[Myanmar] What Our Readers Say

[News_Editor]

Junta Insider Recalls Dancing with Devils

U Chit Hlaing is correct. Than Shwe is still in power to control the country today, just like Ne Win controlled the country after 1988 until he was put under house arrest. Poor Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Poor Myanmar people.

—Pauk Kyaung

Very interesting. I wish more of this would come out.

Please don’t condemn anyone. Always take a good look at yourself. Maybe all of us are to blame.

Maybe we were the good guys that did nothing and let the bad guys take over. All of us are responsible.

Maybe the baby boomers were mostly selfish cowards. We all tried to run instead of facing the reality.

We have a chance now to repay our debts. Let’s all give a helping hand. Anger and bitterness won’t get us anywhere.

—win naing

What a shameless character! Still chuckling! I don’t know who’s worse—the devil or the devil’s dancing partner? Looks like he’s still proud of trampling his own country to its sorry state with his devil masters.

—myichi tarheel

Will Reshuffle Embolden Thein Sein’s Reform Agenda?

President U Thein Sein is a more intelligent and wiser person than we thought and saw from the outside. We need to be patient and be careful not to rush change in Burma. President U Thein Sein is smoothly handling the hardliners. I hope eventually some of them will be gone by next year.

Don’t forget that President U Thein Sein doesn’t have 100 percent authority in the government he now leads. Above his government, the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) is watching every step he takes—especially [Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief] Gen Min Aung Hlaing and ex-dictator Than Shwe.

We have been waiting and fighting for half century to change in Burma. Why not be patient a few more years?

—Sai Lin Kan

Playing the game under the same rules (Nargis constitution) with the same players (hand-picked by Than Shwe) and at his table—Parliament—holds no water. Without scrapping Than Shwe’s constitution, the outcome of the game will be no better than the last, trust me. Today’s gimmick is only a trick to hoodwink the public. Hence, change the rules, the game and the players.

—George Than Setkyar Heine

Burma Releases Names of Those Removed from Blacklist

From the blacklist to the white list.

Myanmar Nationals: http://www.president-office.gov.mm/briefing-room/daily-news/news1268

Foreign Nationals: http://www.president-office.gov.mm/briefing-room/daily-news/news1266

(Some names appear two or three times. MOFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] Myanmar staff need to show more accuracy.

—KML

I’m quite sad that my name is not there, which means it’s still on the blacklist, though I have paid my fines and surrendered my sama (doctors’ registration card) after breaking the permanent bond with the Ministry of Health. I’m sure there are a lot more innocent Burmese out there who are still on this blacklist.

If the government is really trying hard to be reformed, then why don’t they just clear the whole list?

—dove

The Start of a Second Wave of Reform, or a Sign of Trouble?

Moving in the right direction. However, there are questionable people in the cabinet. Capable deputy ministers cannot function well under a bad minister. Another worrying sign is the growing number of ministers and deputy ministers again.

—natttharr

The glass is half full! Be realistic about it. No one with a right mind wants to see Burma go back to the bad old days. We all know that, don’t we? Thein Sein is doing a good job and walking on a tightrope at the same time. We must support him. Remember what the alternative to Thein Sein is. We know it don’t we?

—Benya Ayers

Homecoming NLD Lawyer Jailed for Six Months

As long as a fake democratic government is running the country, there is no way I will go back to Burma, even for a short visit. I just do not want to see military officers in civilian outfits. Fake is fake, period. I love my birthplace, but I hate to see the Myanmar soldiers and their bosses.

—Mualcin

Burmese President Pardons Two UN Aid Workers

Why can’t Thein Sein pardon all the good people who were standing tall against military dictatorship and are still in exile for democracy, instead of pardoning these criminals who caused all this mess in Arakan? I can’t understand his action.

—Minthu

Thein Sein is guilty for detaining those UN aid workers who are working for the most persecuted people on earth. Who is persecuting them? The answer is simple: the Burmese, which include Burmese people, the military, the border police, Buddhists monks and Aung San Suu Kyi-led democracy activists.

Thein Sein gave no reason for the pardon because those UN staffers were innocent. He couldn’t answered the UN’s questions when they asked why he wanted to jail those Muslim aid workers.

—Russell

Source: Irrawaddy.org