Heirs of Nero in Ruling Junta of Burma
Aug 7th, 2008
By Aquilino Pimentel
[Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. is a leading SEnator in the Senate of the Republic of Philippines.]
I am especially pleased that we’ve published in BURMA DIGEST the articles of Vaclac Havel and colleagues because they are people of international renown and probity.
To men and women of conscience the world-over, their stand on the continuing repression of the rights of the Burmese peoples should count a lot.
Here at home in the Philippines, although I am not sure what the final outcome will be, we are opposing the approval of the ASEAN Charter on the ground that the Myanmar Junta cannot be expected to abide by its human rights content judging from its brutality and its inexcusable unconcern for the plight of its own people – victims of cyclone Nargis.
Where in the world has there ever been a group of people in power who prioritized a referendum to grant themselves more powers at a time when thousands of their countrymen and women were rendered homeless, hungry and ill by a murderous cyclone and the bodies of the dead still floating in rivers, ponds and marshes waiting for burial?
The thought sickens me that at this time and age, the heirs of Nero and Caligula have resurfaced in the Ruling Junta of Myanmar.
August 9th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Yes, you have found one in Burma and also, heirs of Nero and Caligula as well.
And you are right in opposing the ASEAN Charter as Than Shwe and his thugs would not abide by its human rights content also, given the fact that they have given priority over holding onto power than helping their own country people devastated by Cyclone Nargis way back on May 2/3, 2008. They are still NOT HELPING the people until today. The cleaning up process and providing aid to the victims are still ongoing not to mention resettling and rebuilding still way off.
Than Shwe and his thugs are MAKING MONEY out of the DISASTER even, don’t you know?
Thus, they have DIVED to the LOWEST RUNG of human existence on this earth.
How can you believe them saying they are going to establish a DEMOCRATIC society in Burma via their SEVEN STEP ROAD MAP.
They are now planning to hold a RIGGED ELECTION in 2010 and establish a military dynasty based on the constitution they have just got through via the sham REFERENDUM held last May 2008, over the dead bodies of more than a hundred thousand people killed in the wake of the Cyclone Nargis.