From: ahmed-shakil@CS.YALE.EDU (Shakil Waiz Ahmed)
Subject: Re: More Propaganda from the Burmese Junta
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 00:45:24 GMT


In article <57165@cup.portal.com>, hassan@cup.portal.com (hassan monu alam) writes:

>        ------------------------------------------------------
> Message 12/24  From Soe Myint Aung                 Apr 9 '92 at 11:40 am -240
> From: Soe Myint Aung <ap38%UMD5.UMD.EDU@UCSFVM.UCSF.EDU>
> 
> Date:         Thu, 9 Apr 1992 11:40:40 -0400
> Reply-To: Southeast Asia Discussion List <SEASIA-L%MSU.bitnet@UCSFVM.UCSF.EDU>
> Sender: Southeast Asia Discussion List <SEASIA-L%MSU.bitnet@UCSFVM.UCSF.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Burma Massacres Muslims



Hassan, is there any way we could get this guy to cross-post his stuff
to scb?  I would love to take on an open discussion with him.  I'll
respond to this here, hoping that you will forward it where this guy
can actually read this.  If he is interested in the truth, then
surely, he would have nothing to lose by coming out in the open?  I
don't think it would take much to point out the logical and factual
inconsistencies in his "arguments."  I hope Soe Myint Aung is reading
this, and if he is, I would request him to step forward and take up
this discussion.

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Following is a comment from my friend about Rohinger News.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> It is the funnest joke I have ever heard in my life.
> Massacre ! ... Killing ! ...


Perhaps this attitude is part of the problem?

> If you were head of Burmese troops and had a plan to massacre all Moslems,
> what would you do?
> 
> Well, the first thing that you would do is to close the border between
> Bangladesh and Myanmar.  You can achieve that goal by controlling all boats
> that available in the region, conveying Navy ships, and increasing the
> number of troops.
> Then, you can do whatever you want -- killing, raping, torture, ... whatelse?
> Moreover, if you planed to kill the people, you would also make sure nobody
> escaped.  You also need to make a plan to handle the response of the other
> Moslems from the other regions.


Well, there is one major problem with this line of reasoning, namely
your premise.  You are assuming the Burmese troops plan to massacre
all Moslems.  Why?  Clearly, all the evidence would indicate that the
plan is to *get rid* of the Rohingyas.  Whether this takes place by
annihilation or by chasing into neighboring Bangladesh is a peripheral
issue.  Since the latter is very easily implementable, it makes a lot
of sense to leave the borders *very* open.  The objective is not
necessarily to massacre, but to ensure that no Rohingyas are left on
Burmese territory.  Killing, raping, torture, is indeed a part of the
general strategy.  It serves the purpose of removing many of the
Muslims from the face of the earth, but more importantly, for every
Rohingya killed, ten more flee to Bangladesh in fear.

> Well, so far, the border is still opening. No navy ships are conveying in the
> region.  Some people expecting to get the relief from UN are still crossing
> the border and making meaningless accusations. Rohingers, the source of false
> information, and Bangladesh, the land of hopeless, still don't get

"Bangladesh, the land of hopeless?"  Well, excuse me, but it seems to
me that that label applies better to a nation that insists on
systematic genocide against one of its own peoples, a nation that
seems to have problems with every one of its neighbors.  Major
problems on the border with Thailand.  Bigger problems on the
Bangladeshi border.  Even a superficial glance at history will show
that military junta build problems with neighboring countries whenever
they are trying to divert attention from their internal problems.  If
your articles are anything to go by, it appears the Burmese junta have
been quite successful with this strategy.

> the support 
> from the Moslem leaders.  As long as they are holding those false
> accusations, they will nver get any kind of support from other
> Moslems!

Well, I have news for you: It is not only the Islamic world that has
expressed support for the Rohingers, but much of the remaining world
too.  While Myanmar may temporarily be taking advantage of
Bangladesh's relative geopolitical insignificance, world opinion has
already begun to show and pressure will mount on Myanmar's
dictatorship.

> [Original News with comment]
> 
>     Reuter, Dhaka, April 8 - Refugees fleeing from Burma have accused
> Burmese troops of opening fire on Moslems at prayer in a village mosque
> in western Arakan state, killing at least 200 people, Bangladeshi
> officials said on Wednesday.
> 
> >>> When reporters asked "Why did Burmese troops fire?", Bangladeshi
>     officials answered simply "We don't know." They said "We don't care
>     whether it is truth or not, but what we are focusing now is to
>     picture Rohingers as Refugees. We are expecting to get profict from
>     this situation. Because we have double the number of Rohingers who
>     fled to our country, they will get the half of profict and we will get
>     the rest of profict. You see half to half."

Are we to take this as a typical example of Burmese journalism?
Fabrication of quotes, and tall tales of economic fairy tales that
don't make sense by any book?  You may well be used to this style of
reporting in Myanmar, but this has no place in the free world where
people have opinions as opposed to being given their opinions...

>     Officials quoted a refugee, Azizul Huq, as saying the massacre took
> place at a prayer meeting on Sunday ending the Moslem month of Ramadan
> in Sikderpara village near Maungdaw town, where the Burmese army last
> week closed down a mosque.
>     "The Moslems offering Eid al-Fitr prayer fell like sitting ducks
> when the troops opened fire," Huq was quoted as saying by an official in
> Cox's Bazar in southeast Bangladesh near the Burmese border.
>     "Our only offence was we used the closed-down mosque as the venue
> for the prayer," Huq was quoted as saying.
> 
> >>>  Well, Well, Well!  I am woundering why other Moslems don't say
>      anything about this.  If that kind of killing was really happening,
>      Myanmar Government would face the demonstrations by now. Rohingers
>      would suddenly get the support of Moslems leaders.

You are "woundering [sic]?"  I wonder if this particular misspelling
is a slip of the subconscious referring to the "wounds" Burma is
inflicting upon the Rohingers?  Conveniently, you forget the iron grip
that the junta exercizes on the media in Myanmar.  Any such news will
not spread very far within the country.  And even if it did, would you
have the guts to demonstrate if you had a machine gun shoved down your
throat?  You, of all people, who doesn't seem to have the courage to
take this discussion up in public on soc.culture.bangladesh?  As for
support of Muslim leaders, I would strongly recommend reading some
international media as opposed to the masterpieces of Burmese
journalism that you have given us a glimpse of -- you will notice
overwhelming support where you claim there is none.

>     He said nearly 150 devotees were wounded in the attack, prompting a
> new influx of Moslem refugees, known as Rohingyas, into neighbouring
> Bangladesh -- now reluctant host to more than 215,000 refugees.
> 
> >>>  215,000 ! The number is more than double!  It seem Bangladesh Gov.
>      changes its "Half to Half Plan."

Something unclear about the numbers?  215,000, that's two hundred and
fifteen thousand in words.  There, I hope that's clearer now.

>     Refugees alleged the Burmese junta had resumed torturing Moslems
> immediately after U.N. Undersecretary-General Jan Eliasson ended his
> visit to parts of Arakan to investigate claims of persecution.
>     "They just stopped killing and raping of Moslems for a week trying
> to show Mr. Eliasson that nothing had happened and life in Moslem
> villages is normal," refugee Zafar Ahmed said.
> 
> >>>  Good work Zafar! Good work. It might be work to cover your previous
>      lies. But the truth is truth.

Indeed it is.  And if that's what you're interested in, then do come
out onto soc.culture.bangladesh and let's see whether your "arguments"
can stand on a public forum.

-- Shakil
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh