Will the Junta lives up to Its Rhetoric?
Kanbawza Win (09-03-02)
The sensational news that the entire first family of Burma was arrested caught the Burmese and the international community by surprise. The first reaction was that is the Junta really lives up to its rhetoric?
The current Junta often proclaims that the SPDC has nothing to do with the former Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) that had dragged the country down to the lowest ladder of the least developed status of the World. The 1988 people's uprising followed by a massacre of 20,000 peaceful demonstrators has its roots in the BSPP. Obviously the Junta did not want to be in the bad books of the people.
The second reaction is that perhaps they are just trying to imitate Indonesia where Tommy Suharto was arrested and charged with murder. The Burmese Generals have all along admired the "Dwifungsi" of the Indonesia model where the army under General Suharto control the county and day-to-day administration was implemented by the bureaucrats. This system was successful for nearly a decade until its flaws were unearthed by the Asian Currency crisis.
On March 9th the Burmese Military Intelligence men arrested Gen Ne Win's son-in-law Aye Zaw Win and three of his sons were arrested on charges of planning to overthrow the military government and splitting the armed forces. Aye Zaw Win, a businessman in his early 50s is the husband of Sandar Win, U Ne Win's daughter. Together with their three sons, all in their 20s and 30s, were all apprehended. Aye Zaw Win and Sandar Win run a hotel, a jewellery business and a mobile phone business. The three sons: Aye Ne Win, Zwe Ne Win and Kyaw Ne Win, the last being the leader of the notorious Scorpion gang which was cracked down on recently by the Junta's authorities in Rangoon. Recently the two universities had to be closed down because of the fight which involve U Ne Win's grandson. In this aspect the authorities seems to have in mind that U Ne Win himself in his student days had endeavoured to burn down the school because he could not keep up with the lessons.
Aye Ne Win is an ambitious young man interested in politics so much so that studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. At Sedona hotel in Rangoon, in March last year, he gave a speech at the 90th birthday anniversary of his grandfather U Ne Win who aspire to live up to 99 by feeding 99 monks. Aye Ne Win and was groomed to become Burma's future leader that will carry on the family tradition. In this aspect perhaps Sandar Win aspired to be the famous Jahwaral Nehru family where Indira Ghandi, Rajiv Gandhi all three generations became Prime Ministers of India. However, she seems to forget that the Ghandi family came to power with the consensus of the people and not through force.
The Deputy Intelligence Chief Kyaw Win (he was nickname Pegu Kyaw Win because not only he was from Pegu Hall during his student days but also from Pegu town now known as Bago) denied that ex-president Ne Win and his daughter were placed under house arrest even though the security around the residence of U Ne Win had been tightened since the arrests. The raison d'etre is for the security and protection of the first family.
If it is for the same condition as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is kept in her Kandawgyi lakeside house, then there is something to think about (this is the same reason they gave when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest). It could be a struggle within the army as one of the three musketeers ( Than Shwe, Khin Nyunt and Maung Aye) has come out as a victor or also it could be the work of the Young Turks in lieu with the young Ne Wins. But if Sandar Win can move about freely then it is a hoax.
U Ne Win's grandsons true to their serpentine ancestral were unhappy with the cease-fire agreements between the military and ethnic groups as well as the political dialogue between the generals and the National League for Democracy (NLD). But more so because their long-standing privileges that allowed them to build a business empire was revoked with the sacking of Lt. General Win Myint the fourth ranking member in the Junta. Besides Aye Ne Win may have the inclination of following his grandfather's footsteps by coup d'etat .
In the proceeding days if some army and high ranking officials those who were involved are arrested and if the accusation is true as Pegu Kyaw Win has said, "on charges of planning to overthrow the military government and split the armed forces" then it will be a serious crime. No doubt they should be treated as Captain Ohn Kyaw Myint case of the 70s where he was sent to the gallows for planning to overthrow U Ne Win and his gang.
Will the old man sees his beloved daughter Sandar Win to become a widow and his beloved grandchildren hanged and end his dynasty?
This is still to be seen. But more importantly will the Burmese Junta live up to its rhetoric that they have nothing to do with the old man?
Will the Junta's hypothesis that "they are somewhat equivalent to the Revolutionary Council and is a transitional government before a democratically elected come into being," be true?
The world will judge them not by their words but by their actions. Or will they hold on their logic and "lie the very concept of truth" as they have been saying to ILO that there is no forced labour and afraid to have the ILO office in Burma, and release the young Ne Wins after giving light sentences?
The episode of U Ne Win's family is one of the greatest test for the Junta. Let us watch closely.