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Thinking of Going Back? Just have a look at what you have been offered

By Saneitha Nagani

For those who became exiles because of your conviction or those who called themselves

activists and became exiles because jumping on to the bandwagon was too good an

opportunity to miss, I just want you all to read the two news articles that I have pasted here insequence.

What was mentioned in the news reports are self-explanatory. The first one is from The Irrawaddy

and the second one is from the news bulletin published by the military regime and distributed

through their missions overseas. They both are not my opinion or something I wrote.

If those people who were allowed to return, as far as I can remember, they left the country not

because they were persecuted, their villiages were not burnt down, none of them were raped or

their children abducted to be recruited as child soldiers. They left because their lost their

properties when U Ne Win and his Revolutionary Council nationalized their businesses, their shops,

their houses; their children would have no future if they hold on to their FRCs (Foreign Resident

Certificates). Like us who became exiles because of our conviction we decided to stay on the side ofthe people to demand political change, those who left by choice even though one may called that

a choice it was a choice between the BAD and the WORSE.

The majority of my time working in Burmese missions overseas was taken up by answering questions

from expatriates who wanted to know why they were not allowed to go back for a visit. When the

uprisings in 1998 was in its peak so was the support for the democratic movement from these group.

However, when the military regime, cunning as they always are, changed the policy of not allowing

those Burmese who lost their Burmese nationality by taking the citizenship of the country they were

living was overturned. They were allowed to go back on condition IF they could proved to the

officials at the embassies that they have not been involved in political activities against the regime.

Whether you were trying to raise funds or running a seminar, those who have been wanting to be

activists disappeared.

If those people were allowed to return without the shadow of the punishment hanging over their

head, those who want to return and especially those who became political exiles and NOT

chameleon exiles changing their colour at the apparent or slightest change in political environment,

then YOU have to asked yourself, Are we be given a fair deal? END

Attachments

Burmas President Invites Exiles to Return Home

By BA KAUNG Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Burmas President Thein Sein announced on Wednesday that his government will allow exiles to

return home and will consider leniency with respect to offenses other than murder. The

announcement, which further promotes the new governments message that it has embarked on a

political and economic reform process, was delivered in a major speech to local businessmen in

Napyidaw on Wednesday.

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The President welcomes exiles from different organizations who have left Burma since 1988 to

come back home, and leniency will be considered for those who have committed offenses, said

Khin Shwe, one of the 400 businessmen who attended the gathering.

Khin Shwe also quoted the president as saying that the government will cooperate together with

returning exiles to work for the betterment of the country.

The announcement, however, provided no clear security guarantee for the thousands of political

exiles who have fled Burmas decades-long political oppression and now live outside the country.

In addition, the status of war refugees and former political prisoners living in refugee camps in

Thailand remains uncertain.

Aung Zaw, The Irrawaddys founder and editor who fled Burma as a political exile after the 1988

uprising, cautiously welcomed the announcement as a positive development, but said many exiles

like him would remain doubtful of the governments overtures until the political prisoners inside

Burma are released and progress towards a peaceful resolution of the conflicts with ethnic armed

groups is made.

Exiles outside the country want to return home and contribute to their society, but it doesn't make

sense that you keep thousands of people in jail while asking exiled Burmese to come home, he said.

By contrast, Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese exile and one of the former leaders of the All Burma

Students Democratic Front, an armed group founded by students who fled after the 1988 uprising,

said that the new government, although formed by former military officials, have demonstrated a

break from the past.

It's good that the government has come up with such an important policy. Actual implementation

may take a little longer. It's not an easy job with people trying to hold back possible reform

initiatives, Aung Naing Oo said.

Exiles are encouraged to return because they will bring expertise, wealth, connections and other

such things. If the policy is clearly directed at exiles then it is a form of reconciliation, although I am

not sure every exile will go back immediately. For many people living overseas and members of the

political opposition, there is still some distrust. Nonetheless, it is a very important step in the

reconciliation process, he said.

The latest move is seen by observers as part of the governments increasing efforts to show the

outside world that the nominally civilian government which took office in March has the will to make

political and economic reforms, unlike the previous military regime which handed over power.

In the same speech, Thein Sein vowed that he will make economic reforms and tackle the countrys

currency exchange crisis, which has seen the rapid fall of the US dollar against Burmas localcurrency, the kyat, and damaged its export industry.

The latest developments came after two-closed door meetings between Aung San Suu Kyi and the

government minister, during which their discussions reportedly included the release of political

prisoners, the armed conflicts in the ethnic areas and the status of the NLD, which was officially

dissolved last year for failing to register under the election laws.

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There are reports of the government inviting Suu Kyi to an economic anti-poverty forum which is to

be held this week, although her political colleagues have not been able to confirm this.

In a related move, the state-run media has stopped its daily publishing of slogans against the

Western media such as the BBCand VOA.

Some observers link the governments tentative reformist steps to the fact that that in the comingmonths, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will make a final decision on whether to

award Burma its 2014 chair, and the government may be using announcements such as the one

made on Wednesday and the meetings with Suu Kyi to persuade Asean to act in its favor.