_ By Cedric Snodgrass

By refusing to honour the 1990 elections the generals betrayed all who voted for democracy.
Many soldiers and their families voted for democracy. They also were betrayed.

Since then the generals have been selling Burma’s timber, gas, gems, precious metals and rice to foreign countries, for their own profit.
The generals have grown fat while the people starve.

The generals have betrayed the people and they are betraying the country.

Now the generals are preparing to use violence against non-violent monks and their followers.
Martial law is not justified. An order to use violence in the existing circumstances is an illegal order.
There will be no place in the coming democratic Burma for soldiers who obey such illegal orders.

The duty of the soldiers is clear :
it is to disobey illegal orders.

The soldiers must protect the monks and the people against the bad kings and their puppets.
This calls for courage.
There is no courage in shooting down unarmed civilians.

The generals have placed in key positions soldiers they consider the most loyal to themselves.
If these soldiers attack the people, other soldiers must come and save the people.

For soldiers and civilians alike, will the future be dark, or will it be bright ?

Soldiers, the future of Burma depends upon you !