By Dr. Tayza

For anyone who wants to get rich quick, there are millions of gas dollars in junta’s coffers up for grab. One just needs to serve junta masters well. If one doesn’t mind about losing one’s self-respect, just pinch the nose, hold the breath, shake junta’s blood-stained hands, and can make the deal to sell one’s services to the junta.

Junta Generals sitting on huge natural-gas reserves in Burma’s off-shore gas-fields, are not reluctant to spend a few million dollars to buy some intellectuals, writers, artists and even former diplomats from around the world; to get their services as junta’s unofficial envoys, to defend junta’s bad human-rights records, to de-rail international efforts to democratize Burma, and to promote twisted pervert ideas about the virtues of doing business with junta in stead of putting pressures on it for democratic reforms.

Junta is now at a critical stage in its quest for eternal dominance in Burma’s politics. Junta has almost finished its pro-military constitution drafting process in its rubber-stamp Convention. They just need to get their pro-military constitution approved by a public referendum, and then new elections_ completely neglecting the legitimate and internationally recognized 1990 election results_ to install a puppet semi-civilian parliament under a President with dictatorial powers; Presidents must come from military background according to their pro-military constitution. They look up to Pakistan and Russia as their ideal models.

But Junta is facing a few serious obstacles along their road-map for eternal dominance. First of all; Junta knows that people will vote down the pro-military constitution in the referendum if they are allowed to vote freely. And if they rig the votes and intimidate voters, Junta knows that international community will condemn them for foul-play. Likewise, even if they somehow get their constitution approved, in the following elections there is a very strong possibility that opposition leader and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s party will win second consecutive land-slide victory; especially if the elections are carried out in a free and fair manner. And if they use dirty tricks to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi’s Party from winning elections, any other Party installed by Junta as a puppet government will lack credibility in international community.

And there is a very likely chance that Aung San Suu Kyi’s Party, which has the legitimate mandate given to them by the people in 1990 elections, will boycott Junta’s referendum and new elections. Then, any hope by Junta for credibility of their referendum and new elections will be nipped in the bud.

And lastly, but not least, there is a definite certainty that any puppet government installed by Junta will come under harsh international sanctions; the same sanctions which Junta is desperately trying to get lifted off.

So, as brutally cunning players of realpolitiks, Junta know that they need international advertisements in favour of them. With billion dollars of gas money steadily flowing into their coffers, Junta Generals now consider it worth splashing about a few million quick bucks to buy services from scholars, writers, artists and academics from around the world.

As a consequence, these days we are getting confidential information about such and such scholars, writers, artists etc getting so and so amount of service fees plus this and that promises from junta for lucrative business opportunities in tourism and other investment fields once they get sanctions lifted off. Of course, it too difficult, if not totally impossible, to prove such secret under-the-table dealings. But one can just wonder how can there be smoke if there’s no fire.

If you are an intellectual, writer or artist and if you want to cash in some quick bucks by promoting some pervert ideas about the virtues of neglecting junta’s blood-stained human-rights records to engage with junta for business in stead of putting pressure on them for democratic reforms, then you can join the already long queue of like-minded people at Junta’s door-step. You can lose just your self-respect, nothing else; and so if you don’t mind losing your self-respect, or if you have never respected yourself in the first place, serving for Junta masters will be a sure way to get rich quick for you. You’ll even find that you are not alone!