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Editorial: Last Chance for Butchers to Repent

 March 27 was previously regarded as Burma's Revolution Day. More than six decades ago on that day, our national Hero Bogyoke Aung San and his followers started revolution against Fascist Japanese occupation in Burma during secon world war. Burmese people always hated Fascist rule and always remembered this Revolution Day with highest regard.

But when the first military regime came to power in 1962, they knew themselves that they were a fascist regime_ a home-grown fascist regime. So they did not like the idea of people celebrating March 27 as Revolution Day Against Fascists. And so they ordered that March 27 must be regarded as "Tatmadaw Day"_ Tatmadaw means the Great Army in Burmese language. But far from being a really great army, they are just a bunch of butchers who make their living by killing other human beings.

Since 1962 all successive military regimes in Burma hold big military parades every year on March 27 to show off their strength and intimidate the people. This year they are holding such an imposing parade in their new capital Kyat-pyay. By the order of Senior General Than Shwe millions upon millions of money was wasted on laying a parade ground in Kyat-pyay. To be able to finish it in a short period of time they use villagers from near-by village-tracts as forced labourers. While they are making such shameful meaningless wastes, millions of Burmese children are suffering malnutrition from lack of food, and millions of ordinary poor people are dying from curable diseases because of the lack of medicines.

After being ruled by fascist military butchers for more than four decades, Burma has become a threat to the regional and international communities. Burma's HIV problem is overflowing into neighbouring countries. Burmese military commanders take bribes and turn a blind eye to heroine production and stimulant-drugs manufacturing in Burma. Burmese military regime export not only HIV, heroine and stimulant drugs, but they also send out hundreds of thousands of refugees every year across the border into neighbouring countries. If Burmese military regime is not a threat to the international community, who else it might be?

Even if Burma's Butchers are not a threat to the outside world, they surely are a huge threat to the existence of ethnic minority people inside Burma. Since 1962, successive military regimes in Burma have been secretly practicing an ethnic cleansing policy and covertly committing genocide with a long-term plan in ethnic minority areas. The regime's butchers kill ethnic minority men and boys, rape girls and women, use them all as porters to carry military equipment in dangerous mine-fields, and also as forced labourers in opium plantations. They also burn down villages after looting as much as they like. Military officers make their soldiers take stimulant drugs before carrying out such atrocities. The military reportedly have a policy to give promotions to soldiers who can make ethnic minority girls become pregnant with mixed blood babies_ a deliberate aim for extinction of ethnic minority tribes.

Now UN Security Council is considering to take tough actions on Burma's Butchers from the point of view that they have become a threat to regional and international peace and security. In fact, UN Security Council should take into consideration the fact that the military regime has been covertly committing genocide for many decades in Burma. Accordingly, Burma Digest is carrying out attempts to compile evidences of genocide committed by military regime in Burma; these evidences will be presented to UN Security Council in due course. (If you have evidences of genocide committed by military regime please contact burmadigest@tayzathuria.org.uk)

These days, the noose is gradually tightening around Butchers' necks. While UN Security Council is debating on Burma, United States is launching an immense diplomatic offensive on Burma's butchers. European leaders have also stated again and again about their opposition against human rights abuses by Burma's junta. ASEAN has been pushing and prodding Burmese Generals towards sincere democratic reforms. Even China has recently spoken out their frustration on Burma's lack of progress in democratic reforms.

Inside the country, ethnic leaders have made it clear that they do not support military regime’s rubber-stamp national convention. Some of them are even starting to go back to their armed struggle. And students' democratic army ABSDF is also trying to revitalize their fight against regime's forces. And there is power-struggle among top-brass of the regime's army. Civil servants are absconding their duties as they are forced to relocated to the unfinished new capital Kyat-pyay. The country's economy is in shambles, education and health-care sectors are in chaos, diseases are very prevalent, and prices of basic commodities are going up sky-high.

But there still is a last chance for the Butchers to repent.

The National League for Democracy has offered a generous proposal to recognize military regime as an official transitional government for a limited length of time if the regime agrees to convene people's parliament according to the last general election results. Then the Butcher's regime may get a chance to act as a legitimate transitional government under the supervision of people's elected parliament. And this definitely is the last chance for the Butchers to repent.

If they stupidly miss this last chance, sooner rather than later they will find themselves in the dock facing human-rights crimes charges at International Criminal Court.

Dr. Tayza  

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If you have evidences of genocide committed by military regime please contact burmadigest@tayzathuria.org.uk