Posted by Kyaw Myaing What you have written brings to my mind a few lines from a poem that had been written by one of my senior colleagues. His name was U Mya Sein from the Burma Foreign Service. (At that time the country wall called the Union of Burma). He was a great writer and a poet. "We must change with change or become a casualty of change". In these few lines he has underscored once again the need to change with the changing conditions. What are the changing conditions: 1. The emergence of a super power after the downfall of the USSR. The U.S.A. 2. The maturity of the Internet and e-commerce. 3. Globalization. The major effect of globalization is the emergence of the "electronic herd" where investors are linked to the Internet and huge sums of money change hands every minute. Countries that are not linked properly to this global financial network will not survive in the future. 4. Global and regional threats to peace and security. These are diseases like HIV Aids which have no borders and threats like global terrorism like tha "al queda" network. 5. The maturity of advanced weapons systems that combine internet technology, advanced guided missile systems and sattelite technology. This was used in Afghanistan to bring down the Taliban. The days of Vietnam are over. There is no need to send thousands of troops to fight a war or to accomplish a military objective. 6. The democratization of information. Now the government or any form of totalitarian government cannot have a manopoly on news and information. With the emergence of the internet and satellite communications systems, information and intelligence can be obtained by individuals and small groups. Every one has the ability to have a web site on the internet and hence the same ability as large corporations or governments to spread information.(or do public relations). 7. The mobility of workers and professionals: Workers and professionals will go from country to country seeking the best jobs and places to live. This means that we need a new kind of government and a new breed of leaders. We need leaders who understand globalization, the importance of IT and e-commerce but most of all the intelligence and experience to craft a foreign policy that will take into account the importance of having good relations with the US, EU and the western world. We need leaders who care for the welfare of the people rather than the welfare of their organizations or their parties. This type of leader will see the big picture and will not "sweat the small stuff".(for example wasting time and energy making a big deal about the name of the country. The important thing is to have a sense of priority. During the time of Bogyoke Aung San the priority was Independence. Now the priority is national unity. Without national reconciliation there can never be national unity. That is why the NLD said "time and tide waits for no man". If they drag on too long, the people of Myanmar will know that the leaders of both sides are more concerned about their own welfare than the welfare of the nation and the people. We will see which sides cares for the welfare of the people more. As of now, the SPDC has not even issued a single statement saying that the talks are going on. This shows that they do not care what the people think or feel. That is a minus for the government to say the least. All the actios will be recorded in history and the people will know which side has "wise and gentle leaders". Regards and metta, Kyaw Myaing
on 1/16/2002, 5:53 pm
Dear Sphere,
Without national unity, our country will become the next Afghanistan. There is no alternative to national reconciliation. If we do not forget our petty differences and unite we will have to see our country turn into a battlefield with nothing but craters and dead corpses scattered all around.
A Concerned Citizen
Message Thread:
« Back to thread