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Editorial: We Want Justice

Although the saying goes "Revenge is better served cold", we do not want any revenge on military regime at the end of our long march to democracy. We just want justice to be done on SPDC generals who have committed all kinds of crimes against humanity. We want to see military generals face justice in International Criminal Court for all their crimes.

But first, United Nations Security Council needs to seriously and formally consider punishing Burma's notorious generals on four counts of charges: _

(1) Burma's SPDC military regime is a great threat to the stability of East Asia region.

                     After being ruled by the most corrupt and inefficient military regime in the world for many decades, Burma has become a big reservoir of deadly diseases like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and now bird-flu. With very flourishing prostitution business along Burmese borders, Burma is pumping out hundreds of thousands of HIV cases every year into neighbouring countries.

                     In fact, not only diseases but also all sorts of refugees are overflowing from Burma into neighbouring countries. Unfortunate neighbours of Burma, like Thailand and Bangladesh, have to bear a huge burden of refugees, internally & externally displaced persons, and legal & illegal migrant workers from Burma.

                     SPDC regime's troops in their quest to exterminate ethnic minority resistant guerrillas sometimes illegally trespass lands of neighbouring countries and neighbouring countries have to frequently fight off SPDC troops' invasion into their lands.

                     And Burma is allowing Chinese navy to use its islands in Indian Ocean; it can tip the balance of power in Indian Ocean in favour of China.

(2) Genocide

                  Just before Burma got Independence, the then Burmese national leader, Aung San (father of Aung San Suu Kyi), made an agreement with ethnic minority leaders to form a genuine Federal Union. But after Aung San's death, when ethnic minority people call for the promised federal autonomy, their leaders were thrown into jail and all dissent crushed under iron heels of military generals.

                 Since then, successive military dictators of Burma practised covert genocide operations in ethnic minority areas. It is a chronic problem, quite different from acute killings in Rwanda and Sudan etc. Burma's problem is very chronic. Not hundreds of thousands are killed in a few days' time in Burma. But every week, on average, a village in ethnic minority areas is looted by SPDC troops, the girls raped, boys taken as porters, old people killed and then the whole village burned down to eliminate the evidences. There is no free media in Burma and foreigners are normally not allowed to go to ethnic minority areas in hilly regions of Burma. So Burma's ethnic minority people are chronically and gradually exterminated without getting any much notice from the outside world.

(3) Drug-trade

                 SPDC military regime and their cronies, Wa militia group, are second larges opium producers in the world, and the top number one producers of stimulant drugs.

                 SPDC generals are providing protection and sanctuary for Wa militia leaders who are current the world's most wanted drug-lords. About ten of such drug-lords wanted by American officials are hiding in Burma under SPDC regime's protection.

(4) Nuclear ambition and military expansionism

                 During the last 18 years of SLORC/SPDC rule, Burma's army has grown from less than 200,000 troops to about 500,000 strong.

                 Ethnic minority people who can no longer tolerate Burmese generals' covert genocidal activities has been revolting against Burmese military regime with an armed struggle, and these never lasting battles give SPDC troops very good experience in guerrilla tactics. Moreover, SPDC troops are well known for their aggressiveness in battles, especially those soldiers who have to take stimulant drugs by the order of their officers before going to battle are very notorious for their blood-thirstiness.

                 Not only in man power, SPDC generals have also strengthened their army with machines and materials procured mainly from China, Russia and India.

                 Lastly, but not least, Burma has got and has been getting more and more nuclear technologies from Russia. Russia sell Burma nuclear technologies and even send their technicians to help build a nuclear research centre in Burma. Burmese generals have reportedly bought some uranium secretly from Pakistan and North Korea since former PM Gen. Khin Nyunt was in power.

                We believe that Burmese democracy activists and ethnic freedom fighters under UN Security mandate, and with the help of our western allies, will bring down military rulers from power eventually.

                When we have stripped them off power, the generals will have to stand trial in International Criminal Court for their crimes against humanity. It is a MUST.

               At the end of Mussolini’s era in Italy in 1945, angry people took the law into their own hand and hanged Mussolini from a lamp-post. And during people's up-rising in 1989 in Romania, the dictator and his wife were brutally killed.

              But, at the end of our long march to democracy, we will not take the law into our own hands or take revenge. We just want justice for our sufferings. We want justice to be done according to the law. We just cannot let our despotic tyrannical generals go free without facing justice.

              Justice, we want; and Justice, we will get at last.

Dr. Tayza

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Comments

Neill Staurland said _

Dear Dr.Tayza, thank you for a very interesting and informative article. I am also convinced that in the future justice will prevail and the Burmese people will experience democracy and enjoy better lives. NEVER GIVE UP! 

Luntinsat said _

NLD and ethnic leaders are demanding the tripartite dialogue, and if this demand is accepted, can there really be trial of the generals for justice? I 'm doubtful of it.

David said _

I ever read a joke in the cartoon," Dad, what will you do if there is no UN?" It seems that unless the UN intervene the political crisis and bring democracy to Burma, there is no way to see democracy in Burma and therefore the situation as a consequence of throughout political events appears to imply that the military regime of Burma will be able to be overthrown only by the arms. Non-violence is the SPDC's favourite and such attempts leave no pressure on them.

Your Comments here_

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