Thoughts on reading Burma Digest’s Editorial: Triple Six Uprisings

   From the God-grandfather General Ne Win to the nowadays “grandson” General Than Shwe, although all generals having seen the whole country extremely poor, backwards and everywhere bodies of the starved, they are never moved, without feelings of any guilt or pity. 

   The generals are in deed the arch usurper of state power. Since the coup of March 2,1962 ,they have waged the genocide war, as well as forced displacement and forced labour, to oppress the ethic nationalities who demand national equality. In 1962，1974 and 1988, they massacred students, civilians and monks who demanded democracy, the death amount increased from a hundred in 1962 up to thousands in 1988, but they did not care. In 1990 they lost the General Election but have till now refused to handover power to the winners NLD, SNLD etc. Regardless of the protest of Burma’s people and international community, they have house-arrested NLD’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi for 10 years and jailed more than 1100 political prisoners including the elected people’s representatives. They prohibit all activities of opposition parties and democratic activists of Burma. Accusing with “disintegrating Burma� and “splitting people’s unity�, they massacre cool-bloodedly our democratic force and our ethnic forces.  

   The generals grab everything from people through deceit or by force. They invent names such as “Nationalization”, “Demonetization of the currency notesâ€?, “Anti-market-playersâ€?,“Defend Socialist economyâ€? etc to filch people’s economic lifelines and plunder people’s industry, commerce and wealth. They exploit the peace-loving people so much that the latter can hardly survive. The people are suffering hell on earth ,weak and sick due to malnutrition, their children have little chance to study because the schools are often closed by the junta due to student movements. However, the generals eat too fine and need to reduce body weight. Their children study mostly abroad.

   The generals can have everything at will because they have power. The half-century dictatorial rule and civil war confirm the generals that the political power grows 100% out of the barrel of a gun and that justice and conscience is nothing. The generals like to ask,“ The Western Democracy, Federalism or Scientific Knowledge, how much per kilo? �. 

   Maybe their sub-consciousness tells the generals that they have done evil too much and will definitely fall deep into the bottom of the hell, the generals are now 

   –day and night in a state of anxiety. 

   –Praying exaggeratedly to Lord Buddha.  

   –Kneeling down before supernatural spirits for good luck. 

   –Using their dirty money to build pagodas and “donateâ€?the monks.  

   –begging the astrologers for advice to escape bad-luck. 

   By these ways the generals hope in vain to rescue themselves from the hell.   

   The blind faith in spirits and astrologers of Burma’s generals has become the laughing stock of the world. 

   –General Ne Win blind-worships number 9.He believes 9 will bring him health ,wealth and good luck. 

   –Just according to astrologers, last year General Than Shwe secretly spread “millions of gold goes abroadâ€?, in order to let false Than Shwe go away and real Than Shwe long live in Burma. In Burmese “Than Shweâ€? means “millions of goldâ€?. Nevertheless, this children’s rumour stimulated the gold price leaping up and causing Burma’s skyrocket-inflation. 

   –According to astrologers too, the junta moved 11 Ministerial Departments on November 11 to the New Capital. Thousands and thousands of governmental servant were forced to move at that very numbers 11.11.11.When the move started, all the servant had to shout loudly:“1，2，3，Capital Moves! Capital Moves! Capital Moves!â€? so as to let the spirits be definitely informed. –According to BURMA DIGEST Editorial: the junta is afraid of the number 6 too, which means “threatenâ€? in Burmese. That means number 6is every second threatening the junta. 

   In fact, according to the Theravada Buddhism, good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil. If the reward is not forthcoming, it is because the time has not arrived yet. When the time arrives, one will get all the reward he deserves. If one commits too much evil deeds, he will die, all of a sudden ,even healthy.  

   You generals have killed for a half-century nearly a million of innocent people, committed all sorts of wickedness and been guilty of the most heinous crimes. You definitely can not escape from the boundless bitterness and endless circle of rebirths Samsara. 

   Anyhow, in case you give up evil ways, try your best keeping the basic 5-precepts of Buddhism: 

1.   kill not: Stop killing democratic force and ethnic people. 
2.   steal not: Abolish your plundering & dictatorial rule , handover the stolen power to people. 
3.   commit not adultery: Stop using rape as a tactics of war on the oppressed ethnic people. 
4.    lie not: No more deceiving the people of Burma and international community. 
5.   drink not intoxicants: Give up drug money & drug traffic. 

   Then, your monstrous crimes will decrease and you can climb upwards from the hell-bottom.  

   Lord Buddha teaches us “Better save one life than build a 7-storied pagoda”. So, no need to copy General Ne Win who has built a golden pagoda under the historical Shwe Dagon Pagoda of Rangoon. There are a lot of very effective ways to do good deeds. 

   Lord Buddha is infinitely compassionate and merciful. 

   Listen! Butcher generals! 

   The circle of rebirths Samsara is endless! The sea of bitterness has no bounds! 

   Repent! Drop your butcher knife! Stop committing evil ! Keep 5-precerps! Redeem sins by good deeds! Do more good deeds!…… The shore is at hand. 

by Maung Chan  (Burma’s Chinese)