Old Military Habits Die Hard

A Burmese minister proudly recalls his slapping past.

The villagers of Thit Ya Kauk village in Burma's Magway district don't have drinkable, cookable clean water. The village wells, dug in 1976 and 1982, yield water for washing, bathing, and farming, but, as one villager described it, "The water is hot. You can't cook with it. If you do, the rice gets spoiled quickly. It's also yellowish." They draw drinking water from a spring, which dries up during the hot season.

So a few weeks ago, when U Ohn Myint, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries, and Rural Development, visited them, they thought they'd express their wish for a water purification system. But something about their plea ticked off the cabinet minister. Instead of clean water, he delivered an obscenity-laced rant (captured by someone in a video clip).

"There's a reason I asked you if you know of other villages around here with clean water," he said. "I should stick to only what I can do for you. It'll be wrong of me to promise what I can't do ... If you want clean water, you should go live where there's clean water. It won't happen in a place like this. Go live where you can get bottled clean water by forking over your money."

Then he grew more flippant. "I'm not a politician. I don't give anybody a damn," he continued. "Write whatever you want to write. I'll flip my sarong at you [to show you what's underneath] ... I've worked from 16 to 60. I don't just blow hot air ... I don't go around calling this person or that person 'motherfucker' ... I won't talk to you about the Constitution, or getting power, or free assembly. March as much as you want. If you're not happy, you can fall flat and die. I'll do what I have to do."

Then the minister -- who had officially received delegations from South Korea Rural Community Corporation, the UN Secretary General, and the EU's Agricultural and Rural Development Commission -- expressed how he felt about foreign aid.

"No country has ever given us something out of love. They do us from the front, if not then from the back," he observed. "Never mind other countries, even neighboring countries wouldn't give us ... I've been dealing with international folks for three and a half years now. I have yet to meet someone who would hand over a pile of money. Only those who would work together for profit."

As the rant went on, the minister grew more defiant. "Don't talk crap. If you do, I won't do a single thing for you. You can report it anywhere you want. There are 60,000 villagers in the country. I wouldn't exhaust them in three years ... If you report me, I'll simply say, 'I haven't got around to that village yet.' Understand? Don't spoil my charitable spirit." 

Eventually the minister's monologue culminated into open threats. A former military man, he reminded the villagers, "I went around the country slapping folks as I give speech. Am I clear? ... If you oppose the government, we'll strike. If it can't be done verbally, we'll send you to jail. That's the way it is in every country. If you oppose the government, you go to jail."

As he got ready to leave, he told the villagers he'd leave behind a memento, a free calendar from the President's office, inscribed with the motto "We shall build our country with the people's strength" -- as a reminder to the country folks that "[government] can't do everything by itself."

Since the footage came to light, some MPs had called for disciplinary actions against the brash minister. In Rangoon, some former political prisoners and pro-democracy groups gathered with signs that taunted, "We're waiting for U Ohn Myint to slap us on his countrywide slapping tour."

According to U Ye Htut, a spokesperson for the President's office, President Thein Sein had reprimanded the reckless minister. However, the official response from the government's Information Minister U Aung Kyi showed no sign that the Fisheries Minister with a fishmonger's vocabulary would be censured anytime soon.

According to U Aung Kyi's statement published in Burmese by The Irrawaddy, the Information Minister acknowledged that U Ohn Myint's language was inappropriate, but characterized it as "a frank discussion" prompted by emotions and by his kinsfolk-like relationship with the villagers. U Aung Kyi pleaded for time to fully investigate the circumstances of the incident and urged against taking swift action.

U Ohn Myint has since returned to the same village and held a meeting with community leaders (it was also captured on video). But those who expected an apology from him were sorely disappointed. He offered none.

Many former military men like U Ohn Myint turned in their army uniform in exchange for an MP's dignified jacket and turban. They become part of the quasi-civilian government, allegedly dedicated to reforms. But the civilian garb cannot disguise the old guards' deep-rooted authoritarian attitude. They continue to think -- and act as if -- they're above the Law. Even though they come to power in an election that's highly criticized, they believe their legitimacy is beyond question. While some army men might genuinely desire democratic reforms, some betray a mindset that's simply beyond reform. In his own words, U Ohn Myint recalled (fondly, I'm sure) of the days when he and his colleagues "ruled with guns on [their] hips and shoulders."

The international community and -- perhaps more important -- the ordinary folks of Burma have more than enough reasons to doubt the new administration's dedication to democracy, human rights, and press freedom. If the lawmakers fail to take action against the slapping minister U Ohn Myint, and if their censure amounts to no more than a slap on the wrist, it'll be another black eye on the so-called reformists.

The illustration above is my own, created in Autodesk SketchBook Ink for iPad.