Is President Of Burma Worthy Of Nobel Peace Prize? – OpEd

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By Zin Linn

President of Myanmar (Burma) U Thein Sein, at the invitation of President of South Korea Mr Lee Myung-bak, left Nay-pyi-taw for the Republic of Korea on Sunday (7 October) to pay a goodwill visit.

The President’s delegation members are Union Ministers Wunna Maung Lwin, Soe Thein, Tin Naing Thein, Khin Maung Soe, Aye Myint, Region Chief Ministers Myint Swe, Ye Myint and Nyan Win, Deputy Ministers Han Sein and Dr Daw Thein Thein Htay and departmental heads, the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Monday.

Burma
Burma

Thein Sein and delegation reached Seoul in South Korea on Monday for a three-day state visit so as to focus on economic ties and include a tour of military-related companies, AFP news said.

Meanwhile, President Thein Sein has been tipped as a possible candidate for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, raising the prospect of Myanmar (Burma) after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi received the prestigious award in 1991, as said by Thomas Kean with AFP via The Myanmar Times.

A total of 231 nominees are in the running and, although the prize committee never discloses the nominees’ names, Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl, the EU and WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning are known to be on the list. The prize will be announced at 4:30pm Myanmar time on October 12.

Several people may be amazing to take notice of tipping Thein Sein as a candidate for Nobel Peace Prize. Why? Active people do not forget the past. They do not fail to remember Thein Sein who was the Prime Minister of the previous military junta that cracked down the Saffron Revolution in September 2007 launched by the Buddhist monks.

In addition, Thein Sein was the same Prime Minister responsible for refusing the international humanitarian aid during an emergency period ravaged by the Nargis storm in May 2008. According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), the storm left 140,000 people dead and severely affected 2.4 million.

Right now, brutal warfare launched by the military-backed President Thein Sein government goes on in ethnic areas, especially in Kachin State. The Burma Army continues merciless fighting on the ethnic Kachin people. It is the practice of government armed forces using landmines, bombarding artillery shells, attacking ordinary civilians, using rape as war weapon, taking hostages for forced labor, destructing citizens’ properties, sustenance and agricultural farms and burning the ethnic villages.

However, President Thein Sein in an interview with the BBC’s Hardtalk Televised program that aired on 29 September dismissed the human rights groups’ reports that Burmese soldiers have committed human rights abuses against local civilians in Kachin state.

Asked to comment on a report released earlier this year by the New York based Human Rights Watch alleging that government forces have routinely committed acts of rape and torture during the army’s 16-month-long Kachin offensive, Thein Sein responded that the charges are just one sided accusations.

He answered that Burmese armed forces are well-disciplined and it is baseless to say the Burma Army has committed rape and homicide, Thein Sein told Stephen Sackur, Presenter of BBC Hardtalk. The interview was done in New York while Thein Sein was attending the United Nations General Assembley in September.

In fact, the government armed forces repeatedly breach principles of Geneva Conventions, which were drawn up in 1949. According to the Conventions, civilians must be protected by warring parties in any case. Civilians must not be discriminated against because of race, religion or political opinion. Geneva Conventions also not allows forcing them to give information. Civilian must not be used to shield military operations or make an area immune from military operations. Civilian must not be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Women must not be indecently assaulted, raped, or forced into prostitution.

But, the Thein Sein government of Burma and its troops turn a deaf ear to what the Geneva Convention says. As a result, Burma Army’s full-scale offensives are becoming greater than ever in Kachin State. The fighting seems revengeful as Burmese soldiers commit various crimes – such as looting, killing, raping and burning down the civilians’ villages – on the front line. Actually, ordinary Kachin people are just innocent citizens of Burma and soldiers should spare their lives and properties.

Thein Sein should try to know what really happened in frontline areas where Burmese soldiers are committing crimes freely as there are no proper penalties set by senior authorities. He must be sincere to uncover the truth.

If he has not courage enough to accept the truth, he may not deserve any honor. The President should not hide the human rights violations of his army from public scrutiny.

Asian Correspondent

Asian Correspondent is an English-language liberal news, blogs and commentary online newspaper serving all of the Asia-Pacific region. The website covers asian business, politics, technology, the environment, education, new media and Asia society issues.

2 thoughts on “Is President Of Burma Worthy Of Nobel Peace Prize? – OpEd

  • October 9, 2012 at 3:22 am
    Permalink

    Nothing wrong with Thein Sein. The “Prize” ha-ha is a joke!

    And people who “confer” it.

    When the mostly cowardly hit-and-miss drone strike General Obama got one, dear Adolf would have missed it just by a whisker.

    There truly is no need to mention hacked, mangled, killed, raped Kachins. The treatment by Thein Sein is no different from the current prize holder Aung San Suu Kyi.

    Besides, Thein Sein is simply a PR arm of the military anyway. Poor sod does not have a clue what is being done. His job is simply to make them look good by lying with a straight face, if bald, and his pathetic voice.

    And not a hard job either. Now, all the loyal “oppositions” inside and outside the country and the mighty “International communities” are prepared to say “Amen” to any BS coming out of him anyway.

    He could even become a Chief Judge in the International Court of Crimes.

    Welcome to Alice’s World!

    Reply
    • October 9, 2012 at 4:26 am
      Permalink

      absolutely right.

      what standard for the prize?

      for the work done or popularity?

      great decision!

      Reply

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