Comments

Kev @ 72:

Wow! Thanks for that confirmation! Say, what’s your source?

The three articles tell more about the “western observers” of the Burmese situation than about Burma.

The “Myanmar Times” article is true example of the husband saying “Look! What you make me do?” while stabbing his wife. If you are for truth, it goes like this.

Kachin, American Baptists for three centuries traditionally want to get on with low land people. But never as their servants. Army always thought otherwise.

1988 shake up forced the military to get “peace deals” to get themselves a free hand to deal with urban uprisings. Many Kachin leaders got rich. Burmese army think they are now morally depraved enough to sell out their own land and people. Well now, Kachin thinks otherwise.

Answer: Unless the simple concept that everyone is equal is accepted by the military, this time round the Kachin are not likely to be bribed or threatened like the last time. Especially after the Burmese military under Min Aung Hlaing has been successful only in traumatizing the defenceless farmers and simply keeping the Chinese pipe going.

Hard to know where Aung Zaw stands sometimes. It is though invariably hilarious that these self-important people claim the very fact that they are at such and such place is itself ultimate proof that the government is different even though it is made with exactly the same material and ingredients.

For the record, none of them are critical of Thein Sein whatsoever or the current form of government. None of them voices directly about most brutal, violent and aggressive WAR with the use,, in a short time frame, of largest number of soldiers and heavy weapons and helicopters displacing tens of thousands of innocent farmers in the history of Burma.

Having Aung San Suu Kyi’s pictures on front page is not news when one realises she is now Thein Sein’s international Publicist. Same goes to all “Exile” journalists.

For the same reason, the underlying tone of your own article is also not realistic.

On a specific point, it was a huge disappointment that Aung Zaw did not elaborate on this “Nay-Pyi-Daw” where he went to see these newly enlightened soldiers wanting to get IMF ( and yes- also the Australian business) money in exchange for simply meeting him.

Does it occur to the “Burmese Observers” that the very name “Nay-Pyi-Daw” itself means there can be NO peace in Burma?

Of course it was built with billions of Chinese money with summary eviction of true owners of the land (all destitute now, some killed and all studiously ignored by the “Democratic Forces”). But that is not the reason.

Than Shwe wanted it as named “Nay-Pyi-Daw” as it is the abode of the kings. By this, he and the rest of the military assume to mean the place for the dictator ( Ye-Myae Shin- –Lord of Water and Land) of all people and land in the boundary of the war time British Map of Burma. That is why the military is busy killing any dissenting parties around. But that is not the reason for no peace either.

The real reason for No peace is because the majority Burman populace including “The Dissidents” in and put of the country, famous and not-so-famous, have never shown any objection to that abominable connotation! Simple yet chilling!

Andrew Walker in “Forest Guardians, Forest Destroyers” from above: “… the common belief that upland agriculture is causing immense damage to uplands and lowlands is simply not supported by available evidence. … newspapers, television, government statements, and books regularly refer to the belief that …. deforestation… causing water shortages ….roadside signs in the north, installed by the government, which report in matter-of-fact terms that deforestation causes drought and undermines agricultural livelihoods.”

Today in Bangkok Post (12-03-12) Nan River basin faces drought crisis threat

“…Sujarit Koontanakulvong, a water engineer from Chulalongkorn University, has expressed his concern over land use changes in the river basin, saying the transformation of natural forest land into mono-crop plantation could lead to a reduction in rainfall volume in the region. The Nan River basin covers five provinces _ Nan, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Nakhon Sawan. Mr Sujarit said most of the forest zone in the river basin had been replaced by maize and rubber plantations.”

Certainly, would be interesting to hear the experts who are thoroughly familiar with the scientific evidence, weigh in on this issue. 🙂

I checked, and Chula U is indeed on the list. Its worldwide ranking is #171 with an overall score of 50.7 (out of 100 points). Its academic reputation score is 82.2, and its employer reputation score is 55.9.

Mahidol U is ranked at #229 worldwide. Its overall score is 43.1 and its academic reputation score is only 53.2. It has no data on employer reputation, but it does have a favorable 84.5 score on the ratio of students to faculty members. There is no data for either university on scores for international faculty, international students, or the number of academic citations per faculty member.

IMHO, if there were data available on these last 3 categories, I believe that Mahidol would rise in the rankings relative to Chula, but both universities would fall in overall rankings as a result.

It’s interesting to monitor the ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ on the comments list. ‘Liked’ comments tend to be pro-Pakatan (opposition) whereas ‘Disliked’ comments were more pro-UMNO (status quo). From this I deduce that BN/UMNO supporters are fearful of change and indeed, use fear to ensure their masters stay in power. As a Malaysian-born person living abroad, I have great affection for the country of my birth and wish the nation well. As a non-Bumi, I was ‘driven away’ by decades of unfair Malay supremacist policies. Racial discrimination & fear have no place in a country that aims to be prosperous and democratic.

#16

I have been to Malaysia a number of times, however I will admit I do not get involved in Local Politics whilst I’m in a foreign nation.

I have said this many times, and I’ll rephase so you can understand.

Lynas is not the government.
If you don’t like your government, vote them out.

Concerning LAMP and Lynas.
I have only provided the TRUTH, and provable facts, nothing more.
I do not need to falsify anything.
If you have an ability to understand Physics and Mathematics you would not be arguing with me.

You’d be forgiven for thinking when it says an irresponsible kleptocracy targeting its poorest citizens for land grabs, along with a variety of other abuses it must be describing Myanmar. And they don’t need the help of foreigners, east or west, but they have and now everyone will be having a piece of the action. The vultures circling over the hyenas in a feeding frenzy missing out badly will soon be joining them. Happy days.

Besides the business class you’ll have to forgive the rest for not sharing the enthusiasm. The lure of the year 2015 is strong on all optimists inside and outside the country and that’s exactly the intention. An entrepreneurial doctor friend of mine was all excited whereas others, a recently retired senior official of an engineering department and a former govt scientist now working for a major Korean firm, were completely skeptical over the sincerity of all this.

The generals are on a roll anyhow. Now that they’ve realised ASSK is just the ticket for getting what they want next and badly, she is suddenly ‘warmly welcome’ and all the rest of it to make it authentic. It’s to the US/EU’s credit that it has lasted as long as it’s done by sticking to their guns. The regime on their part has kept its powder dry except for the KIA. Mao’s ‘let a hundred flowers bloom’ lasted all of six weeks but then the circumstances were different.

The organ grinder has got his monkey and he’s proudly showing off that he’s really a maestro. Let the dollars and euros flow, and no prizes for guessing where they go. To the people? Trickle, trickle….

re: Plan B’s comment……

Yes, the U.S. and France were part of the Pol Pot/Khmer Rouge nightmare, but don’t forget for some years, China (which the last time I checked is still an “Asian” country) supplied Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge with weapons, money and diplomatic cover as a way of “countering” the Vietnamese influence (remember China’s totally failed “invasion” of Vietnam in the late 1970’s), and don’t forget the successive Thai goverrnments and top Thai generals who helped prop up the Khmer Rouge for many years with weapons, money and safe havens (remember the “safe house” and medical facilities provided for Pol Pot near Trat?), and last of all don’t forget the moronic and extreme Cambodians like Pol Pot and his group, the Cambodia Royals, the centuries of poverty and repression by the rotten Cambodia elite which helped setup, enable and keep the whole slaughter going.

Mamak is Muslim….you stupid fool.