Stepping up their anti-democracy campaign another notch, the SPDC made a formal declaration regarding the SSA-S on 26th August 2006, by branding the freedom fighters as terrorists. For an illegal government that holds on to power by force this is ripe for pointing out the inconsistencies and falsehoods stated by the state-run organs of mis-information. Terrorism can be defined as “Terrorism is the systematic use or threatened use of violence to intimidate a population or government and thereby effect political, religious, or ideological change” (WikiPedia) The propagandists at New Light of Myanmar have not identified any systematic acts that can actually be branded as terrorist acts. The crimes listed, although all false accusations are those of a dacoit band, not a group seeking to effect change.

The list of crimes that have supposedly been committed by the SSA-S are all typical of the crimes committed daily by the SPDC troops. I could as easily make up a list of personnel and LIB details to make similar accusations against the SPDC. However, I don’t need to make up anything, as the truth speaks loudly for itself. The regular reports from SHRF, KHRG and other human rights groups worldwide document the continuous stream of obscene acts of state terrorism committed by the SPDC troops, especially against ethnic groups in Shan State, Karen State, Rakhine State, and every other state and division of Burma. Witness the pictures supposedly of Hopong Township burnt down by the SSA-S; I have seen numerous photographs of Karen villages burnt by SPDC troops, the dead bodies of villagers killed by SPDC troops, and the effects of landmines laid by the SPDC troops to deter the villagers from returning to their villages or their fields. It is the SPDC who are systematically using acts of violence to intimidate a population.

The SPDC have made numerous accusations against the SSA-S and have listed a number of acts that they claim to have been perpetrated by the SSA-S. If any court of law is to be called upon to determine whether these crimes where committed, then there will need to be evidence: testimony and exhibits; testimony by reliable witnesses will be hard to come across in Burma; witnesses are provided by the state to back up their claims; well tutored actors, criminals hoping for early release and those, like Col.Moengzuen, who have the threat of prosecution and the death penalty hanging over them if they don’t comply with the wishes of the SPDC. The defence is rarely entitled to their own counsel, let alone their own witnesses; even if they were, the SPDC would intimidate them, or raise counter-prosecutions. Exhibits are also easy for the SPDC to produce; they take photographs of their own crimes and use them to cast aspersions against their foes. The court of law makes a judgement based on evidence; in Burma, this means deciding who is guilty and passing sentence according to the dictates of the SPDC, not the rule of law. I am not an expert in law, but I can see through the blatant façade of lies portrayed in the NLM; any fair criminal justice system would demand a more objective report before bringing charges against anyone. But under SPDC rule, Burma lacks a fair criminal justice system.

The SPDC pronouncements on the SSA-S make no reference to any ideology that we usually associate with a terrorist group; one terrorist group wants to destroy a government and take power over a nation, another wants to impose their religion on another group who don’t want it. The SPDC have never stated any plausible aims of any of the groups they brand as terrorists, except that they want to create ‘public bloodshed and panic’. This does not constitute an aim or objective in itself. For instance, the SSA-S has told Rangoon that they want ‘an end to its war and ask the SPDC to settle down to serious talks with its democratic opposition as well as the non-Burman political parties under the supervision of the United Nations’. This sounds more like a demand from a political party with a broad nation-wide perspective than from a narrow-minded terrorist group. The fact is that the SSA-S have taken up arms against the SPDC to defend themselves against the acts of terrorism committed by the SPDC. Their aims are to end the state terrorism and support a return to a peaceful civilian democratic government which accepts self-determination for the people of Shan State.

The SSA-S have established a safe base for the people of Shan State, and have built a community within their limited means. Despite absurd statements by the SPDC to the contrary, the SSA-S rely on donations from individuals and expatriates and not foreign governments. With this they have established health care, education and support for Shan cultural activities to maintain the individuality and traditions of Shan people. The SSA-S continue to fight the illicit drugs trade, bringing them into direct confrontation with the SPDC and their UWSA allies who rely on drug-trafficking for income. The SSA-S are under both psychological warfare and military attack by the SPDC.

These paper attacks against the SSA-S have come at a time when the NCUB have called the junta ‘the biggest terrorist in Burma’. Human Rights Watch state that the SPDC ‘armed forces continue to engage in summary executions, torture, and the rape of women and girls. Children continue to be forcibly recruited by government armed forces.’ The KHRG in their 300th report on human rights abuses against Karen people ‘documents SPDC attacks on undefended civilian villages, widespread displacement, and continuing forced labour and other repression in SPDC-controlled areas’. The SHRF’s May 2006 monthly report on human rights abuses in Shan State states that ‘the junta’s troops seem to have been doing virtually everything that would strangle the civilian populations, especially the non-Burman ethnic communities in the ethnic States, and gradually force them to submit to a life of total servitude or flee to neighbouring countries, ridding the territories under their (SPDC) control of “unwanted elements”’.

On the basis of these overwhelming body of evidence against the SPDC, it is quite appropriate to brand the SPDC as the real terrorists, meeting the accepted description of those activities committed by terrorist organisations: "Terrorist attacks" are usually characterized as "indiscriminate," "targeting of civilians," or executed "with disregard for human life.” … in an effort to ‘intimidate and influence the societies to which they belong’ (WikiPedia). The SPDC continue to intimidate the population of Burma into accepting their illegal fascist government (taken in a series of military coups, the last in the 1988 bloodbath), their constitution (forcibly imposed via the so-called National Convention), and their racist cultural stranglehold (only Burman ‘Myanmar’ culture is to be preserved in the military run ‘Myanma Traditional Performing Arts’ competition). Anyone who does not accept servitude will be terrorised by the SPDC armed forces.

The SPDC are expanding their attempts at propaganda to the outside world (i.e. outside Burma); the world’s press either repeat their lies or ignore the ludicrous falsehoods. However, whenever reputable news agencies do report the truth about the SPDC human rights abuses, the SPDC embassy or their stooges are near at hand to offer the SPDC version and criticize SHAN, SHRF, KHRG, NLD and groups such as the SSA-S and KNU (described as ‘vagabong hilltribes’); as has occurred recently in the Pretoria Times, One World South Asia and Crisscross News. Those of us who take truth seriously should follow up these lies and make our own statements and add comments each time to counter the propaganda. The free world is hungry for news, but it is discerning enough to want the truth; from truth and morality comes objectivity and justice, some of the cornerstones of democracy.

Quotations

“In October 2005, 2 displaced women from Naa Khaan village relocation site were accused of being wives of Shan soldiers and gang-raped by SPDC troops from IB248 at a place about one-and-a-half miles northeast of their village in Murng-Nai township.”
SHRF Report, March 2006
http://www.shanland.org/articles/humanrights/monthlyreport/2006/SHRF300306

"The wanton killings by what is termed "government soldiers" of innocent villagers in Shan State is getting to be a "normal" event. This is because the international community has not done much, except to slap the junta on the wrist at what has become an annual farce. The Shans in their naiveté think that the "Burman" junta is getting away with rape, murder, plunder, torture, and ethnic cleansing behaviour because the "world" is not yet aware of what is happening to them. They believe, very firmly, that once the "world" is aware of the horrors, the United Nations or some governments, or leaders, will be driven by moral outrage, a sense of justice, and will come to the assistance of the innocent victims..."
Chao Tzang Yawnghwe, Analitica Birmanie, 5th June 2000 / BURMA COURIER
http://www.geocities.com/rainbowendsfr/karen/selfdefe.htm

“In these [SPDC controlled] areas the increased SPDC militarization and activity has led to increases in forced labour, land confiscation, forced relocation, and restrictions on movement and livelihoods, all of which have led to problems with food security. In the hills, villagers have suffered from forced displacement, systematic destruction of their crops and food supplies, arbitrary shootings and killings, and land mines, among other abuses.”
KHRG 300th Report
http://www.khrg.org/khrg2006/khrg06c3.html

References

New Light of Myanmar, 26th August 2006
http://www.myanmardigest.com/eng_md/Aug26.html
http://www.mrtv3.net.mm/newpaper/268newsn.pdf

Others
Soe Hlaing, Minister Counselor, Embassy of Myanmar, Pretoria http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3403312
‘Douglas Tareen’
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/137731/1/1893
‘Naydun’
http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/382480

Press Reports
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=470&Itemid=6
http://english.people.com.cn/200608/26/eng20060826_297050.html
http://hindustantimes.com/news/7598_1778216,000500020010.htm

Human Rights
http://www.khrg.org/khrg2006/khrg06c3.html
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/burma9826.htm
http://www.shanland.org/articles/humanrights/monthlyreport/2006/SHRF280506
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/Catwalk_to_the_Barracks.htm