The following is a translation of the article by Mr. Yoichi YAMAGUCHI, who served as Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar for three years, featured in Shukan Shincho Weekly Journal in Japan on 11 October.

Frankly, I got confused when I watched the scene in which Journalist Mr Nagai Kenji, 50, fell to ground due to the shot of a security member.

I felt very sorry for the death of Mr Nagai Kenji. At the same time, I thought it was impossible that Myanmar military government aimed at and shot at ordinary people especially at a foreign journalist, and it might be just an unfortunate accident resulting from various reasons. Regarding the government’s taking of action against the protest marches staged especially by monks in Myanmar, the media of almost all of the European countries and Japan said that democracy activists staged protest marches. They stated the death of Mr Nagai as the incident resulting from the military government’s armed suppression.

I served as Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar for more than three years as from 1995. After my tour of duties, I paid a visit to Myanmar almost every year. According to these experiences, my review is very simple. The Myanmar government being criticized as the military government is totally different from Cambodia in the time of the Pol Pot regime, and the Philippines in the time of Marcos. However, the media of European countries and Japan did not release any kinds of news that showed goodwill to the Myanmar government. For instance, regarding the number of participants in the protesters, all Japanese newspapers mentioned about 100,000, but it was much different from the real number when it was guessed according to the view on the screen. This is not the first time foreign media exaggerate the number of participants in the movements against Myanmar government. During my discharge of duties as an ambassador, some people gathered in front of the house of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the weekends. Japanese newspapers stated the number of the crowd to be 3000 or 4000. One day, I asked one of my subordinates to count the number of the people there, and learnt that the number was 500 or 600 only. I do not want to point out as to whether they exaggerated or not, but I would like the people to know that in the media world, the number of participants in the anti-government movements is exaggerated five or six times, and sometimes about 10 times.

So, it is not reliable that the media state the number of about 100,000. I know well that I will be accused of being the same party with the military government for my words. Supposing the military government is on the right and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and anti-government groups on the left, I think I am in the middle of the two sides. Nevertheless, the media world is now standing by Daw Suu Kyi. So, they assume that I am standing by the military government. I can’t help it.

In reality, so far, the news stories about Myanmar have stood by Daw Suu Kyi. Again this time, they do the same. The Japanese media failed to state the news Myanmar radio station had broadcast repeatedly such as the NLD hired the people for the protests, and the protester group threw stones at the security forces and tried to grab the arms, so the security force unavoidably fired shots. Actually, the protesters were not ordinary people, and the majority of them were those hired by the NLD such as unreliable ones and jobless persons.

Moreover, I learnt that in some regions, protester monks committed some acts that cannot be called peaceful protests such as seizing the security members in the compound of the monastery and setting fire to the vehicles. Japanese media have not stated these news up to now.

Daw Suu Kyi’s instigation

Japanese media world is making comments that the military government should release political prisoners. However, Myanmar government said that there was no political prisoner in the country. That is the Myanmar government’s stance. There are the ones who have been detained for their protests and gathering. It is because they violated the laws that had been in force such as not more than five persons could not assemble for political purposes in public places such as roads and parks, and permission shall be sought in advance for assembling more than 50 people for political purposes in a building. This is just a routine of the State’s administrative machinery. However, the news world are still mentioning all the government’s action as suppression.

The one who was in breach of the existing law and was put under restrictions is none other than Daw Suu Kyi. Although she has a large compound she organized the people and gave anti-government talks in the street in front of her compound. Although the security members asked her to give talks in the compound she neglected the intimation. But if the arrest was made she shouted at the top of her voice “democracy is imperilled” in order that foreign broadcasting stations could air about it. During the period of twenty years European media regarded Daw Suu Kyi as a hopeful star of Myanma democracy. Due to one-sided reports of those foreign broadcasting stations the authentic Myanmar news was distorted and misunderstood.

To explain that such attitude could lead to complete misunderstanding one needs to know thoroughly about the Myanma history during the period under suppression. In the past, the Union of Myanmar was called “Bamar Naing-Ngan”. In the early 19th Century, the British intruded into Myanmar and occupied it as their colony. Myanmar is one of the colonial countries occupied by the British and it was under foreign subjugation very badly. Bamars who represented 69 per cent were under some national races who converted to Christianity, Chinese and Indians and lost all the rights of human society.

During WWII, Bogyoke Aung San in cooperation with the Japanese managed to drive the British out of the country. But Bogyoke Aung San was assassinated and he failed to witness independence of Myanmar regained in 1948. The wife of Bogyoke Aung San became the Myanmar ambassador to India and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi pursued education at Oxford University. In 1972, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi married an English. Myanmar people forgot her for a certain period.

Civil strife reigned in the nation after the independence was regained. In 1962, Maj-Gen Ne Win of Myanma Tatmadaw assumed the State power and formed Myanma Socialist Programme Party. The situation in the country was like the period of the British colonialists. Due to a series of sanctions imposed the country’s economy was going from bad to worse. Consequently, the people were dissatisfied with such situation that culminated into the ‘88’ disturbances. At that time, the actual number of people who got involved in the demonstration was about 100,000. As a result, the present Tatmadaw government has emerged. At that time, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi came to Myanmar to look after her sick mother. Her arrival to Myanmar coincided with the incident. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is a British subject had become a symbol of democracy movement overnight.

In collusion with the US

At present, it is true that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has become a hopeful star of democracy. Under prevailing situation, can you guess what would happen if the election is held? The European and Japanese media are still regarding Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the hopeful star. However, the attitude of Myanmar people toward Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has changed a lot. The reason is that the majority of Myanmar people have come to know that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has received cash and kind as well as the instructions from the US. As a matter of fact, Myanmar people who had witnessed the bitter experiences of foreign subjugation detested the alien influence and cooperation. When I was the Japanese ambassador to Myanmar in Myanmar Daw Aung San Suu Kyi frequently contacted Albright of the US Administration and received anti-government instructions as well as cash and kind.

A press conference held with journalists at home and abroad by the government revealed that communications devices addressed to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent by the US were found at the border. But the incident was not stated by foreign media. The press conference was attended by Japanese correspondents. In this regard, I enquired why they did not make public the incident. He said that the company wanted only news stories about bloodshed occurred in Yangon of Myanmar resulting from antigovernment activities. And the reason Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has become unpopular among the people was that she brazenly gave anti-government talks to the people. She just spoke loudly about the antigovernment activities but never mentioned specific political aim or the mission from her mouth.

Most of the people who know the point began to get disappointed with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. There emerged those who left her and those who opposed her. The proof is that there happened an incident in 1996 in which Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s car was burned and she was surrounded by violent attackers. When danger was about to befall her, she was rescued by security forces. As requested by her, the government placed three or four security guards in front of her house. There was no harm to her.

How is the current situation of the military government? In 1988 eighteen national race armed groups rose against the government on an extensive scale and in collusion. The battles were so fierce that even townspeople could hear the gunshots. The greatest victory of the military government was putting an end to internal insurgencies. In 1999 I paid a visit to Insein Jail, the biggest one in Myanmar. The scenes I saw there were peaceful and quiet and it was rather unbelievable that the country was ruled by the military junta. The prisoners could have their baths twice a day and meet their families once a week. Some might think that these benefits of the prisoners were shown only to foreign guests. However, one can witness the current situation of the jail. Besides, there were five or six cases of capital punishment a year in the past but in the time of the military government it was no longer used. The top official of the government is simple and natural. There has been public support of the government as the nation sees more than five percent of economic growth every year in spite of the fuel price hikes that provoked the recent protests.

Democracy trend

This is why I think most of the Myanmar people are marching toward the way the military government is doing. The National Convention responsible for writing a constitution completed in early September. Ordinary people of Myanmar do not assume the current situation to be the best but they understand it is an unavoidable transition to democracy.

It is not possible for a nation that has experienced colonialism to start practising democracy overnight. A break-up of the nation can be envisioned if democracy is practised superficially without systematic preparations and measures after politicians have taken over power and abused it. Knowing the situation, the military government is taking step-by-step measures in the march towards democracy after setting a preparatory period, in other words, after having taken power for a certain period. Myanmar people also understand this point.

In that case, how should the international community treat Myanmar? Naturally, the making of a nation calls for a task that is to be implemented by the citizens in accord with the history, culture and character of that nation. Nonetheless, if other nations interfere in the affairs of a country without understanding its true situation, it can undermine the efforts of that nation. Therefore, the international community should avoid interfering in the affairs of Myanmar unnecessarily. Instead, it should give the country a helping hand such as trading, making investments and rendering technologies.

However, if we review the response of Europe and Japan to Myanmar, let alone giving assistance in nation-building tasks, they are imposing trade embargo against the nation.

Situation in Myanmar today is totally against that should be. Now is the time when Myanmar government is building the nation.

I would like to ask the international community a question. Isn’t it a task that the international community should undertake as the very first step to stop tarnishing the image of Myanmar by making Daw Aung San Suu Kyi a leading actress and the government a villain?