Her Choice - Zaw Min Or A Dog ?

By Goldie Shwe (On behalf of the people of Ye Nan Chaung)

Zaw Min, the minister of Electric Power (1) went campaigning in the area of Yenun Chaung, Magwe when he made some derogatory remarks about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, which made the locals furious. (DVB report)

"He said that if one lets one’s daughter marry a dog, then she will only be a dog's wife, or if she marries a beggar, she will be a beggar's wife,” the resident said.

“He went on to say that if a woman marries a Kalar [vulgar term for Indian and also for westerners] then she'll be a Kalar's wife. He said people would be wise not to make the wrong decision [by choosing the Kalar's wife]."

So on be half of the angered residents of Yenun Chaung, who were forced to gather and listen to Zaw Min’s cowardly remarks, I decided to analyse how his wife Khin Mi Mi actually feels as a wife of the senior junta officer.

a) Zaw Min has the rank of Colonel : he was obviously a senior military man before taking up his civil position. However the junta’s military never fights with enemies other than the ethnic minority groups, who are usually very poorly trained and equipped guerillas. The junta’s brave military actions only shine against the unarmed civilians. What is more, they are known as the world’s most cowardly group of men as they are only good at torturing political prisoners in the notorious prisons. Should a wife of such cowardly man be so proud of him?

b) Zaw Min holds the position of Minister of Electric Power (1): the power supply 'services' in Burma have been gradually going from bad to worse, and now virtually non-existent, since the military junta took over the country in 1962. The leading generals changed - from Nay Win to Khin Nyunt and now to Than Shwe. Names of the ruling bodies changed - from Socialist Government to SLORC to now SPDC. However none, after all these years, has ever been able to muster the competence to manage to supply the country with the sufficient electric power. Should any wife of such incompetent and unintelligent men posses any pride of their husbands’ inability?


c) Both Zaw Min and wife Khin Mi Mi are named among the long lists of notices of sanctions issued by leading democratic countries such as US, EU and Australia. Being named and shamed in the international criminal lists for stealing and robbing their own country ? How worried is Khin Mi Mi, for herself, her children and her family members’ future?

d) Zaw Min is described as one of Burmese government leaders. Well, what is the Burmese government? The government who came to the power by force ; the government who shamelessly ignores the overwhelming landslide victory of the opposition political party – the National League for Democracy – led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; the government whose leadership and management is so incompetent and corrupt that the country has the worst economy in the world; the government who is responsible for every one of the 400 children, who die from the poverty related causes, daily.

From the bottom of her heart, can Khin Mi Mi honestly and sincerely deny that she wished she was the wife of a dog, a beggar or a Kalar than being married to ignominious and disgraceful criminal and a liar – Zaw Min ?

End