Myanmarnization of Non-Myanmar is ad nauseam

7/29/2019 Myanmarnization of Non-Myanmar is ad nauseam

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Myanmarnization of Non-Myanmar isad nauseam

Kanbawza Win

The Burmese regime insistence on the use of wordMyanmarover Burma in the Englishlanguage reveals the highest stage of their ethnic cleansing policy implemented by theDivide

and Rule policy over the Non Myanmar, the ethnic nationalities, which constitutes more than

half of the population of Burma when the modern Union of Burma was formed in 1947.1

Referring the term ethnic minority to a population of nearly 30 million (more than that ofCanada) of the major ethnic nationalities like Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon

Rakhine, of the Non Myanmar group is ridiculous. Afait accompli accepted by the UN and the

international community proving the theory that dictators can change the name of the countryand its national flag according to their whims and fancies, without the consensus of the entire

people of Burma.Hence, the simple hypothesis is- will there be a genuine peace in the Union of

Burma when the countrys struggle is two sides of a coin, for genuine democracy and the otheris the struggle of ethnic nationalities rights unceremoniously considered as a second citizen?

The ongoing conflict in Kachin State and last years deadly clashes in Arakan State have

cast a harsh light on one of the greatest challenges facing Burma, as its moves towards reform.

Burma needs not only democracy but also ethnic rights, as democracy and ethnic rights must gohand in hand as one cannot be achieved without the other.2

The architect of modern Burma,Bogyoke Aung San, in several of his speeches had

emphasized the merits of federalism for the country and yet he was assassinated by none otherthan a Myanmar, even before seeing the fruition of his labour and the contemporary history

revealed that it was the leaders of the Myanmar groups that did not recognize the Union of

Burma and started the armed insurrections viz. Thakhin Soe,(Red flag), Thakhin Than Htun

(White flag) and Volunteer Organization (PVO) are all Myanmar, while the rest of the Non-Myanmar ethnic nationalities remain true to the Union of Burma.

Successful Implementation of Divide and RulePolicyMyanmar leaders both civilians and generals had studied theDivide and Rule policy

meticulously, during the British occupation which they applied successfully now. The successors

of Aung San, puts in theMyanmarnization policy but the Karen which has tasted the tyranny and

the atrocities of theMyanmar Tatmadaw, since BIA (Burma Independence Army) during the

Second World War started to rebel and the Myanmar dominated government successfully usedthe Kachin and the Chin armies to defend the Union, while they built up the Myanmar

Tatmadaw. This was the first fruition of theDivide and Rule Policy of Myanmar over Non

1Burma took a swipe at the United States for calling the country Burma, urging it to use its official titleand avoid harming improving ties between the two former foes. Reuters 26-1-2013. Because of the ethnic

cleansing policy, the ethnic nationalities, the Myanmar population superseded the Non Myanmar2Aung Kyaw; Htet Ethnic Harmony Needed for Burmas Reforms to SucceedIrrawaddy 1-2-2013


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Myanmar. At that time ethnic nationalities leaders were simpleton, and continue to belief in the

Burmese administration hoping that federalism will be attain by peaceful means, since it is a

democratic government and called the Taunggyi Federal Conference, in 1961, where all theleaders of the ethnic nationalities unanimously agreed to move the federal proposal in the

parliament early next year. But the Myanmar government replied with the military coup in

March 1962 and persecuted all the ethnic intellectuals killing many of the Shan leaders and sincethen the tyrannicalMyanmar Tatmadaw (army) was in power up to this day.

TheMyanmar Tatmadaw at once implemented its vigorousMyanmarnization policy so

much so that today not a single ethnic nationality is left behind that had not rebelled against thecentral government. Successive military administrations under various pretexts continue to drag

the country to the lowest ladder of the international community. The tyranny and the suppression

was so much that even the Myanmar race itself could not bear it any longer and give birth to the

pro democracy movement led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 1988.Cold chills runs through their spines of the Generals at the thought of the democratic

forces joining hands with the ethnic nationalities as it will mean the end of their power and that

they themselves will have to face aNuremburglike trial. They also sense that time was not on

their side. So they devise a ways and means to compromise with the democratic forces led DawAung San Suu Kyi as it consider to be the lesser of the two evils and the end result was the

current day reforms led by former General Thein Sein, a dove from the army.But the Generals were, and are very much anathema to federalism because the crux of

federalism was sharing of power and they loath to do so. Moreover it will mark the end of their

reign of terror on the ethnic nationalities of Non Myanmar area as they had just done inMyanmar dominated area. 3 And so they began to concentrate on the Non Myanmar by

systematically using this Divide and Rule Policy and techniques.

However, theMyanmar Tatmadaw is not only against democracy but also totally against

the Union (Pyidoungsu) itself. Building the fourth Myanmar empire is their main goal and thatis why they deliberately chose the three Burmese emperors (Anawrahta,Bayinnaungand

Alaunpaya whose mammoth statues stands inNaypyidaw) often recalling the glorious imperial

policy that had vanquished not only the current ethnic nationalities area but also parts of India,Thailand and Laos as their role model. They have their annual reminder on Resistance Day now

renamed Army Day, the 27th March.4

The Generals knew that throughout, the modern history of Burma, the one rebellion thatfights on ideology is the Burma Communist Party while all the rest are on ethnic lines for greater

autonomy. But when it collapse in 1989 and splinter into various WA ethnic factions, the

Myanmar Tatmadaw was quick to exploit and implemented cease fire with all the WA factions

so that the WA may not join the other ethnic groups under NDF (National Democratic Front)which has already formed an embryo alliance with the pro democratic forces in the peripherals of

Burma under the umbrella of Democratic Alliance of Burma. By this action they can

successfully neutralise the strongest and a major ethnic force. The 2nd fruition of their divide

and rule policy.

The ABSDF (All Burma Students Democratic Front), the pro democracy student army

that cut through the ethnic lines has not yet disintegrated yet and have a potential to become arallying point, as it was supported both inside and outside the country. TheMyanmar Tatmadaw

managed to get its 3rd fruition of divide and rule policy by successfully inking a ceasefire with

3The 3 cut policy of the government targeting the civilians of the ethnic nationalities4One can see their ceremony and listen to their speech annually on that day.


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the Kachin in 1994. It completely knockout DAB and the domino of ethnic alliances falls one

after another. TheMyanmar Tatmadaw then concentrates its fire power on the strongest of the

ethnic forces the Karen and completely dismembers them. So the smaller allies of Chin, Mon,Karenni, Shan etc who all have no choice but to seek a compromise as the accompanying table

shows:-

List of ceasefires

Since 1989, the Burmese governmenthas signed the following ceasefire agreements

Organization RegionEffective

dateNotes

Myanmar National

Democratic Alliance

Army(MNDAA)

Special Region

1, Shan State

21 March

1989

Kokang-led, split from the Communist

Party of Burma

United Wa State

Army (UWSA)

Special Region 2,

Shan State9 May 1989

Also known as the Myanmar National

Solidarity Party, split from the Communist

Party of Burma

National Democratic

Alliance Army (NDAA)

Special Region 4,

Shan State

30 June

1989

Shan State Army (SSA)

Special Region 3,

Shan State

2

September1989

New Democratic Army

(Kachin) (NDA-K)

Special Region 1,

NortheastKachin

State

15

December

1989

Kachin Defence Army

(KDA)

Special Region 5,

Northern Shan

State

13 January

1991

Former 4th Brigade of the Kachin

Independence Organization

Pa-O National

Organization(PNO)

Special Region 6,

Southern Shan

State

11 April

1991

Palaung State Liberation

Army (PSLA)

Special Region 7,

Northern Shan

21 April
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_National_Democratic_Alliance_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_National_Democratic_Alliance_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_National_Democratic_Alliance_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Wa_State_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Wa_State_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa-O_National_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa-O_National_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa-O_National_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_National_Democratic_Alliance_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_National_Democratic_Alliance_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_National_Democratic_Alliance_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Wa_State_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Wa_State_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa-O_National_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa-O_National_Organization


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State 1991

Kayan National Guard

(KNG)

Special Region

1, Kayah State

27 February

1992

Kachin Independence

Organization(KIO)

Special Region 2,

Kachin State

24 February

1994

Ceasefire broke down on 9 June 2011,

when fighting resumed.[10]

Karenni State Nationalities

Peoples' Liberation Front

(KNPLF)

Special Region 2,

Kayah (Karenni)

State

9 May 1994

Kayan New Land Party(KNLP)

Special Region 3,

Kayah (Karenni)

State

26 July1994

Shan State Nationalities

Peoples' Liberation

Organization (SSNPLO)

Southern Shan

State

9 October

1994

New Mon State Party

(NMSP)Mon State

29 June

1995

Democratic Karen

Buddhist Army(DKBA)Karen State 1995

Mongko Region Defence

Army (MRDA)Shan State 1995

Split from Myanmar National Democracy

Alliance Army

Shan State National Army

(SSNA)Shan State 1995

Karenni National Defence

Army (KNDA)Karen State 1996 Split from KNPP

Karen Peace Force (KPF) Karen State 1997Former 16th Battalion of the Karen

National Union
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayah_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Karen_Buddhist_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Karen_Buddhist_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Karen_Buddhist_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayah_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Karen_Buddhist_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Karen_Buddhist_Army


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Communist Party of Burma

(Arakan Province)(CPB)Rakhine State 1997

Mon Mergui Army (MMA) Mon State 1997 Split from New Mon State Party

KNU Special Region Group

Toungoo (KNU)Bago Division 1997

Karenni National

Progressive Party (KNPP)Kayah State 2005 Ceasefire broke down within 3 months

Shan State Army

South (SSA-South)Shan State 2006

New Democratic Army-

Kachin (NDAK)Kachin State 2007

Kayan National Liberation

Army (KNLA)Karen State 2007

Former 7th Battalion of the Karen National

Union

Democratic Karen

Buddhist Amy (DKBA) 3rdBrigade

Karen State

3 November

2011[11] Fighting resumed on 19 February 2012.[12]

Kaloh Htoo Baw armed

groupKaren State

5 November

2011[13]Former DKBA

Chin National Front

Karen National Union

Shan State Army-South

-

19

November

2011[14]

Informal ceasefire agreement.

Despite a ceasefire agreement in place,

fighting is still occurring between the

Tatmadaw and SSA-South rebel troops, as

of March 2012.

[15]

Chin National Front (CNF) Chin State8 January

2012[16]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago_Regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayah_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State_Army_%E2%80%93_Southhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State_Army_%E2%80%93_Southhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago_Regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayah_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State_Army_%E2%80%93_Southhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State_Army_%E2%80%93_Southhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-16


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Karen National

Union (KNU)[17]Karen State

7 February

2012[18]

Restoration Council of

Shan State (RCSS) Shan State

17 January

2012[19] Political arm of Shan State Army

Shan State Progressive

Party (SSPP)Shan State

28 January

2012[20]Political arm of the Shan State Army

New Mon State Party

(NMSP)Mon State

31 January

2012[21]

Karenni National Progressive

Party (KNPP)Kayah State

6 March2012[22]

But theMyanmardivide and rule policy is not confine only between the ethnic races but also

inside the ethnic community itself e.g. Karen, the Myanmar policy can be seen in DKBA(Democratic Karen Buddhist Army) and very lately could wean out the economically inclined

group which eventually became leaders of KNU. In Karenni (Kayah) it was able to divide

KNPP, KNLP, KNDA, KNLPF into several groups while in Arakan are also several groups and

even the Rohingya it was able to splinter in three groups and so on. To be candid some of thegroups are little better than dacoits. Of course not all these splits are because of the central

governments bidding as most of the bands do not have any visions but the central administrationwas able to fuel the divide.

Future StrategyTheMyanmar Tatmadaw will definitely continue to use the same strategy and once the

cease-fire with the Kachin is reached it will turn its wrath on the strongest and the most

formidable of the ethnic groups, the WA. This is a foregone conclusion and the Myanmar

Tatmadaw willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of its child and young soldiers to achieve their

utopia. The Kachin operations had caused the Burmese about 5,000 causalities but they do notcare, they have half a million men and will not stop until and unless the fourth Burmese empire

is established. No matter what the central government say or do, theMyanmar Tatmadaw is a

state within a state and can decide and work independently without heeding the President. As far

as democracy and foreign relations are concerned President Thein Sein and Daw Aung San SuuKyi can handle, and they do not need to worry. But theMyanmar Tatmadaw will continue to

implement its version of disciplined democracy i.e.A Big Stick policy; let the world knows thatMyanmar is a big brother, full of knowledge and wisdom watching over the little brothers of

Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon and Rakhine and you little brothers should behave as

the big brother says or otherwise will have to use the big stick just what he had done to the

Kachin. Everybody must be in line is the message from the Myanmar Tatmadaw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_National_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_National_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_National_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_National_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceasefires_in_Burma#cite_note-22


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All the Western companies like the Chinese, Indian and ASEAN companies comes here

to exploit the human and natural resources of the country, let them do it, what should they care as

long as theMyanmar Tatmadaw is intact it is all right. Only with this price they will achievedtheirMyanmarnization policy as their fore fathers have done during the periods of the three

Burmese empires when the intellectuals of the Non Myanmar were killed en masse, the most

prominent being of what King Alaungpaya (Aungzeya) had done to the Mon. See Mon cannotrise again up to this day and the majority of them are now struggling in Thailand was their

reasoning. The BIA has often thrown grenades at the Churches when the Karen was worshipping

during the Second World War and they will do the same to the Kachin and Chin Christiansagain, seems to be their message.

Even, during the first Burmese empire, kingKyanzittha have tried a peaceful coexistence

as can be seen in theMyazeddi inscription which was written in four (Mon, Pali, Myanmar) but

in the long run it didnt work. Slowly the ethnic cleansing policy of the Myanmar worked andnow major races likePyu, Kanyan and Thet are extinct. So also eventually the current ethnic

nationalities of Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni (Kayah) Mon and Rakhine must cease to

exist and all become Myanmar. Rohingyar cannot identify itself with Rakhine and so must be

driven out as what they are doing now in piece meal fashion.Their rationale is that they did not need to have a guilty conscience because that is what

the Americans and the Canadians are doing to the natives the aborigines (Red Indians)5 andbecause of this action, theses North Americans have become great nations. Even look at the

history of England, it was during the time of William the Conqueror from Normandy came over

and ethnic cleanse the native Saxons by killing and intermarrying them and now they becomeGreat Britain and once upon a time the sun never sets in the British empire, they reasoned. So,

the strategy is clear and straight forward.

Lying the very concept of truth is not confined toMyanmar Tatmadaw only, they

reason, every government lied so what? This is the work of the President - Myanmar is willing

to make "all necessary compromises" to broker peace with ethnic minority rebel groups,

including amendments to the constitution on power and resource sharing, the government's

top negotiator said at the United Nations. Aung Min, a minister in President Thein Sein's

office, is pursuing complex political negotiations with at least 10 ethnic minority rebel groups

with which the government has agreed ceasefires after decades of conflict under military

rule.6 is our propaganda and we expect the international community to believe it as only then itwill be smooth for us to continue theMyanmarnization policy. If one does not believe please

refer to their Orwellian Ministry of Truth.7

But, the Generals who had tasted power for more than half a century would not easily let

go its prize easily and had installed the fraudulentNargis Constitution of 2008 followed by arigged elections of 2010 to see that the democratic movement did not get the better of them. This

is how it will go whether one likes it or not.

5Currently there is Idle No More Movement in Canada6Myanmar says will make 'all necessary compromises' for peace Asia One News 22-9-2012

7Wade; Francis, What now for Myanmars Ministry of Truth 6-1-2013


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Myanmarnization of Non-Myanmar is ad nauseam