If one is truly human one has to uphold whatever little honour one possesses

There is a Myanmar saying that goes “It is all right if you don’t want to help, but please don’t disturb”. I have realized that former Czech president Vaclav Havel and Bishop Desmond Tutu do not want at all to give a helpful haorganizes organizes nd to Myanmar, that is taking all possible measures based on self-reliant efforts to be on the correct path towards development, but are making one-sided accusations against the nation. The two are not willing to help Myanmar, and it does not matter. But they should not disrupt Myanmar from taking steps for her progress. Although they have no wish to help Myanmar national people, they are pretending to have goodwill to the people. Indeed, it is just in the interests of a certain person and a handful of people in the nation. It is apparent to everyone that their words are in contrast with their deeds.

The two men issued a report urging the UN Security Council to interfere in the internal affairs of Myanmar.

Just as I took a glance at the cover, I guessed they are such kind of persons who have a bias against Myanmar. It is because at the beginning of the report, they said they did not want to call the nation “Myanmar”. They said they used the name “Burma” instead of “Myanmar”. And they excused that why they did not use the term “Myanmar” was because NLD leaders did not accept to call the name of the nation as “Myanmar”. The group, that often stated that NLD won the majority of votes in the 1990 elections, is still intransigent to call “Myanmar” for the reason that it can win the favour of their foreign masters who are providing assistance for it only if it is against the ruling government. With the intention of promoting the role of the group, the foreign masters said that the name “Myanmar” is used just for the sake of the government, so they could not use the name “Myanmar” and they would continue to use the name “Burma”.

The year 1990 was just two years after the 1988 unrest in which anarchy was rampant across the nation. At that time, the majority of the national people could not distinguish exactly who were good and who were bad. Therefore, many people failed to cast votes. Most of the voters were just willing to see a political change in the nation. The Tatmadaw Government held fair and free multi-party general elections on 27 May 1990. At the time, the population of adults stood nearly 21 million (20,818,313), and only over 15 million (15,112524) cast votes. NLD won 7,934,632 votes, accounting for 31 per cent of the nation’s adult population. At that time, the nation’s population was close to 40 million. So it is unwise to assume that NLD won the support of the majority of the people. Experienced senior people were not in favour of that political party because the leader of that party never gave any hint when she was abroad that she would play a leading role in the future of her motherland. She never thought of or made any preparations to do so and she spent her entire time abroad as she liked. She returned to the nation when her mother’s days were numbered. But her visit coincided with general deterioration of the nation’s situation, and was pushed onto the stage to be the public leader. In fact, she was one of the victims found in the historic events.

The majority of the members of the National League for Democracy are those who used to be members of various parties and got out of those parties, or those who were seeking opportunities so that their hopes of playing a leading role again in politics would come true since their dismissals. They chose her as their leader with the intention of using her name as a stepping-stone, and not because of her leadership ability.

She was just an inexperienced one without self-control, and did not get well with those who promoted her. They were quarreling one another even when they were not in power. To my dismay, responding to the query “How much do you know about Myanmar affairs?” in an interview, she said in an ostentatious tone that she knew Myanmar affairs so much that she felt disappointed. I do not think even a person, who loves his mother country and is knowledgeable about political affairs and likes reading, will do so. A person who will have to lead a nation must be serene and in self-control, but should not be conceited. And such a person is required to decide what he or she should do in the affairs of the nation, instead of dancing to the tune of the masters.

Besides elderly persons, the youths are not in support of that political party. Today’s youths like reading and are therefore knowledgeable. They said that the democracy leader could speak English very well, but all her speeches lacked essence. They said it was just an accident she became the leader of that party. She was rather conceited, they said, adding that they did not think it was wise she treated others in an oppressive way.

Neo-colonialists eyed her due to one ability that she obeys their words and relay them to the world and implements their policy exactly. Thus, they do not need to demonstrate some activities by themselves in the world. All her activities are to the liking of their masters.

A book that is as thick as a treatise cannot provide enough space to state all the evils of the party members. It is very clear to everyone that the members of that party rely on foreign nations, and they never hesitate to tarnish the image of the nation for the sake of their own, and say and act to the liking of their foreign masters.

The name “Myanmar” is an archaic word, so I would say the decision to rename “Burma” into “Myanmar” helps enhance the prestige of the nation.

Before the Christ, the People’s Republic of China, a close friend of Myanmar, and Pyus, who established city states in Myanmar, exchanged goodwill delegations and cultural troupes. The people who are descendants of Pyus are later known as Myanmars. Ancient Myanmar treatises state that Myanmars are posterity of Pyus.

Chinese people called Myanmars “Myantrant” for long. Some ancient Chinese treatises mentioned the people in the territory of Myanmar as “Myan”. Whenever Myanmar writers paid visits to China, local people called and mentioned the guests in Chinese with the pronunciation of “Myantrant” that means Myanmar.

The first paragraph of Chapter (1) of the Constitution of the Union of Myanmar says “Myanmar (original dictation) is a Sovereign Independent Republic. It is to be known as the Union of Myanmar.” It was stated in the constitution for the independent Myanmar.

Here, there might be a complaint that in Myanmar, it is called Union of Myanmar, but in English, Union of Burma. It is because the colonialists mentioned Myanmar with wrong pronunciation and wrongly stated it. Later, the nation was known as “Burma”. So, other nations also called and mentioned Myanmar as Burma. The capital city of the People’s Republic of China was renamed from Peking to Beijing. Similarly, Siam was renamed Thailand, and Ceylon, Sri Lanka.

I happened to hold talks with a friend of mine, who was collecting Aungbarle State lottery tickets, about those, who loyally serve the other country rather than their own, and are lackeys of neo-colonialists. With documentary evidences, he said when Myanmar was under subjugation of the colonialists, the State Lottery Office was established on 1 June 1938, and it was put into service on 13 June the same year. Then, the words “Government of Union of Myanmar” were embodied on each lottery. In colonial days, the national lottery was held 13 times, he said.

I learnt that in the period of the fascists, the State lottery was opened on 15 November 1942. Each state lottery ticket carried the words “Government of Union of Burma”. Myanmar launched anti-fascist resistance in March 1945. Then, the colonialists entered the nation again. On 30 January 1947, the 14th State lottery was launched. From the 14th time to the period Myanmar regained independence, the colonialists mentioned as Government of Union of Myanmar on each state lottery ticket.

Here, what is important is that it just needs to write the name in Myanmar correctly. Foreign nations called and mentioned the name of the nation wrongly as they liked, and so, maybe the name of the nation was a wrong one with different pronunciation. However, it must be renamed into original name when the nation becomes a sovereign one. But, if a person or an organization prefers to call “Myanmar” in Myanmar and “Burma” in English, he or she or the organization is the one that prefers speaking in English to speaking in Myanmar, and does not love the motherland and because they are not genuine Myanmar.

Surely, those who never hesitate to resort to any means to oppose Myanmar, who lack dignity, and who do not care for being regarded as persons of lower social class will continue to call Myanmar whatever they like.

It is impossible for the people to have the same conviction and conception. If a person wants to point out a conviction or conception of a nation that is different from his, he will have to call the nation in its original name or the new one. Bishop Desmond Tutu and former Czech president Vaclav Havel who have recently issued the exaggerated report are not the ones who point out other’s conviction and conception objectively. It is apparent the two are of narrow-minded as they are intransigent to call the Union of Myanmar but are still calling Union of Burma to the liking of the elements who are under their influence. So, one can guess that the report must not feature correct items and objective points. They are totally obstinate to mention Myanmar as it really is with the intention of helping the one they like to come into power.

Refutation

The two have ill will towards Myanmar. They say that even Afghanistan, which the US has invaded, alleging the nation to be hosting terrorists, has less faults than Myanmar. They have invented six unjust faults on our nation. Now I will refute all the six lopsided faults one by one.

The fist one says that the present Myanmar government removed an elected government; and that also in 1962, the military junta overthrew the government elected by popular vote. The truth was that the elected prime minister himself had requested the then commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces to assume the State responsibility in 1958. The Tatmadaw while discharging the State duties held an election. The AFPFL (Clean) and the AFPFL (Stable) took part in the election, and the former won a landslide victory. But soon, grumbles about the political atmosphere of Myanmar that was becoming terribly hot came out from the cracks within the ruling party. Because the ruling party was split into U, Bo, Thakin factions. As the disputes and divisions within the ruling party was a danger to the nation, there occurred another coup in 1962.

The persons who controlled the State authority in 1962 and the ones who held the election in 1990 are of the different age bracket and generation. But Tutu and Havel wrote in their report that as if the Tatmadaw held the election only in 1990 after controlling power for a long time. So I clearly say that their accusation is wrong.

Since about a year before the election, the Tatmadaw government had explained for many times that after the election it would transfer the State power to the government that emerged according to the new constitution. The Tatmadaw also made it clear that a new constitution should not be drawn by a single party or organization; that it should be drafted according to the wishes of the entire people including all parties, people from all walks of life, and various nationalities. With the participation of the representatives of all groups and people concerned including those of the NLD, the government held coordination meetings beginning 1992 to organize the National Convention. The convening of the National Convention began in January 1993 with a good start. Later, the NLD representatives under the influence of neo-colonialist instigation, started to disturb the Convention on own will. They left the Convention on 29 November 1995. In line with the seven-point Road Map, the Tatmadaw government resumed the National Convention that had been adjourned since 1996. The Tatmadaw is holding the National Convention with the lofty aim of transferring the State power to the government that is elected in accord with the new constitution.

Ironically, Tutu and Havel are very good at seeing the present situation from an objective point of view. The two’s second accusation says that Myanmar is guilty as she is responsible for the frays and conflicts between rival groups. But those conflicts are the results of the colonialists who spread the disease of antagonism and disputes among the peoples of every colony they were going to lose. I would like to suggest the two to study history.

As for me I feel sad for Tutu. Because of his age, Tutu would have a lot of experiences in various fields. It is sure that for many times, he would have felt much displeasure and unhappiness for seeing racial discrimination. Besides, he is a bishop. So, with respect, I would like to advise him to have sympathy and mercy to those who are trying to overcome various kinds of difficulties and sufferings. Finding fault with others is opposite to having sympathy and mercy to mankind. I feel sorry for the bishop as he is speaking words blaming the persons of a country in accordance with the West group’s wish, while forgetting to consider his own image.

Sure, we do have some conflicts between different groups in our nation. But such sectarian conflicts are the trademarks, resulting from the blemishes of the past occupiers, of all former colonies. The occupiers since they seized a nation and then drove a wedge among the national people, applying gentle means to stir up racial or sectarian prejudices to cause raging hostility and conflicts in the colony. It was the work of every colonialist.

In Myanmar, the colonialists intensified their perpetration of dividing the nationalities when the granting of independence became a must for them and was just around the corner. Thus, violent fictional conflicts broke out in the nation soon after she proclaimed independence.

Successive governments had tried to organize the national races to enable them to overcome their differences. Of them, the present government is the most successful one in this drive. The 17 national race armed groups that rose against the previous governments have returned to the legal fold in the time of the present government. Today, they are working for the regional and national development joining hands with the government.

Of the smaller groups that had made peace with the government, some of them unconditionally surrendered their arms. This is good news for one and all since this constitutes putting an end to conflicts and ensuring peace in the country.

In the past, it was difficult to travel from one region to another. Today, peace prevails all over the country, except certain areas, of course.

Why do such exceptions exist? It is interesting. It is usually the desire of the colonialists that they would like to keep under their domination or influence the former colonies, which they granted independence since there was no alternative. The colonialists and their minion nations would keep on troubling every nation that fail to bow to their domination. They would not like to see unity of national races in the Union of Myanmar. That is why they are trying to sow discord among the national races.

These days ways and means to destroy unity of the people are many and varied. Due to the instigation and incitement of the media, one can be misled into believing that life in foreign nations looks like some kind of a paradise. Things become different only when one practically gets there. Be that as it may, Myanmar society does not accept the unnatural or unrealistic progress. Flattery and intimidation are their tactics. They would wage propaganda war with intent to sow discord among the national races. They are ready to provide arms or military training sneaking into the border, if need be, to achieve their goal. Who are those people?

The government has repeatedly tried to achieve national reconsolidation. With a rise in the number of meetings discussing to make peace, representatives from both sides have become somewhat like close relatives. Despite such intimacy and close relationship, what are the reasons behind? The final stage of signing the agreement was wrecked time and again. This has been due to the perpetration and incitements as well as to their close ties with the lackeys of the colonialists in the past. When conflicts arise between the splinter groups, fighting usually breaks out. Think about it. When the opposing group gives trouble to the public, the government troops have to go to war to protect the lives and property of the people. It is natural for the people to turn to the government troops in the face of danger. It is what it should be. During the 1988 incident, the government troops did not intervene but kept a watchful eye. But with little respect for the troops, the rioters got wild and committed ruthless acts going so far as killing people and destroying State-owned property.

During the days that followed, all those who took part in the demonstrations and bystanders, too, were greatly alarmed. I remember what my younger sister remarked then. She said she was at ease when she learned about the taking over of responsibilities by the Tatmadaw although she had to live in panic and in fear earlier. She knew no politics but she did know who were dependable.

Those who did not know the truth about the alleged conflict between the government and the nationalities would think that what Tutu and the former Czech president stated in their report to be true. The Tatmadaw members who have taken responsibility to protect the people have to fight the enemies who were cruel to the innocent national races earning their honest living. Only the will those national people live in peace.

Those who set the compatriots against each other would be pleased with the problem they had caused. The ordinary nationalities on their part are fed up with their brethren who were still armed, for, peace is what they truly want.

The Tatmadaw members would never remain indifferent to the brutalities and cruelties of those elements. They have to crush such elements regardless of whatever or whoever they are. Those who are blaming the Tatmadaw discharging duty for the sake of security of nationalities would not say that it was tolerance of the Tatmadaw if it had not taken any action; they would say that the Tatmadaw did not pay any attention to the well-being of the nationalities.

It has been age-old Myanmar tradition to build the nation on self-reliance exerting utmost efforts. No one extended any help when we did so in the past. Why they take interest in Myanmar all of a sudden at present is that they want a country in a geographically strategic area to be under their influence. It is a sure thing.

If the colonialists as well as their minions have real goodwill, they should not see only their own interest alone. They should help the nationalities of Myanmar to earn their living peacefully, instead of trying to cause unrest among the national people. I would like to tell them (colonialists and minions), “Please do not disturb us, just leave us alone if you have no wish to help.”

They are so childish to attack our country through the media when things do not go their way and to say that they are going to help us only when the nation yields to their demands. They are like a child showing a pastry to another child saying that he will give him the pastry only if the latter child carries him on his back to the football ground. I am afraid, but their acts are torturing us mentally.

The third point of the accusation reaffirms the arrogant behavior of Tutu and ex-Czech President Havel in attacking Myanmar through media. They say that Myanmar’s situation is even worse among the nations with worst human rights records. They are trying to corner the nation through every means. Myanmars are the people who were living under their own kings before the Christ was born. They have also kept in the fore the Four Cardinal Virtues and have been brought up under the teachings of the Dhamma. Meanwhile, the elements are trying to realize their aim of pouring bad blood among the nationalities.

At the same time, there are some people of the big nations and also the fox-like persons depending on some citizens of the powers who do not care whether the words are logical or illogical. It seems that it is enough for them to give trouble to a nation even when there is one or two persons who believe the fabrications. And with that tactic they have given trouble to a number of nations since years ago.

Honest and sincere persons are credulous. But the persons who try to cause conflicts among the people of other nations will have to pay for their sins one day.

Will the persons who are safeguarding the nation destroy what they have done? In our nation, we all assume it is the national duty to keep “non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, perpetuation of sovereignty and emergence of a new constitution” in the fore. So, in no way we will commit inhuman acts against our race. Foreigners who have stayed in Myanmar and known about her very well will never believe those fabrications saying that Myanmar has terrible human rights abuses. We also do not believe the lies.

As national races are sincere, they may be deceived and frightened easily. And as soon as there appear confusion and doubts among the national people, the perpetrators will find a way to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs.

I have respect for Tutu and Havel, because sincere persons are easy to be deceived. I presume that you both are under the influence of fabrications and hearsay. Since childhood, we Myanmars have been taught to have sympathy and respect for women according to their age. But there may be few exceptions. But even those persons will not commit terrible crime against humanity as mentioned in your report. Because we the Myanmar people never label any one terrorist or criminal based on racial prejudice and colour discrimination.

From my point of view, the accusation concerning the forced labour comes out due to differences in the way of life. In Myanmar all able-bodied persons are always ready to help others or participate in social welfare tasks.

Sadly, the accusations made by Tutu and Havel are based on false propaganda but not on facts. The forced recruitment of minors for combat is not the practice of the Tatmadaw. It is only the act of the underground gangs including Ywet Sit’s SSA-S. They both will know best whether they actually did not know the true situation or knowingly made the accusation.

In every accusation, they cited Myanmar as the worst of its kind. So rather than refuting the accusations, we should concentrate our mind on trying to find out the answer to the question — Why do they want to see the destruction of Myanmar more than the destruction of other nations?

Oh! A lot of lopsided accusations on Myanmar. They are all groundless, and it sticks out a mile. Every nation has faced the problem of relocating people. In many cases, a nation has to use the cultivation lands and residential areas for constructing important buildings, dams and bridges that serve the interest of the majority. The people of those areas are always relocated to an appropriate place. But for the hardworking persons, any place is their home. They can settle at any place and earn their living well. Only those who are afraid to work are always thinking of finding someone to rely on.

I think it was around 1975. Agricultural land had to be seized in Japan for building Narita Airport. Farmers staged protests against the government throughout the construction period of the airport. And when the airport was completed, a large number of people staged a lie-down protest in and around the airport compound. But what happened later? Force had to be used to remove the protesters. In the end, Narita Airport was opened. Sometimes houses have to be dismantled to make way for roads and other facilities for the benefit of the people. But everyone is happy when the road is completed, because it facilitates the flow of goods and passengers. Such problems often occur in many countries. If Tutu and Havel have a sense of shame, they should stop their way of finding fault with others. Every time our nation refutes an accusation, they try to find another fault with her.

They often said, “Burma is unique” and accused the nation of violating human rights. But what about the act of invading Iraq, without the UN sanction? And yet, one of the self-invented justifications, with no real essence, of the invasion is to save Iraq people. What about the Abu Garib prison scandal? What about the detainment of people in a prison on Cuba island? Are the atrocious acts of the troops of the big nation unique too? As no lawsuit has been filed against the detainees, nobody can ascertain whether they are guilty or not. There may be many detainees who are not subject to any charges. It seems that the big nation has accepted the theory of arresting any dark-skin person living in the Middle East. What about the people who are being shackled in the prison on Cuba island, where the climate conditions are harsh? Who can say for sure every detainee is a terrorist? It is not the work of gentlemen, who value human rights, to put innocent people under severe conditions.

The accusations concerning the lack of political freedom in Myanmar, and the act of constantly disturbing politicians, and torturing and murdering them are nothing more than nonsense, based on rumours and hearsay. In our country, everyone can do whatever he believes within the framework of law. But don’t commit any acts that may terrify the public or cause public unrest, because no country tolerates those kind of acts.

Tutu and Havel, as you have accused us of disturbing and torturing politicians every time, I would like to ask you “Do you say anything about the closure of religious buildings of immigrants in western nations, the freeze of their funds, and the arrest of people on suspicion alone?” Because of their religion alone, the lives of youths born and brought in Britain are no easy. Whether they are terrorists or not they cannot enjoy the rights fully.

In Myanmar all politicians have rights to speak, live and work freely. They can make telephone conversations or interviews freely. The authorities will not take any action against them, if their acts are within the framework of law. But in any nation, megalomaniacs are fond of making exaggerations beyond the limit.

I have one more thing to tell them concerning their accusation of the existence of child soldiers in our nation. According to the law of military recruitment, no person who has not reached the age of 16 is allowed to join the armed forces. He should have the consent of his parents, and testimonies of the ward authorities and the police station concerned. Because of the law and the rules, it is clear that there cannot be any child soldier in the nation. There might be minors who had become child combatants once at our juvenile care centres. Whenever the Tatmadaw crushed the illegal camps of underground armed bands under the command of drug barons, the Tatmadawmen found and saved minors who had been brought to the camps under forced recruitment. As those children were being brought to the camps before they could talk well, it was impossible for the Tatmadaw to send them back to their villages.

The report of Tutu and Havel also said that two minors who ran away from Myanmar to Thailand told authorities that they were deserters who were forcedly recruited into the army. Who can be certain that they were child soldiers? No child soldier has any markings saying that he is one. They may be telling lies so that they can stay at an expatriate camp.

True Myanmars possessing Myanma characters will not tolerate any person who slander the nation or race. We have passed through various eras and situations, while serving the majority’s interest together with our own. We have been living in peace according to the motto — Serving majority's interest will bring success to the doer also.

But the arrival of the media age has made people consider leaving their sincere lives after learning about a lot of new things they never have had seen or heard in their life. The people become excited with the wish to leave their native land in search of new places which they think will offer many bright opportunities. We all know about media. The media can entice people by showing only the good parts of a place and scare them by screening only the bad parts. Some foreign media are so dutiful in showing the bad parts of Myanmar, trying to telecast people living in poverty. But there are also people facing abject poverty in rich countries. As the poor of New Orleans had to work so hard just to earn their living, most of them were not able to leave the city in time, although warning about the Hurricane Katrina was issued two days in advance. While the poor were suffering from Katrina, their President was relaxing in his own ranch.

Many people do not know or understand the abject condition of the poor of the rich nations. Most of the persons who are well versed in English language readily referred to things popular in foreign nations. Persons who have heard about only the high salaries in foreign nations never consider the cost of going there, the risks of living in those countries and the depression they are going to suffer from as their lives will be calculated by money. Living in the mother country is like staying in the embrace of the mother. Those foreign media fail to explain the immediate dangers of living in a foreign country.

Among such naive people are artless youths from far-flung areas and rural and urban areas, especially those who want to be rich in a short time. Mostly, they intend to earn much money abroad, then pay gratitude to their parents, and do business in their motherland. But they have no intention to live abroad for the rest of their life under the exploitation. In the nation are so many articles based on true stories featuring a variety of troubles and difficulties of those who earned money abroad. However, gullible persons are very eager to go abroad on business, giving excuses that they cannot earn much money at home.

There are similar people in Britain. According to a story in a Reader’s Digest magazine, a British lady who earned money in a developed nation met her tragic end there. Myanmar needs to make increased efforts to be economically strong. However, there are still many people who superficially think of earning much money abroad in a short time instead of considering a long-term plan and making sustained efforts to do business at home. That is the reason why the number of those, who are anxious to go abroad on business, is on the rise. Most of such people work illegally in foreign countries to the liking of rapacious capitalists in the neighbouring countries who eye such cheap labourers.

If a foreign country does not want to accept fugitives, they should not persuade those from Myanmar who are willing to go abroad. And they should not accept such persons. But they should scrutinize background history and curricula vitae of those who ask for political asylum. In fact, the expatriates used to be those who wanted to flee Myanmar due to their personal affairs. Situations favoured them to enter certain nations. Those foreigners who accepted and welcomed renegades conducted interview programmes with them, exploiting the situation to launch a political attack on Myanmar. Mostly, they asked leading questions. Once interviewed, the absconders said ill of Myanmar, where they had been living for their whole life. I feel pity to such persons who made a wrong choice as they have to speak ill of their motherland just for their survival in a foreign country.

Regarding the fourth accusation in the report that says about 700,000 people fled Myanmar, no authorities in foreign nations have confirmed this up to now.

To cease illegal emigration of fugitives, onus is both on Myanmar and on the countries, in which the fugitives are now staying. Some big nations are repatriating the illegal migrants with the use of various ways. Those who fled Myanmar in the 1988 incident were granted political asylum.But among them are those who illegally emigrated due to personal affairs.

A friend of mine who lives in a border area said that there were hardly farmers in her native region. Capitalists from a neighbouring country offered well-paid jobs, so, many youngsters from the region went to the country. About one year later, I came across my friend. My friend said the people who went to the neighbouring country had returned home. They were well-paid but their bosses added yaba tablets to the drinking water for the workers. So, they could work several days in a row without taking any sleep. But, in the end, they were laid down in bed. Then, they were unjustly sacked because they were illegal workers. However, such workers who returned home were already addicted to yaba. Then, some persons who sold yaba in that country sold such kind of stimulant tablets in border areas of Myanmar. Later, even many youths who had never got out of their villages in border areas became addicted to stimulant tablets.

So, I would say only those who wanted to earn much money through shortcut went to such nation that welcomed such naive ones. Unless such nation accepts illegal immigrants, I do not think, they will dare enter the nation. But, they did because they could enter that nation and return at any time.

It seems to me, Tutu and the former Czech president have a poor eye sight. It is because the fifth accusation said Myanmar stood first in the world in producing narcotic drugs. It might be that they took the other side for Myanmar side while they viewed the border line. The Golden Triangle Region is said to be the region that produces poppy most in the world. But, it was beyond my reach why the two men made such accusation.

Now, Myanmar is making efforts with might and main to wipe out the dangers of narcotic drugs. The Buddhist culture and customs of Myanmars are totally against abuse of narcotic drugs. In a bid to eliminate narcotic drugs in the nation, there broke out armed conflicts many times between the government troops and the troops of those who were doing well in business of cultivating poppy. A number of Tatmadaw and police members sacrificed their lives in the battles. Myanmar is taking various ways and means to develop border areas and to ward off narcotic drugs in the nation such as cultivation of poppy-substitute crops, opening of vocational training centres, and holding educative talks on dangers of narcotic drugs.

Myanmar cannot stop all those who illegally enter or leave the nation, and nor does the US. Myanmar is taking all possible measures to put an end to poppy cultivation in the nation. But some persons have local national races grow poppy in the mountains and valleys. As soon as poppy plantations are found out, they are destroyed before long. However, up to now, Myanmar cannot produce narcotic drugs like Ephedrine because it cannot produce precursor chemicals used for production of such narcotic drug. But, why such narcotic drugs are there in Myanmar and why the nation is still producing such narcotic drug? It is easy to produce Ephedrine if precursor chemicals are available. Certain persons are inciting such situation to produce narcotic drugs in the nation with the intention of creating instability in border areas. I am sure Tutu and the former Czech president know which nation abuses narcotic drugs most in the world and what nation is doing well in business through dirty business including trade of narcotic drugs. They practise double standards, so they are turning a blind eye to that.

Before blaming our nation for producing narcotics, they should ask themselves who financed the drug-producing business and where these financiers were from. When the drugs were produced within the borders of our country, they cried out that they had to impose sanctions on our nation as they could not tolerate its production of narcotic drugs. It was unfair, unjust!

No one in Myanmar had never before heard of a narcotic drug called yaba, let alone to produce it. It was introduced into our country only after it have been used widely in a nation. When we said this, we are afraid that it would be like putting the cart before the ox. Desmond Tutu and Vaclav Havel must know well about it as they “have big eyes and ears”. Then why are they slandering us? It must be because they just want to please big nations that are trying to install a puppet government of their own choice in Myanmar.

After levelling accusations at us about narcotic drugs, they went on to say that HIV/AIDS is so rampant in Myanmar that the disease is threatening other nations. This time also, Tutu and his friend made a mistake in looking at the map and could not pinpoint the area where there are so many cases of HIV/AIDS. We do not deny that there are cases of HIV/AIDS on our soil. However, it is not so uncontrollable as they have said. It is because there is no sex trade in our country as in others. Nor are there titillating strip clubs or striptease shows. The nations that have sex industry attract a lot of tourists. And tourist industry is booming there especially because of dirty businesses.

I have read the book entitled “Disposable People”, which is about human trafficking and sex industry. This book won high praise from Tutu himself. In the book, flourishing sex trade of a nation is mentioned in detail.

Female Myanmar workers who had gone to that nation and worked there returned home HIV-positive and the disease began spreading in our country. What they said amounts to that we Myanmar people intentionally spreading the disease. They should not have said so.

In our country, talks on spread of AIDS and how to prevent it are often given to schoolchildrens by health experts and school teachers. Before, parents and children never discussed sex as we consider it shameful to do so and discussions about it are against our culture.

We, too, have been doing our utmost for the intellectual development in our own way. Tutu and the Czech ex-president have been one-sided in referring our people to be so naïve and so ignorant persons just consuming insufficient amount of food while blaming the government for everything. Many people share my view more or less. I would not say that everything is perfect and complete here. Even in your countries, can you say that all are enjoying peaceful life? Your people could not spare time to seek the refuge of the Buddha and the Dhamma since they have to work very hard to earn their living in the day time and try to visit places of entertainment in the evening. Can you two say that all that your respective governments do is all correct? Is it just and fair to make their young men fight against the Iraqi young men in order to get hold of the oil so that they will become richer and richer? The parents of the young men from the west do not know for what purpose their sons have fought till death; they know that their sons have risked their lives not to serve the interests of the people. Are they fighting for a just cause? I think I should have the right to ask this question.

In those countries, democratic governments are in power. The governments have won seats and gained power after giving a great deal of election campaign promises. But are the majority of the people of these countries willing to send their children away? In spite of the protests and demonstrations, their children are being sent away to be killed.

Tutu is now in his senior years and he has bitter experiences because he is coloured himself. A person like Tutu should not take part in suppressing our people. He would know that disunity and disintegration could follow if he does. Please do not force Myanmar to face a similar fate of Iraq. We do not believe that we will be able to develop the nation only when we receive the help of others. Just give us a chance to develop ourselves.

You have been discussing the matter of the elected group too much. But, it was a thing of distant past. The state of affairs and the people then were different. Much has changed for the better. It was in a state of disorder. The people then were very angry because of the killings and the dreadful scenes. The people were not their usual self at the time. They did not know whom to choose. As years have passed, quite a large number of people disapprove of the persons they have chosen for their words and deeds. Tutu and his friend would know this.

The group led by such persons is now in disorder. Throughout history, we tried to rebuild the nation on self-reliance and there was always success. The interference in the internal affairs, the attacks with the use of media and the breeding of the traitorous elements and making them shout are indeed the acts harming the people of Myanmar.

At a time when we are striving for progress on self-reliance, there are attempts to push the puppet woman onto the stage. They would not impose sanctions or cut aid if they sincerely want to help us. We have to face the problem of sanctions when we prepare to advance. Putting a stop to the assistance of medicines has been an act committed intentionally to create problems. They wished to go to every part of the country including the remote areas at will if they were to give aid. It was their intention to move about with no restrictions in the country and do whatever they liked. Otherwise they would not give us aid. It is certainly not the humanitarian spirit.

We do not think of the well-being of the nation and the people for the present only while letting strangers to come and go as they wish or allowing disgrace to the nation’s history. After reading a propaganda letter, we revered Dr Seagrave who opened a hospital in an area in the north-east. We had our respect for him then. Before long, we learned that the man happened to be a CIA agent, according to the news coming from the West. This is no fabrication. We learned it after reading the news magazines from the West.
There was another doctor named Thomas Duli. He was a handsome young man who wrote well. He won the respect of many who thought highly of him. People were sad when he died of cancer. But he was known to be a CIA agent. It was reported in the news magazines published in the West.

Because of such experiences, we could not afford to allow strangers to move about as they wish in the country just because they are helping us. If they sincerely wish to help us they should allow us to build our nation by ourselves. They have no right to go here and there. They have not yet recovered the losses they suffered after invading a nation with the use of force. Then why are they targeting our country to give trouble? If you are plotting to penetrate Myanmar which is in transition to democracy charting own way, I would say that it is the ill will of yours bent on destroying the country.