Untitled Document

UK org.
14 November 2002

Dear readers
My first comment through UK org has brought a variety of interpretations in
relation to it.  Allow me to hopefully define the objective of my comment.
Firstly, the main impact of my comment was simply to point out the battle
compatibilities between the SPDC and its opposition. And what can be judged
as a futile attempt at beating them without running parallel in all
departments, to which can only be achieved with outside help.  If you want to
start a business but have little or no capital, your next move is to convince
a bank or lender that your business plan is faultless.  Politics is no
different.  Foreign countries are always borrowing from other countries and
the World Bank; they do not consider it as outside interference but essential
to their growth.

Who else can the suffering people of Burma look to?  The many hundreds of
thousands of Burmese abroad do not seem in any hurry to donate, if they did
the balance would soon level out.   With all the odds in favour of the SPDC
they need support, and they need financial and material support and they need
it now. The opposition can talk itself blue in the face, and just as history
has shown, will get them no where!  The cobra will not give way to the mouse.
Only play with it until it decides to devour it.  But even the cobra would
find it difficult to take on a thousand mice; especially if it already has a
full stomach!

I think every one will agree that the people of Burma need security, but from
where and who will it come?  Many believe because history reveals it, that no
military regime anywhere in the world, has ever handed power over to an
inferior opposition.  Why should the SPDC be any different?
The dollar is the requirement of the SPDC as it is with all despots' because
it is the only means with which they can move among the markets important to
their survival for the very fact that their own monetary system is worthless.
Every one from corrupt governments, corrupt diplomats, drug cartels, devious
industries, and many more all move around the dollar.  Without it their power
base would collapse.

The NLD because it is they who are centre stage in the eyes of the world, not
only entered the battle ill prepared, they lack the will or the initiative to
use devious tactics which is central to all politics.  It is assumed the
reason is, the NLD lack the logistics, which is vital to any battle plan,
also, that individual personalities clash.  In military terms it would be
seen as a time to replace the generals and look for a new means of finance.


Advise is something we all need at various stages of our life.  As children
we receive it from our parents, relatives and teachers.  When we reach the
age of puberty we tend to consider ourselves as having no further need for
advise.  This is a stage of our life however, when we usually commit blunder
after blunder because we think we are right, when in reality is the time we
make most of our mistakes.  it is also  the most crucial time of our life in
which  destinies are made, therefore every bit of advise should be listened
to and logged as it may be useful later  no matter where that advice comes
.
Sonny JIM.

UK org.
Member comment

13 November 2002

The Winners and Losers in Politics.

In a member comment a week or so ago, it was said that, 'politics is a battle
of minds'.  I would agree with that, but at the same time if the strength and
cunning of the 'mind' is all a voice has in its arsenal, then it better be
hopeful that the opposition is deaf, dumb and blind.   Of course the SPDC is
none of these, quite the opposite in fact.  Besides having a large number of
people under arms, (I wont call it an army, as they are more in line with
prison warders to the people) they also have eyes and ears together with
communication links all over the world.  They are established in places of
education and business overseas to make sure they know what is going on among
Burmese people in different parts of the world.
Because of their infiltration into the business arena around the world also,
they are able to move money around quite legally, as do most governments, and
I dare say there are some individual politicians and diplomats who take
advantage of their position who also have investments around the world and
they too need to move money around, or at least convert it into a currency of
some substance. It can then finance activities such as intelligence
gathering, or the purchase of items other wise impossible on the open market,
possibly using friendly countries to act as their agents, its nothing
unusual, hidden perhaps but not unusual.

The point is, that politics is also about bargaining power.  All parties
involved in any political battle, must have something in its back pocket to
bargain with, or to use as a lever against opposition.    If nothing is at
hand and one's bluff is called, then the battle is lost.  This is the
situation the NLD now finds itself in.  Its bluff is being called, and if
those believed to be in support of the NLD fail to show their hand, then
'bang bang boom', as we demolition men say.

Everyone worldwide can see what the SPDC have on show, whereas it is only the
select intelligence agencies that know what may be hidden, and they will only
use that information to their own advantage, after all that is why
governments have intelligence agencies. to help themselves.
What ever else the SPDC have, it is far more than the NLD, or anyone else
opposing them for that matter.
That leaves the question.  Why should the SPDC even consider talking to an
insignificant group of people who have no means what so ever of pushing them
off their stool?
From the outside looking in, it is rather a pathetic piece of theatrics, with
the UN acting as stage managers, bad ones at that as their casting has much
to be desired, but, on the other hand it could have been carefully stage
managed considering Malaysia was the second country to recognise the regime
after Russia, in 1988.    Maybe it is completely insignificant but all the
same convenient.  To whom, we must guess.

All of the above is no more than an example to those opposing the SPDC, of
how complex the political battlefield is, and to remind those same people
just how fruitless their minuscule attempts at ending their rule really is.
It is foolish to move onto the battlefield without a complete battle plan,
ammunition and plenty more laying in reserve.  Including plans for success
and plans for failure. Courage alone wins no battles.
I recommend pulling back to regroup. Talk to your allies, pool your
resources, and then fight dirty!
''call me some time'' Good 'ole' Humphrey Bogart said that and I just love
it.

Good luck from
'Sonny Jim'

A UK org. member.