Justice not revenge

No.01 - 11/2007
5 November 2007
Dispatches

In ordinary life sensible people try to avoid dangerous psychopathic criminals and do not try to be “nice” to them. Those of us with common sense would try to avoid such criminals if we do not wish to be harmed by them. It is advised by experts that we should not even go out of our way to be polite to them to win them over; so why are people like UN and Asean trying to be diplomatic and persuade the SPDC to change their ways, because Burma’s military dictators are psychopathic criminals, and as such, they will never change unless they are in danger of losing their power or their lives.

“Those who have no conscience at all are a group unto themselves, whether they are homicidal tyrants or merely ruthless social snipers.

The presence or absence of conscience is a deep human division, arguably more significant than intelligence, race, or even gender.

What differentiates a sociopath who lives off the labours of others from one who occasionally robs convenience stores, or from one who is a contemporary robber baron - or what makes the difference between an ordinary bully and a sociopathic murderer - is nothing more than social status, drive, intellect, blood lust, or simple opportunity.

What distinguishes all of these people from the rest of us is an utterly empty hole in the psyche, where there should be the most evolved of all humanizing functions.” [Martha Stout, Ph.D., The Sociopath Next Door]

It is indeed ironic that Dictator Than Shwe, the former psychological warfare officer does not have any conscience or feelings of guilt in his wrongdoings, he thinks he can get away with any crime he has committed, and he has such delusions that he does not believe himself to be a mere mortal who has to behave according to the law.He is adept at lying (which is a common trait of a psychopath); the New Light of Myanmar and other Burma junta propaganda newspapers are well known to bend the truth to countless degrees, and whatever criticisms Than Shwe encounters from others he does not care one jot. He has a talent for manipulating others, such as his generals, which is of no surprise to us, because psychopathic criminals can be charming and persuasive.

We must at all times be aware of the Burma junta’s deviousness and deceitfulness, and not trust their motives or be drawn into their cunning manipulation and control.

Dr. William Higgins said, “You can’t negotiate or bargain with psychopaths.”

Some people expect positive changes if “real dialogue” takes place between Daw Suu and the SPDC. Now that the “dialogue” between Aung Kyi and Daw Suu has taken place, there is no evidence that there had been any positive breakthrough, Daw Suu looked tensed and sad as though she had had the most unpleasant encounter with the devil’s representative, been threatened in the most atrocious way. We can only imagine what kind of “dialogue” took place, and most of us will have a good idea that it was nothing other than a malicious order from the military supremo to do what he wanted her to do. Indeed, Aung Kyi’s recent meeting with Suu Kyi was clearly intended to deflect international criticism. Some government sources suggested that it was aimed at appeasing China and Russia, the regime’s allies. (The Irrawaddy, “Than Shwe: The Man in the Iron Mask”, by Aung Zaw.)

Andrew Mitchell MP, UK Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, who visited Rangoon and the Thai-Burmese border earlier this year, said, “There are leaders of compassion who are not seeking revenge toward the Burma regime who are prepared to work for the people of Burma. Do the Burma regime need compassion from other leaders? Did Hitler deserve compassion? Did Ceausescu? Did Saddam Hussein? Certainly not! Whatever makes them think these murderous dictators deserve anyone’s compassion when they are/were certainly without any for Burma’s citizens? Ruthless dictators such as Than Shwe, his generals and their supporters are cruel and savage criminals who have killed thousands of civilians and they should be treated as such and they need to be suitably punished for all the despicable human rights crimes they have committed.

This is not about of revenge; this is a matter of JUSTICE.

_{The author is a niece of Harn Yawnghwe, Advisor to the Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) and Director of Brussels-based Euro Burma Office (EBO) – Editor}

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