An Acid Test for the Myanma Ethnic Democracy Movement

Kanbawza Win

It has been proven beyond doubt by renowned academics that the word “Myanmar”
ending with “r” is both phonetically and politically wrong, and also for the simple reason that
dictators cannot change the fair name of the country without the consent of the people. Besides
the word “Myanma” comes from the South Indian word of “Mrama”, a tribe in India, who
migrated into Burma thousands of years ago and call themselves as “Myanmah” ending with an
“h” later became “Myanma” where the last letter| “a” is pronounced softly, as the word mother
in English. But as far English language is concerned the Burmese generals being bumpkin make
the wrong spelling adding the consonant “r”’ and construe that everybody within its grab or do
business with them, must comply.
Hence, the Junta’s Myanmar seems to be proud getting in the Guinness Books of Records
as the only country in the world that idiotically calls the people and the country with the same
name. (From Germany the people are call Germans, Spain is Spanish, Sweden is Swedish, China
is Chinese and not Deutschland, Espanola, Sewerage or Chung Gao Ren in their own native
languages). One of the hidden rationale is the Myanmarnization Program of all the ethnic
nationalities of what in Burmese is called Mahar Myanmar (r[mjrefrm), the policy of a great
nation (just like of what the Normans from Normandy starting with William the Conqueror did
to the Anglo Saxons tribes producing English people or what the Caucasians done to the
aboriginals people of North America becoming American and so on) forcing all the ethnic
nationalities to become Myanmar ethnic group. They forced the people to forget that this modern
nation was born as the Union of Burma with the Panglong Accord and this is the crux of the
Burmese problem leading to all sorts of gross human rights violations.
Even in the coming lopsided election of a dubious constitution, a series of notifications
by the Election Commission issued indicates that there will be no elections for the ethnic
nationals in Kachin, Karen, Karenni Mon and Shan states numbering more than 300 village tracts
and four townships thus affectively de-franchising thousands of ethnic nationalities which is just
the implementation of their hidden policy agenda. The Election Commission fails to explain why
these constituencies do not qualify to vote for the simple reason of the lack of support but their
raison de’étre of free and fair did not apply to the neutral international observers lest the cat will
be out of the bag.
With these series of unfair snowball actions, it is for the Myanmar ethnic democracy
movement to take the initiative, not only to prove that it is against the cruel military dictatorship
but also to uphold the Union of Burma, with all the people living in peace and harmony, in other
words a federal democratic way of nation building. This can be done by telling the people of the
entire country not to participate in the coming November elections.
This is easier said than done as there are so many uneducated, ignorant, psychopaths,
apologists, opportunists who are ready to do favour with the Junta for the small crumbs. The
basic theory of participating in the elections, giving various reasons belies the fact that they
belief in the Junta’s election and its lies. The onus will be on the Myanma dominated NLD
whose benevolent leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has take a leading role in boycotting the
elections. No doubt politically conscious people and patriots will resist the forced elections but it
is their bounden duty of the NLD to educate the people that will be so intimidated that they are
willing to comply with the unfair demand of the military.
NLD has its office throughout the length and breadth of the country and is still
functioning clandestinely. It should start the whispering campaigning of not to vote. It is evident
that the mass of the people hated the Junta`s the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP
as they have often rough ride shot over the sensitivity of the people especially during the Nargis
Cyclone and the Saffron Revolution.
One of the points which can be proven to the people of Burma is that the Junta party
USDP does not have an ounce of cetena (apwem) or Metta (arwWm) to the people of Burma and
is not imbued with any humanitarian heart because they are the ones that try to prevent the
international aid from reaching to the cyclone victims and let the people suffer. How can such a
mean political party be given a power is just simple logic?
The second aspect is that USDP has taken the initiative encouraged by the Tatmadaw the
army in killing the Buddhist monks and Burma is a Buddhist country where the majority of the
people respects to the monks, hence if the elections is fully implemented then atheisms would
prevail. In Burmese we call is Dhamandarae ("reW&m,f). The Junta’s designated USDP is an
atheist and has no respect for religion. This has been proven beyond doubt whey they mercilessly
killed the monks known as by the Saffron Revolution. Hence, it is a common sense that if
anybody takes part in the election, he is sure to land in hell no matter what religion he professed.
Unlike the Communist countries and the West, Religion still plays an important and vital role in
Burma, even the ogre Than Shwe is afraid of hell and for his next existence when he realise that
he has killed so many monks and people. The simple logic is that how can an atheist orchestrated
election be beneficial to the country and the people not only in this existence but also in the next
existence?
Not only Buddhist monks but also Burmese Christian pastors, priests, Muslim Moulvi,
Ayatollah and clerics should all preach in their sermons that it is a sin to lend a helping hand to
the torturers and rapists and killer of monks and the greatest merit can be gain by not voting in
the elections. Voting itself is anti religion and even though it will gain a certain credit in this life
one is sure to end in hell if one were to lend a helping hand to the dictators. The guns can kill the
man but once while voting can lead you to eternal condemnation. Religious believes will play a
crucial role in this election
The third reason is that this USDP are killers and a classic example is the “Depaeyin
Incident” where the Burmese General orchestrated the incident and it was the USDP that
implemented mercilessly to the peaceful people. Hence how can they be given power? There are
so many logical reasons not to vote for the elections
This is the one area where the Myanma and non Myanma can cooperate in repelling the
repressive laws and its dictators. This is an opportune moment for the ethnic Myanma group
could show their solidarity with the ethnic nationalities and earned their trust and love, even
though the regime dominated by the Myanma group was implementing the ethnic cleansing
policy and embarking on the Mahar Myanma policy the majority of the Myanma ethnic group
are against it by not taking part in the elections.
It is also a time that the majority of the Myanma loves the Pyidougsu (Union) and wish to
live in peace and harmony with the ethnic nationalities. This can be proven by following the lead
taken by Bogyoke Àung San at the Panglong Conference and that they stand shoulder to
shoulder in time of crisis and stress like this. What they can aspire is for all the people to live in
peace, harmony, equality, love and fraternity sharing their weal and woes and want to stand as an
honest people in the international arena.
The international community on the whole has condemned the elections. Even China that
is out and out to exploit the land and people of Burma did not say a word about the elections
during the visit of Than Shwe even though the Burmese press printed so much magnifying his
visit. The proof of it is that there is no Joint Communiqué as it usually does whenever the head of
state visited China or vice versa (a classic example is the famous five principles of peaceful
coexistence issued by the late Chou En Lai and U Nu)
But the most important points which the Myanma ethnic people is to prove to the
international community, the world in general and in particular to the ethnic nationalities of
Burma that they stood with the ethnic nationalities through thick and thin in repelling this unfair
elections and unjust laws and that the Myanma and the non Myanma have chosen to live in
perpetuity not only in this life but also in the next life and together will refuse to vote the unjust
elections for eternity. Let us work hand in hand to achieve this goal and upheld the original name
of the Union of Burma instead of being a laughing stock in the civilized world.