Posted by Kyaw Myaing on 3/1/2002, 12:11 pm Let me put down here the National Agenda for the transitional government. First the name. I suggest that it be called a Government of National Unity or Government of National Reconciliation. Since I foresaw the need for investments and assistance from the international community, I and my brother set up a web site called Myannet with the motto "Networking Globally for National Development". This web site was sponsored by the SDNP - Sustainable Development Networking Programme of the UNDP and they gave us server space. All the work for the web site was done by volunteers. I am the present Country Network Coordinator. Since it was devoted mainly for development, it was not so popular as many Myanmars shied away, thinking that they are not qualified to discuss. We do have a sort of think-tank, what we call a steeing committee. Please see at www.myannet.org . We keep in touch and share information and do collaborative work. This Ayezay web site is a more popular version of the Myannet web site but the coverage here is bigger. It covers trade, community work, tourism and most important of all, a place to promote discussions on National Reconciliation. These are the things that Myanmar will need in the near term as soon as the transitional government is announced. 1. A Council of Economic Advisors. 5. ICT - Information and Communications Technologies. Myanmar will need assistance in this area. This will help Myanmar to fully integrate herself with the global economy. I have tried my best to get UNDP assistance in this area but since UNDP's hand were tied because of the political situation in Myanmar, nothing was done. Nil. It is very unfortunate. Most of the assistance went to countries such as Mongolia and Bhutan. The assistance that Myanmar is getting in the ICT area is from countries in South East Asia like Malaysia. There is already a National level committee for this ICT area and S-1 Lt. Gen Khin Nyunt is the Chairman. Especially in the fight against Internatioanl Terrorism, all countries have a stake in peace and security. The Internet and Communications technologies play a big part for intelligence to flow from one country to the other. Myanmar should be assisted to integrate herself into the Global Communications Infrastructure. During this transitional period, before the emergence of the Transitional Government of National Unity, all the invisible and visible sanctions and hinderances that impede the economic development of the country should be lifted as a signal of seriousness and magnimity of the US and the international community. The economy is the life blood of the nation as Americans found out after the 9-11 event. No responsible leader wish to see his/her economy hurt or development hindered in many blatant and subtle ways. In the final analysis, it is the poor and the weak who are hurt first. The government still remains in power and as in most cases, assistance is obtained from other sources (like China), which may not be desirable for the long-term interest of the country. It is never wise for a country to put all her eggs in just one basket. That is why Myanmar's foreign policy had been to have friendly relations will all countries, big or small. All she asks is for her to be a member of the family of nations - the UN and to be treated in a humane manner. All she asks is to be able to live according to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. I have already set up a Citizens Committee to Promote Myanmar-US Trade. This will be the core group that will form the US-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Let Myanmar and the Myanmar people contribute to the global economy and the world will see the true nature and sincerity of the Myanmar people. The world has for too long been fed with the biased opinions of certain newspapers and journals with their own political agendas. I urge all those who doubt my words to go and see the country for themselves. Seeing is believing. Thanks Michale, for the invitation to give my thoughts in this matter. Regards and metta, Kyaw Myaing
Dear Michael and other friends,
2. A National Reconciliation Commission
3. MDRI - Myanmar Development Research Institute for long-term research. Incidentally, I have visited the TDRI and was very much inspired.
4. Myanmar-US Chamber of Commerce. This is a priority and I am already in the process of finding a core group of business people who would be interested to become the founding members. It will have to start with the Working Group to prepare for the real thing. We will need funding for this from the US private sector. I know that the Myanmar government likes this idea.
A Concerned Citizen
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