By Kyaw Myint Htun (Paris)
Anarchy unfolding in Afghanistan. After 20 years, there are five keywords for the people of Afghanistan: “you are on your own”. Where are the brightest people from the UN? Where are all these righteous people from the UN who usually shout from their ivory towers in places like New York and Geneva? Are Myanmar’s neighbours listening?
Afghanistan has been the game of adults. In English football terms, it is a Premier League game. No place for clubs in the fourth division! When adults play the game, the UN is shoved aside, powerless, marginalized, with no way to get in the game, nor be allowed to get in the game. They are, however, prolific at putting out statements just to be seen as doing something.
When a small developing country like Myanmar faces a crisis, all these brightest minds from the UN usually bully their way in. Throw all kinds of mud. Threats! impose resolutions in the UN. It’s either you do as you are told according to what we think and like or else! Second-guessing is not allowed and is no practice of democracy. But when these small countries direct criticism at the UN and its righteous minded UN officials, it is labelled as “uncivilized”. But nothing should be deterred from pointing out to the brightest minds in the UN who they really are. When they smell blood, they stop at nothing anyway!
People are questioning who is the brilliant military mind behind the Taliban’s swift advance. Within days, they are on the outskirts of Kabul. The capital is surrounded. But wasn’t it that some of the world’s mightiest militaries with the most advanced weaponry have been training the Afghan forces for the last 20 years? Where are they? What happened? Are Myanmar’s neighbours listening?
The UN envoy to Myanmar made some comments last week from her native Switzerland. It must be nice up there in the Alps! Let us be reminded that the Envoy has no prior experience in managing the political crisis. She may not have experience in managing any major crisis, let alone a political crisis so complicated as Myanmar. The situation is so unprecedented that it would be impossible for the Envoy to refer to the lessons she studied in school. It is doubtful that anyone has done a dissertation on such a scenario either. So, what would she do? She will continue to talk to everyone under the sun and make statements to justify her position. Nothing more. Are Myanmar’s neighbours listening? Weren’t South Sudan the newest “baby” of the UN ten years ago? Are Myanmar’s neighbours watching what is happening in South Sudan? South Sudan was supposed to be the UN’s bright shining star. Where are all these righteous brightest officials from the UN? Are they still in their ivory towers shouting good sounding liberal slogans while South Sudan descends into further darkness and no future in sight for the South Sudanese children?
The list of failures doesn’t stop there. 13 billion in foreign aid poured in for the purpose of “nation-building” for Haiti. Haiti is labelled as an “aid state”. Are Myanmar’s neighbours watching what is happening in Haiti?
Oh, how about the sex abuse cases on the helpless, hapless and vulnerable Haitians by the UN peacekeepers? How about the cholera outbreak? Apart from the expression of sorrow, has anyone from the UN has been held accountable? Expression of sorrow and everyone moved on as nothing happened? Have there been any statements from the Human Rights Commissioner in Geneva about human rights abuses of her own UN colleagues? She shouts about all kinds of things under the sum from the ivory tower in Geneva except when it comes to her own colleagues. Is it too “Inconvenience” for her to criticize her own colleagues? Has there been any attempt to have really truly independent investigations about the abuses of the UN officials inflicted upon the Haitian people? How about Truth Finding Commission? Are Myanmar’s neighbours listening?
What is the UN doing in Ethiopia? Is what happening in Ethiopia suddenly beyond their “mandate” for the time being?
That’s just all recent. We are not even digging deeper back into what happened in Rwanda.
Strong leaders emerged in some Asian countries in the region to steer their countries on the right path. There is a country that ended decades of guerrilla war. For three decades citizens of this country were living in fear of suicide attacked and bombings. A strong determined leader ended this. In doing so, the people began to live in a peaceful environment Yet, the brightest minds from the UN continue to push for an international investigation into the actions of the local authorities. They can come up with all kinds of good-sounding names such as, “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”, “Blue Ribbon Commission”. All will serve as covers for the UN and its usual suspects to continue to interfere with their meddling in the internal affairs of the sovereign state.
Now that criticism is being directed where it should be, are we being viewed as “uncivilized”. These powers that be are not supposed to be criticized, especially by lowly people from third world countries.
In the height of the tensions in Myanmar in February and March, outside elements intensely launched a campaign to misinform the Myanmar public that “white knights” will descend from the sky.
If the fate of Myanmar and its people are to be dependent on these “white knights” go look no further than the stories above. There is no need to look deeper back into history.
Twenty somewhat years ago, foreign elements, including the UN and its masters created the situation that people could not sit down to have meaningful discussions because they differ on how to call the country. Just because people differ on the name of the country, matters of vital interest to the ordinary citizens of Myanmar could not be discussed. History is repeating itself again. In recent years, foreign forces have tried to impose how certain minority groups in Myanmar should be called. Not the terms that have been used by the local Myanmar people for decades but it has to be the term favourable and imposed by foreign elements.
It’s all about not solving the country’s problems once and for all doing things that are in the interest of the Myanmar people. It is all aimed at how to create lasting problems under the “divide and conquer” strategy.
The mightiest military alliances can force into any small country in the world at any time and impose their will as long as they want. But nation-building and lasting peace cannot be forced upon by outsiders. Nation-building has to come from within respecting and putting into context the country’s traditions and cultures.
Are Myanmar’s neighbours listening?
(The views and opinions in this article are those of the author only.) – Ed.
