The article “From Ngar Min Swe to Daw Suu Kyi” reminded me of Aunty Suu. If my memory serves me correctly, it was around 1986. A series of articles about, Daw Khin Kyi, Aunty Suu’s mother, by former Brigadier- General Aung Gyi in Pay Phu Hlwa Magazine evoked my memories of the family of Bogyoke (Major-General) Aung San.
Soon after that, I read the sequels to those articles that stated Aunty Suu’s family was granted permission to come back to Yangon, and novitiation of her sons. At that time, I was just 15 and strongly disliked her. And I thought: “It’s ugly. It is said she is the daughter of our Bogyoke, then I wonder why she got married to a foreigner. How can I consider her children the descendants of Bogyoke Aung San?” I felt bitter with my thought that what made her do so. I assumed anyhow she should preserve her lineage. I could not console myself when I knew about her.
Myanmar people hold Bogyoke Aung San in high esteem. He would be heartbroken if he were still alive and witnessed his daughter’s choice of her life partner. She may give an excuse that she has been put into such a situation. If she says so, her words will be like an insult to her father. It is because she is not an ordinary person, but the daughter of Bogyoke Aung San, who was equipped with strong concept, conviction and patriotic spirit.
You made your choice of your own volition. Is it because your life was too miserable to preserve the lineage of your own? Your father overcame a variety of hardships with daring spirit for his belief. Wasn’t he a role model for you? You are a descendant of a heroic leader, but why did you fail to preserve your lineage by getting married to a foreigner in your circle of friends?
I could not imagine how others felt when they read the article about her family in Pay Phu Hlwa Magazine. Reading it, I felt sad, downhearted and depressed at the same time. As written by Ngar Min Swe, in the past Myanmar people were impoverished due to the mismanagement in economy of the Myanma Socialist Programme Party. People had to queue at the cooperative society concerned to get the quota of rice and edible oil. And they had to rely on the cooperative society to get even a reel of thread. At the time, Myanmar people were expecting that the generation of Bogyoke would return to Myanmar and save the country. The generation of Bogyoke did come to the nation, but at the time Aunty Suu was already married to an alien.
In fact, the “8-8-88” unrest stemmed from a series of articles by ex-Brigadier-General Aung Gyi featured in 1986- 87 issues of Pay Phu Hlwa Magazine, not from the hardships of the people, the high price in rice of 25 kyats a pyi (small basket), and the hunger of the people. The articles aroused the public outrage that there was the generation of Bogyoke, and the people thought they could still have an opportunity to rely on the generation. They could object to the administrative machinery of the Myanma Socialist Programme Party if they did not like it any longer. And they thought that Bogyoke’s family was neglected and had to live abroad in poverty.
We people were looking forward to the arrival of Aunty Suu. Many people and students sacrificed their lives for you, and supported you as a public figure. You were soon considered to be the public leader, but you were not wellversed with political essence and political intrigues. With the passage of time, Myanmar people have come to realize that they are wrong.
You were not capable enough to control the mob that was filled with emotional feelings and did anarchic acts in front of the Trade Office in downtown Yangon during the unrest. As far as I remember, no one lost his life in that incident as it was handled with great care. What did you do at that time for preventing the people from losing their lives and property? But, all what you did in the unrest were giving anti-government talks to the people, arousing the public outrage, making the people scapegoats for seizing power, and masterminding destructive acts from a safe place. You were unable to solve the problem at all. Many of the people made many sacrifices in your interest but you were not clever enough to take advantage of the situations.
You were shouting politics at all times but were not able to create a good condition in the interests of the people. You claimed that if necessary you would have to associate with any forces for the sake of politics, and you were busy with political issues which the majority of the people did not understand. You said that you would have to cooperate with any forces — Burma Communist Party or war veterans. You focused all your efforts on your ultimate goal of seizing power.
The majority of the people were not interested in politics. And they did not understand it. All they wanted were secure and peaceful life, prevalence of law and order and their basic needs fulfilled. Then, they did not pay any attention to politics.
In the world, there cannot be a situation in which there is an absolute harmony between the rulers and the ruled in any country. In this regard, the rulers are like parents and the ruled or the people, like the children. Therefore, even though they want to fulfil all the wishes of the people, the rulers have to enforce rules and regulations to avert possible undesirable consequences. Surely, when they think the rules and regulations are rather strict, the people sometimes criticize and blame the government. That is common in the human society. It would be impossible if we are expecting a flawless administrative machinery.
Like the governments of other countries, the ruling government of Myanmar has strengths and weaknesses. Do you think you are a perfect one? So, it is not strange that a person has both positive and negative aspects.
You have shouted utter devastation many times. But it is beyond my reach that why you have not been able to practise win-win policy. The government has to attend to the requirements of the people and point out the mistakes with positive attitude. The government’s goal is to serve the interests of the nation and so is yours. Then, why do you still refuse to join hands with the government to achieve your goal?
Even if one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand or even one-hundred thousand persons may be wicked, Aunty Suu, you should not be like them. Because you are the daughter of our Bogyoke Aung San. You must be good for the nation, yes you must be.
If you couldn’t, please go back to the place where you came from. Please do not stay in the country you do not actually love and wish to do anything good for it. And if you cannot see our country as your home, please do not live here to give trouble to it. No one will set fire to his own house, only the insane persons will do.
But you are like deliberately pushing our country down to abject poverty. You should not place in the fore only your desires. We have a common reference in Myanmar “As you wish Su, as you wish” leading the nation to enslavement.
Actually, we did believe that you were a great hope. However, because of the deteriorating situation, you are now a burden for us. We are tired of you. Please do not try to block everything. The people want to be relieved from sanctions and pressures. Please do not discredit only Myanmar in the world? We have a Myanmar saying, which goes, “The spirit we are relying on to save us from the danger of a tiger is worse than the animal”. Here, you are like the spirit for us.
We can rebuild our country within a short span of time. But it will take much time to amend the deteriorating morale and morality of the people. Can you guarantee that your party is totally perfect? Are you sure that there are no power craze in your party? In reality, your party is constantly demanding for power. Your party cannot let others govern the nation because you cannot rule it. Will you not improve your ‘tit for tat’ position? How much more can you do for the country if you get power? At least you should give good advice and assistance to develop the country. I think you can do good for the nation as you have the ability to harm it.
Aunty Suu, please check your party again. How many good persons do you have? How many persons are using the party as a refuge for them? How many persons of your party have wider political knowledge and stronger conviction?
I have been to various places of the nation, witnessing the NLD members committing all kinds of evil acts. They are committing lawless acts, with the belief that police dare not arrest them as they are under protection of their party; that some foreign media will come to their assistance even if they are arrested; and that if fortunate they can become rich. They take money to send complaints to Western media. They are shameless enough to commit such acts for just a small amount of money. Government staff in every town abhor the NLD.
Is that your NLD Aunty Suu? The people did not rely on Aunty Suu for such evil acts of NLD. Do you consider all NLD members to be good and all pro-government people to be evil? Suppose Bogyoke Aung San were still alive, he would feel ashamed if the nation’s future is entrusted to unemployed troublemakers and stupid persons? He would be more ashamed if he knew such evil things are committed by his own descendent. The so-called NLD members are always troublesome. They have gone so far as threatening the government that any act to ignore them will be aired from BBC, DVB and RFA.
How can you say those NLD members are not power crazy and doing good for the nation? They practise anarchy and are fond of violating the law to that degree taking cover of NLD. If power is entrusted to them the situation will be much worse than what you have been shouting now.
Instead of criticizing others, Aunty Suu, you should do something good for the nation. You should stop shouting your slogans — “the people are starving”, “no foreign assistance please”, “national economy is in abject condition” and ‘no tourists please”. Please do something good for the nation in consideration of Bogyoke. Please give priority to intra party unity and solving the problem of intra power struggles than your motto — national reconciliation. If you have a dream of governing the whole nation, please solve your party problems and teach your members democracy first.
Because of this article, your men will think that I am a pro-government USDA member praising the government to gain favour. Actually, I am an ordinary citizen. I am not a member of the NLD nor the USDA. I only express what I believe. I am not a government supporter, and I have no belief in NLD. I write this article of my own volition as I cannot accept the deteriorating NLD at all.
We have already lost a lot of time. We cannot do anything during the time. The nation has been striving on its own strength. The worse is that you are trying to block all assistance and investment to the nation. Please do have a little sympathy for the people. Please discard your sole aim of grabbing power and serve the interest of the nation. Strive for the best for national development. It is all right if you do not want to help us. But do not disturb and destroy our nation, please. You should not be a burden for the people. It is better for you to go back where you came from. We are tired of you.