Sadly enough but predictably, U Than Shwe knows nothing more than to react in bad taste to events, not trying to see them in true perspective, identify problems as to what they really are, how they came about and why. He and his men always, let me repeat always, get angry at dissidents and put the blame on any body but themselves. He does not know, or does not want to know it seems, that it is only proper to try to see other people’s plight and their points of view and see how he can help his own countrymen by trying to find answers to the problems. Instead, he follows the easy way (I mean easy for him), “arrest them, or else shoot to silence them”. He acts like one not born of a loving mother: how else can he not see sons and daughters of other mothers have rights to life, to equal opporetunities, to proper education, to health benefits and general wellbeing? He takes all Myanmar nationas for his slaves, subservient to him and his cronies, and agree to everything he says and does, no matter how terrible he is.
Actually, he should just sit back and think and reflect for a moment: he should come to realize how these monks and their devotees deserve the liberty and freedom that are the basic rights to life, just as U Than Shwe, the son of his mother, loves to enjoy those rights.
How and when will Burma be a free country, U Than Shwe? Can’t you help? Or don’t you want to be a kindly old man who treats well every other son and daughter of other pitiable mothers? How I wish you do not take those heavy burdens of brutality and horrendous deeds beyond your grave. Pay back a little here and a little there that will be enough to lighten you a bit on your long journey through the endless samsara. Wll anybody dare reach and translate this to him?

Actually, there is, as far as I can recall from my experience as a Bama and a friend, since my childhood to Christiansw and Muslims and Sikhs, and in my service years in the Shan State, to Shans, Kachins, Palaungs (most of them ordinary people and villagers) and migrant Chin workers, I have never known any quarrelling amongst them or with the majority Bamas (at work sites) and in the villiages. I was not there for a brief visit, but had lived more than two decades. We were all friends and can freely mix socially and culturally. To be candid, there has always been a consciousness of ethnic differences (and a few very strong, and not to accomodate any argument), and by itself is a good cause for tolerance with each other, however unducated the majority are. Yes, the exceptional few I just quoted have a higher than average education, but they are a very small minority. I had a Shan boss and other categories working with me. I am not saying that it was all problem-free, but no, not due to racial differences (although someone, somewhere might thoughtlessly, or as an excue, say it was because he was a Chin, a Kachin or a Shan – but that is beside the point.) But of course, there are some thoughtless Bamas, and other men who are haughty and carefree by nature; their natrures are very well understood.
Let me say this: Bamas are one of the most racially and religiously tolerant people in the world.
Ashamed as we are, it is the tragidy of Burma that a few or a group or a minor part of us who hold absolute power, as we see today, are led by greed, hate and ignorance, totally intolerant and they let out their wrath indiscriminately, let me repeat indiscriminately, favouring only to those who agree with them. They hate the majority Bamas most of all, obviously for their united will, invariably defiant and always challenging.
Bogyoke Aung San,if he were still alive, would be just as defiant and challenging, but musch more effective and adroid, from what I know of him.

I would like to thank good Garrett for his forthright, fair comments, and appreciate his strong feelings for the minority people. I am with him. The benefits of what the Bamas do must be inclusive of all ethnicities inside the borders of Burma (We vote for federalism). It is a matter of mutual dependence and respect.
Garrett must have seen many instances of Bamas’ defiance and resistance to brute force, and seen how they have suffered. We did moan, but had never given up, and never will.
The junta is a brute force that does not understand how to behave like human beings, unlike the English gentlemen in the British Parliament in the days of Independence struggle in India and Burma. I have often wondered how it would have been if the British then were just as tyranical and fierce as the Burma junta that we are facing today. They have corrected where the British erred to hold on to their colonial power. (But of course there were other factors then, more profound and understood by men of integrity only.)
The junta and its cronies don’t understand the human values or how to respect human valour in meeting with abrute adversary, as a basis of gentlemanly considerations (say, unarmed youngsters, men and women, or praying monks, facing a battle-hardened soldiers with loaded automatic arms, with their fingers half pressed on the triggers).
We do not believe violence against violence is answer to our problems.
We do not believe mass protests, to sacrifice our youngsters in another bloodbath, would work either.
It is life and death struggle for Than Shwe, the predator animal. He and his guns must survive. He won’t yield.
Point three: it is not a good thought to expect some foreign power to intervene and fight for us.
And we must not forget the armed groups in the border areas are good fighters in the hills and too small to fight the Burma military on the plains (I am thinkinfg of the time of general uprising needing diversion and asssistance, unless the ABSDF is a force of some 100,000 well-trained soldiers.)
So what options are we left with? I feel that the greater portion of the population, regardless of race or religion, are now united in one spirit, that of opposition to the junta. I, or no one for that matter, can foresee how the final showdown will come about. But I am sure it is coming. It may come suddenly or slowly, but spontaneously. The orgaqnization seems to be going on quietly. It seems to me it will not explode. It will implode. Suddenly, Than Shwe and his close cronies will be nowhere to be found.
Fat chance? Well, one never knows. One hopes and works for it.
Another point Garrett had said:
“It seems that karma is like a lock on a door which is there to keep an honest man honest. To a thief, the lock is but a minor inconvenience.”
Karma or kam (for kamma) as we say in Burma, is three-way link of past, present and future. It may act like a lock on a door for a man who never does any wholesome deed. But the links are open for a man born of loving mothers and kindly fathers, and so well-groomed in wholesome thoughts, verbiage and actions.
So, there is hope for Burma and its people, my friend.