Colombo, Sri Lanka
India should take first step to help Burmese people. Being the largest democracy in the world, it is duty of India to extend such help to fighters like Su.
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