Submitted by han soe aung, Jan 30, 2008 19:01

Dear Mr. Gambari,

Since you took up the job as the United Nations Special Envoy for Burma last year, we have been harboring a sense of doubt on your credibility to complete the job. Subsequently also, you have aptly proved yourself, justifying our belief, by failing to secure even the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (SPDC is set to push ahead and implement its own Seven Step Roadmap to legitimize its otherwise illegitimate rule via a referendum, irrespective of whether she is detained or released) since Kofi Annan's days, until today under Ban Ki-moon.

Since your last visit to Burma in the aftermath of the Saffron Revolution, you have only brought back Than Shwe's 'lie' - desiring to talk with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi - in fact a 'ruse' only, just to buy time, which he greatly needed to mend his fences, rectify the precarious situation threatening his ouster even, breached by the Buddhist monks led uprisings in September 2007.

While you were on a fact finding mission feverishly looking for an answer to resolve Burma's woes around neighboring countries, the Buddhist monks and the activists were being rounded up and hauled into prisons, where they are still languishing until today. Thus, you are instrumental in sending the Saffron Revolution into history as a result. In case, you deemed these facts as rumors only, then you are on the wrong side of the equation or rather you are being brain-washed by Than Shwe's regime.

Most truly and obviously, we have but to point out the fact that SPDC has no due respect or esteem on you – a UN Envoy for Burma – whatsoever, a fact which is reiterated by US Secretary of State saying "the military regime's treatment of a UN envoy is unacceptable".

While you are stalling and playing politics with Than Shwe, trying to outwit each other, 50 million plus people in Burma are crying due to escalating daily cost of living and suffering due to increasing persecution by the military on the activists, sacrificing their lives and limbs for freedom and democracy and the Buddhist monks which they revered like Buddha himself, being displaced from their monasteries, hauled away and locked up, while others still running for their lives and in hiding today. Still, there is no sign of even Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Min Ko Naing led 8888 Generation Students winning their freedom. And likewise, there is no hope of a meaningful dialogue between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the military taking place any time soon or later also, if you are really sincere and honest. Most importantly, you are not yet given permission to enter the military ruled country even today.

Hence, here is a lesson for you to learn, a bit of Than Shwe's gimmick, a brand of politics, if you haven't already, why your entry into Burma is still in limbo like today. The fact is Than Shwe while buying time and in the interim period is rushing things – smoothing out – getting his military dominated 'constitution' endorsed via a "referendum" forced down the throats of the people.

As per precedence, the military dictators in Burma always have penchants for employing 'delay and defeat' tactics, often successfully also, throughout the history of the country. Honestly, your professed philosophy and approach as employed in today's politics of Burma hold no water.

Thus, there remain only two options for you to choose, at your discretion and for your own good also,
- altogether resign your post in all decency and honesty or,
- refer Burma's case to the UNSC to take substantial and pragmatic measures on the military regime in Burma, citing the obvious and actual chaos as prevailing in the military ruled country today, not the fake ones fed to you by the military rulers, as known worldwide.

Lastly, you would be making the mother of mistakes if you take this as only an 'emotional outburst' on our part. As we were born in Burma we have considerable knowledge of the country's politics and the mindset of the people ruling the country today also. We cite here an experience, significantly also, in the person of Mr. Ismail Razali, a former Malaysian diplomat and your predecessor, whom we have given prior warnings of his ill-fate – a failed mission – in Burma, before you wear his shoes, some years ago and made his ignominious exit out of the world politics.

Han Soe Aung

Fighting Peacock 8888
Washington DC, USA
Date January 30, 2008.

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.