The Saffron Revolution (3)

The Saffron Revolution and Mass Uprisings in Historical Perspective
Sun Tzu, in his classic "The Art of War", wrote - "the opportunity of deafeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself".
Careful analysis shows the classic example of this maxim to be true in Burma, where the military, has been running the country with iron-fist like an
occupying force for a long time.

Mass uprisings or the peoples show of overwhelming power took place in Burma at an average of once a decade in Burma's half a century of
history under military dictators:

- During the 1973 referendum, the general masses overwhelmingly voted "no" to the constitution drafted by the military and the dictators promulgated it anyway, paving the way for more political turmoils in the years ahead. It is noteworthy that the opportunity for the people to say "no" to the junta's plan
in unison was provided by the junta itself ;

- In 1974 the general masses gave full supports to the student-demonstrators' demand for a musoleum for the former UN General Secretary U Thant, when
he died in New York and his remains brought back to the country. The miltary yielded and U Thant musoleum was erected. The show of unity between the students, monks, workers and people of all walks of life was made possible when the dictators showed no respect to the great son of Burma, who was also revered by the world community.

-In 1988 the general masses rised up to totally abolish General Ne Win's socialist party. Three dictators, including General Ne Win himself, resigned one after another in one single month. The unity this time was provided by Ne Win himself a year before the uprisings. In 1987 he demonetised all the Burmese currencies without any compenstiton. All the peoples' hard earned money were reduced to zero in one stroke of his order. So the people were in a ready mode for a united uprising that will topple Ne Win the dictator proving once again Sun Tzu's maxim;

-During the 1990 general election the general masses took the opportunity and gave the opposition National League for Democracy a landslide victory. The military decided to not honour their promise to return to the barracks and resists all offers and initiatives for national reconciliation.

- September 2007 Saffron Revolution. As in the past the Burmese general masses today has not missed the chance to strike as the dictators provide them the opportunity once again by hiking fuel price even when the people are at the brink of starvation.
The monks-led Saffron Revolution this time has eventually pressured the military like never before. The junta's offer of dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is viewed by all Burmese inside and outside the country as a bying-time tactics as usual.

It is important to note that uprisings always occurred when the dictators become complacent and overly confident in their hold on Burma and its people. The military's lack of complete power they thought they had over the people has been exposed by the general masses time and time again.

General Than Shwe and his cohorts will try to hold on to power at all costs. But the more they attempt to prolong their stay in power the "law of unintended consequences" will take hold and like in the past decades the opposite will always occur.

Bo Than Shwe will soon realize that time is no more on his side.

to be continued...