WHAT OUR READERS SAY

By The Irrawaddy 16 April 2012

Khin Nyunt Interrogated Over ‘Saving Suu Kyi’ Claim

Such an experienced ex-general as Khin Nyunt has forgotten that the real power behind the democratization process is still the former junta chief Than Shwe.

Khin Nyunt was probably dwelling in a moment of slight euphoria after reading too much of the current Western optimists/ opportunists/ idealists’ propaganda that Burma is now reformed.

—Simon

Philippine Warship in Standoff with Chinese Vessels

China is very much the aggressive party with its 30-year-old backward weapons and technology. But it has the manpower of 1.3 billion. How China dare claim historical facts! History is history—it’s gone and in the past. What is today and what will be tomorrow—those are the facts.
Sometimes China shows it’s might through aggressive action like in the Spratlys Islands’ incident in 1988 with Vietnam. In Burma, China has acquired by illegal means all the projects by paying money under the table to Burmese generals and claiming their rights to construct dams, etc. The regime of the communist government is really shameful.

—Oo Maung Gyi

UN Security Council Hails Burmese By-elections

Everyone must now wait and see how this government solves the Kachin crisis—their ethnic cleansing campaign is a crime against humanity. The current progress and a deal with the NLD are apparently an attempt to seek excuses for their unforgivable crimes.
Praising this inhumane brutal regime clad in a civilian skin and preparing to award it by lifting sanctions will just increase their confidence to commit heinous crimes freely and happily.
The autonomous status of the Kachins and their entitlement to their land and their rights to defend their land and peoples must be respected. Uninvited government troops must be withdrawn from Kachin immediately. KIO/KIA is the legitimate administration and defense body of Kachin State.
—Zau Mai

Burma’s New Fashion Icon—The Lady

I love this article! Being modern does not mean we have to lose our traditions. We can be up-to-date with modern knowledge and technology without losing our traditions which we have collected for centuries.

—A Burmese woman engineer

Paper, Cooking Oil and Furniture Pose Threat to Burma’s Forests

Myanmar has already lost a huge amount of natural forest in the last 100 years. Compared to Thailand, Laos and most of the tropical northern countries, Myanmar is the place where you will see the least amount of jungle cover.
We have only a little stock of forest, cattle, poultry, fish and some other basic life supporting necessities. However, because we do not have technology, management and production, we don’t have good exports.
Look at what we import. There are lots of good stuff, but there are also lots of things to feed the “desire of trends” such as cosmetics, plastic stuff, etc, that finally go into our already large mass of garbage. Along with these we also take in the cultures and lifestyles that destroy our livelihoods.
We need proper education, skills, technology, much better management, production of good products and good food, much better mental and physical health, and generations of peoples who will build a united and happier country. We need people who understand what beauty really is.
—Sai Williams