N 99   Bagan in My Heart  ( Part 2 )

The first time I went to Bagan was in 1967  I think, in my 4^th year of Uni; but our excursion group met with an accident at Popa and couldn’t continue to Bagan. Later after I worked I led students group( and later Lanzin youths ) for excursion to Burma Proper that included Bagan. So that was the first time I had been to Bagan when I was met by its awe inspiring sight.It captured my heart and can be said love at first sight.

We visited all famous pagodas; The gilded Shwe Zigon , the most visited Ananda with its 4 perfect standing Buddhas, the Sulamani which has the most beautiful architectural design, The Dhammayangyi which is said to be the biggest , the highest Thatbyinyu, Htilominlo, Mahabawdi, in Bagan, and Manuha and Mya Zedi in Myinkaba and many other stupas  and pagodas.  

Many of the big pagodas then have an inner narrow  stairs to the upper tiers and people can get to the top to  look around. I wondered why women should be let to go up as the upper part is higher than the Buddha statues, but now nobody are allowed to go up  to save damaging them.

In those days the places around Bupaya, Shwe Gu Gyi, Thatbyinyu, gawtawpalin , Bagan museum Thiripyitsaya were crowded with houses and shops .So the place was not nice and clean like today.

Hotels were not much popular yet, so we usually stayed at monasteries and zayats. It was rather convenient for us and nobody complained, but were satisfied to see the awesome Bagan.

Judging by the number of pagodas built during that time we assumed that Bagan would have flourished , and the people done  well. The number counted now is 2217. During that time not only  kings and queens and noble people built pagodas but also ordinary people did that. But in my mind it is strange that palaces ( even their foundations ) could not  be found.

Later I visited Bagan many times, sometimes with family, and sometimes with friends.During these times,  sometimes we visited Tant Kyi Taung where we had to cross the Ayarwaddy by watercraft. It is opposite of Lawkananda Pagoda and is on a lofty mountain. On Bagan’s side before entering Bagan is the Tuyin Taung which was built on a hill not far from the roadside.At the foot of the hill there was Mya Kan lake built by King Anawrahta to use its water to irrigate the lands around it. But nowadays  there are  no distinct features of it left.

Though it is hot and dusty it gives people a sense of missing, which in Burmese we called( lwan de) but cannot express  exactly, fully in English .It is a kind of missing, of yearning but to what and to whom we don’t know. We can see famous writers like Zaw Gyi, Min Thu Wun, Mya Than Tint and Maung Thar Cho  express this feeling  in their books , and in their poems. I think many  people who are in Old Bagan feel like this and I am one of them.

And then about its inexplicable  mysteriousness;

Maung Thar Cho wrote

       

   ….. on sleepless nights I would go out with a friend through these pagodas. On these nights the Tamar would smell more strongly….Under the moonlight the greenish htanaung trees looks so mystic…..The standing pagodas and stupas here and there looks as if they are mesmerizing with some magic and I feel as if I am being watched by some supernatural being.

In another chapter the author wrote that while he was riding in a horse cart and passing the Dammaryangyi the driver told him that he dare not go past the pagoda at night because moanings can be heard coming from that direction.The author Nanda Thein Zan also wrote incidents that are not natural in his book.

       

  I believe in soul. So I can understand these things . Bagan is an old, ancient city. Innumerable people had lived and perished in it.Some naturally and some opposite of it. But I am afraid of supernatural things. I won’t dare go out in the night like the author in the book, although I like to see the old city in the daytime.

Bagan is an arid place. Only small bushes and trees like htanaung and tamar can grow in the rusty soil. Without the amazing monuments of worship with their architechural and cultural value, the people of long ago built, the place is worth nothing. But because of these things it is famous all over the world and has become a place of attraction. So we must know its value and cherish it and take care of it ,so that it will last a long time.

N   98  Bagan in my heart

I had been reading a book about Bagan. It was written by author Maung Thar Cho, and the title is “ Lacquer smelling pages of a semi desert “

In the book the author narrated every thing about Bagan; its history written by Burmese historians like Dr Than Tun and also foreign scholars as well.

Beside history with it’s kings the author also wrote some incidents concerning famous and infamous pagodas, about spirits that came into existence during the Bagan era, fable like stories such as Kyansittha and his 3 heroes, , Bagan’s connections with Thiho ( Ceylon ) and also Mount Popa, and poems about Bagan written by famous poets.

And then about steles of which Mya Zedi is the most famous. We know from the book that the 1^st person who discovered it was Dr.E Forchammer, a professor of English from Yangon College in 1886 and that the interpreter was a German scholar Dr. Charles Otto Blagden who worked in Singapore and Indonesia.This made me wonder why it had always been foreigners who discovered old monuments like Angkor Wat, Borobudur, and now our Myazedi Stele. 

We had known all along that Mya Zedi stele was erected by Yarza Kumar , son of Kyansithar and Thambula and it depicted his gratitude to his father. Some paragraphs in the book gave us doubts about Yarza Kumar being the son of Kyansithar and Thambula.

Well…. history cannot be said to be a hundred percent true. Historians have to assemble the facts, clues, relics and sayings handed down from old people to young people to make history. Anyway, true or not true Bagan had been great during its days, that even widows can build pagodas that lasted a thousand years with a number of over 2000.

The author wrote :

This much grand a past

This much majestic a history

This much artful and magnificent bygone days

This much bright and radiant yesterday……

Oh…. Bagan, I value  you as my life

And then he said he loves Bagan; to drink tea from lacquer smelling tea cups, to eat lahpet from a lacquer bowl, to haul water from a well with a lacquer pail and bath, to sit quietly under a hta naung tree encircled  by a red earth footpath, to go and pay homage to serene pagodas with distinquished historical backgrounds. He liked all of these that he had visited Bagan uncountable times.

Another book about Bagan that I like is the book written by Nanda Thein Zan. The title is “ Thoughts about Arimadana still lingering “. I had read and bought it more than once . It was what the author and some friends discussed about Bagan old days which left the author with thoughts.I like the somewhat poetic way that it was written.

So , through what I have read and seen in reality I  also come to like Bagan. I had been to Bagan many times though not as much as the author , but I don’t feel I have had enough of it….

to be continued…..

N 97     Roots  ( Part  2 )

During the day and the next day before returning home to Taunggyi we visited 2 relatives houses.They were my father’s cousins who lived with him when he was alive. But one was gone and so I saw only the daughters that are left. The other one who is in her 80s and still alive remembered me and she told me that when my father was killed she had gone to Panglone to look for his remains but could not find them. ( My mother was nearly to deliver her 3^rd child and so was not allowed to go. ) 

The places we visited were places of worship where people usually go to when they visit a new place. Merng Nai is an old town  and has many old pagodas, some ruined, and monasteries. It is said to be 2000 years or more old and had much communication with Burma Proper. So the pagodas, monasteries, and traditions were much influenced by Myanmar art and culture.

We visited the Rahanda’s footsteps pilgrimage site which is on the roadside before reaching the town, the Loi Lang Monastery which is over a hundred years old, the 12 Dewi cave where steep steps were built around big boulders and rocks. But on reaching the top we can see a small pagoda and look at the magnificent view of the whole town. Around town we visited the Sintaung Pagoda, U Shwe Aung pagoda and another age old monastery.

Thus the reason to visit Merng Nai, my father’s hometown was accomplished. I had seen a part of  Merng Nai as a visitor should see and I had visited some relatives I had not seen before. And then there were one or two things I hadn’t mention before. I also went to visit my grandmother’s old house. It is not an ancestral’s home anymore, but had changed hands. The new owners hadn’t pulled it down completely, but only done renovations to it. They showed us some photos of the old timber house. So…. this was the house my father and his brothers grew up….I thought to myself.

I wondered if my father and mother lived in this house after they were married. I had known that their marriage was not an easy one. It had to be postponed again and again due to the Saopha and mahadewi who are going to be the guardians not free. ( The mahadewi was my mother’s 1^st cousin )They had to go to Kunhing for the wedding. And so lastly the wedding had to be held on a non auspicious day , a warameiktu day. Elders said that was why their marriage did not last long and he had a violent death. But that is fate, we all had to exist according to fate.

One good thing to mention before I conclude this post is that I got our family tree from Sai Nay Lin Htet’s parents. He told my daughter before we visit Merng Nai to go and visit his father who is compiling Merng Nai’s history  Not expecting to get such a valuable document ,we went to visit him. After some chattings about his works he said he had something to show us and got up to get it. Then he came back with a sheet of old paper and gave it to me. I looked at it to see if I can find my father’s name and soon found it.

He knew I was glad to see it and said he would give me a copy of it to me. I was very happy and thankful for it because with this I can pass down to my ancestors about my roots. A part of it from my father’s side. It is invaluable for me. Not because it shows I am a relative of Sawbwas, which did not benefit us, but it shows that we are not nonentity people and should act and live accordingly.

I would like my children, my ancestors to be honest, simple, humble, sincere who would contribute some good deeds to mankind, as I believe my father to be and not the opposite.  

N   96     Roots      Part 1

When a seed is planted the first thing that will happen is roots begin to grow from it . Only after that the stem, and later leaves will sprout and unfold from it to become a plant. So it can be said that the root is the basic or origin of a plant, whereas for people to become someone who we are today, we also have to have origins or roots, which also means ancestors.

When we say ancestors we mean ancestors from both the father and the mother. Because men and all living things cannot be formed from only the male (father ) and female (mother) . So when we say our ancestors we mean ancestors from both the father and the mother’s side.

My mother was  from Kunhing, a small village on the Nampang stream, which is a tributary of the Salween river. Her parents were originally  from Kayhsi Mansam, who had moved to Kunhing to become hein (headman ) of this village , when their younger sister became Mahadewi of Merng Nawng. Other relatives also moved there where the clan became distinquished people.

My father was from Merng Nai. According to fate I had been close and lived near relatives from mother’s side in Kunhing, whereas Merng Nai , my father’s birthplace had been far reaching for me.

My father’s name was Sao Tun San. He was a second cousin of the Saopha of Merngnai.I don’t know much about him, but only what I made of him from my mother’s telling. He was schooled to the 7^th standard, but he could read and write English well. He was intimate with the Haw’s environment and worked as a clerk  once. At one time he had been a supply officer.

He read and had a progressive mind, and came to know that the feudal system existing  in the Shan State was not good for the people. So he became a political activist as a member of the Asian Youth Association and later of Shan State Freedom Party, which oppose the feudal lords.During the Panlone conference he was the organizer of these organizations and was much active.

When there was a problem about Bogyoke Aung San being the representative of the Shan State or not he lead a rally in support of General Aung San to show that he represented the Shan State in Merng Nai.

So the feudal lords came to hate him intensely and prepared to get rid of him. Knowing of the danger he and his comrades were facing they tried to flee into Taunggyi district where the black hands of the feudal lords could not reach them. But they faced some difficulties in crossing the Pawn Stream at Merng Pawn, because there were women in their group. He was captured and taken to Loilem to be jailed there at the police station.

 And then one night by the order of the feudal lords he and one comrade were taken out of the jail, taken in a car and assassinated at a spot between Loilem and Panglone. How were they killed, the family never know and their bodies were never found.

According to what I heard from my mother and some other people my father was a good and kind man, a straightforward man who cared for the well being of the proletariat  and grassroots people.

I think he was the same age as General Aung San. So when he was killed in 1948 he would be only about a few years over 30. I at that time was only 3 years old , one brother 2 years and another one nearing to be born. Anyone can imagine the sorrow and grief my mother had faced during those days.

So in this way my mother became a widow and we were left fatherless. My mother had to go back to Kunhing where her parents were and we became distant from

Merng Nai, my father’s birthplace.

Now , years had passed, and we could not know the exact truth about my father’s assassination. But we bear no grudge on anyone. So when I have to go and check on the restoration work of the pagodas at Wansing and also my daughter wanted to visit Merng Nai , we planned a one night visit to Merng Nai.

One relative Daw Khin Su of Namsang accompanied us with their own car to Merng Nai. As it is only about 30 miles from Namsang it didn’t take long to reach there.

Daw Khin Su took us to visit Daw Ah Mar’s house, but there was only on family member . Nearly all that was left of the once distinquished family had all gone to stay in big cities like Taunggyi and Yangon.

Merng Nai haw was sold to the government and now it is being used as a government office.But we visited the must see emblem of Merng Nai, the copper cow which is a part of Merng Nai history in the haw ground.

As for the Sawbwa’s family there is only one household left and that is the 3^rd wife’s who is the only one to be still alive. But we didn’t see her as she had gone to Yangon We saw only one granddaughter , but could take some photos of the family members including one which I had wanted to take. The old haw which I had never seen anywhere.

N  95 Paing Htande 

The last time I visited Bagan was many years ago . I think it was in 2004 , the year Thailand was hit by a destructive Tsunami. I remember this because when we were in Mandalay at my niece Nang Mya Win May’s house the event was shown again and again in the news on TV.

It had been on my mind to visit Bagan again but could not do so all these years. But this year we (with my daughter’s family )decided to go and we did it . We had planned to visit Paing Htande (Paing toddy palm

hut ) on our way back.

Paing Htande has been a  popular   place like many other attractions through facebook. It is on the way to Kyaukpadaung , not very far from Bagan. So not before long we reached the place. The first thing we saw there was the simple signboard and two tourists buses. On branches of trees that grow in front of the main hut were hung old birds’ nests for decoration.

On entering the hut which is roofed with palm leaves I saw some tables occupied by tourists. The tables and seats are made of crude logs of toddy palms with matted palm leaf coverings. The tourists are sipping and savouring sweet toddy palm juice with some other foods.

On the other side of the hut is the place for displaying and selling of products from this place ,mostly palm juggery and foods made from it.

As we got farther into the hut we saw about 3 fireplaces where women were cooking palm juice to make them into juggery. When the palm juice has become thick due to incessant stirring women take a small amount of it and roll them in their hands to make a ball which Burmese people like to eat as dessert after meals.The lump which they take into their hands is surely hot, but they would be used to it I thought.

My mind wanders to things that I have seen in TV documentaries. To the making of all kinds of foods such as cheese, jams, noodles, wines, chocolates, with ultra modern machines and equipments with the most advanced technologies and I realized how much we were far behind and are still living in the primitive ages. Hmmm…. better not to think about our lives, our situation , our country….

In the backyard, at the farthermost place there are the toilets, clean and usuable, even not modernized ones. And there are also decorations with umbrellas, some flower beds, a boat, a cart, some round huts with palm leaf roofing, where people like to take photos. These are fascinating to the eyes of our people and many are excitingly taking photos with these backgrounds.

At one place there is a plaster statue of a Burmese man and not realizing who it is  I took a photo with it.

Then I came to the table where my family had ordered and eating some food .This part is mostly under gourd vine roofing and we can see big green gourds  dangling from the canopy. We tasted some palm juice and ate some fried gourd fritters. It did not cost much.

While we were eating  I asked some girls who were serving about the place and came to know about the owner whose name is Paing Ba Kyi. They said that his statue is over there and then did I realized the statue I had taken photo with is the owner. I also learned that he lives in the village not far from there and that he owns toddy palm groves and land around there.At present he was on pilgrimage with his family. I told them it is a great idea to create such a rest area to attract people and even tourists who are travelling.

We Myanmar people lacks creativity and new ideas. When someone starts a new business and it becomes successful people will try to copy it. So we can see many rest areas like Paing Htande around Bagan with different decorations now.

And in Bagan I don’t know who started it . But we can see many places where small puppets are hung from branches of trees to make the place attractive and so can sell their wares. People just copy one another’s ideas. A place like Paing Htande would be born out of somebody’s idea which I think is Paing Ba Kyi’s.I presume he is not an educated town folk but a simple farmer who had lived in that arid land growing palm trees and earned his living from them. If some educated businessman from a large city started a business like this it would not be much unusual , but as a simple farmer  who lives in the country,  his idea is something that should be acknowledged and appreciated as an entrepreneur.

N 94  My Annual Visit to Yangon

I don’t remember how many years I have come back to live in Taunggyi. But during these years I usually went to stay in Yangon for the winter, because Taunggyi is too cold in the winter months.

But this year I decided to go later and see if I can braveTaunggyi’s winter. And… I saw I can do it quite well. It is nothing much compared to colder places, not to mention the world’s cold places, but only in our country. Even places like Pinlaung, Namsang, Loilem, Mogok, Momeik, and the Chin Hills are colder than Taunggyi. The temperature at those places are only a little degrees above 0* like 3 or 4 degrees . But I found the indoor temperature in my house is over 10* on colder days. I wonder how people can live in sub zero degrees with snow covering everywhere.

So it was on the 6^th of February that I finally went to Yangon. The main reason was I have to do some paper signing at a bank where we have home loan and I also want to do some medical checking. The paper signing work at the bank was done within a few hours after we reached Yangon.

I did the medical check up the next day. I have some problems with my heart, narrowing of the arteries.. I had planned to check up with my nephew Sai Kyaw Tay Zar who is now a cardiologist. He examined me with echo machine and told me the result is not so bad, to do some more checking after some months and gave me prescriptions for some medicine.

On the 8^th I attended the wedding ceremony of another nephew Sai Kyaw, who is the brother of Sai Kyaw Tay Zar. Sai Kyaw lives in the US and also the bride’s parents and they are going to US after a few days. The wedding was held at the pool side of Sedona Hotel. This was my first time there and everything was nice and pretty for me. The bride and groom, the environment, the preparations and agenda, and also the food. I wish the couple to have a long, happy and pleasant life together in the US.

On the 10^th I attended another wedding which was held at Pandittayama Monastery near our house. Hsun was offered to Sanghas and yogi’s , and guests were treated with buffet lunch in commemoration of their wedding. The bride Aye Aye Myint is my daughter’s friend and we also met with some other friends at the ceremony.

The next day we had a gathering of friends whom we had lived together in Kunhing. Not many of them but only five. We had lunch together at my house, and we talked about our past and present lives. To meet friends and having some talks is a pleasant and happy thing to do. It is nice because it means that we are still alive and can go about, even some including me are not quite well and healthy enough. We cannot meet like this if we are gone forever. Next year if I am well enough I will have a more bigger gathering with people whom we lived together in Kunhing.

When I didn’t go out I did some dusting and cleaning at home. Because the house had undergone major alterations and repairs there is dust everywhere, but this time it was a lot better. I did some organizing of the wardrobes in my room and the book cabinets.

As I love books I collected some starting  from long ago. I still have Reader’s Digest and novels from my school days and Time magazines of 40 years ago. I keep my books in cabinets with unsystematic catalogues. Whether systematic or not I can know how many books I have and how many I have lost (but I don’t have many ).  I have lost more during  my absense but  I don’t let this trouble me. Anyway nothing is permanent in this world, but it is distressing that my children, my grand children are not reading books anymore.  (Exception…Nang Nang and Naung Naung who has started to read , but they read English books only )

I had asked my granddaughter Baby to send me to bookshops and she did so one Thursday when she didn’t have tuition. Because we left late and of traffic it was time to eat lunch when we reached downtown. So I was taken to 800 bowls Restaurant where we had noodles and dumplings. Then we went to Sarpay Beikman , the Goveernment’s bookshop where I bought some books to take home.

A short walk on the platform around there brought me memories of long ago. When I was young I liked walking on the platforms where there are vendors selling everything. I would walk on these platforms tirelessly looking at inexpensive things and buying some upon seeing things I needed. During this short walking I saw a book I had wanted( Pascal Khoo Thwe’s From the Land of Green Ghost …. a book I had read its translation and had liked )and I bought it happily. Though I had wanted to go to other bookshops I cannot do so because to go from one place to another in the downtown area is not a simple and easy thing to do but a complicated and time consuming thing .

I didn’t want to go back home without visiting at least one new shopping mall. So I was taken to Junction City . It was my first visit there and upon entering it I couldn’t help mention that it looks like a shopping mall in  neighbouring foreign countries.It is a modernized one with some garden like decorations and a plant wall where people were taking photos.But most shops are selling branded items and the prices are not cheap.

Many shopping malls like this one are sprouting here and there around Yangon . And we are hearing that our country is facing economic recession at the moment. But there also is a wide gap between the rich and the poor. So shopping malls and branded things will be for the elite, the rich and the upper class people only.

I had posted about my one and only visit to Signature restaurant on the bank of Kandawgyi Lake in my facebook account. So my daughter and her friend commented they will send me again when I come to Yangon the next time.And they really did send me there on the last day of my stay. I don’t like to go out much ,but it is nice to do so sometimes. We ate those foreign foods and took pictures with the nice surroundings there. The pleasant weather and environment,the food , the relaxation I had, all are great experience for me. Thank you…Ying, and Hnin Yu Khine for sending me to a nice place like this. Let us go to another nice place when I come again next year……

N 93  The Arakan – Bengali crisis  : in the eye of a Myanmar citizen

Myanmar is a small country in south east Asia with an area of 261228 sq miles and 52 million population. It borders China in the east and Bengaladesh in the west ( not to mention other countries that it is not having problems with ) Over 130 ethnic groups are living in Myanmar. And so because we are not one and the same race there are problems naturally.

Beside having its own internal problems during these few years a problem that would shake the whole country arise. Bengaladesh that borders Myanmar is a country so densely populated with 156 million , that some overflow its border to spill over into our country.

There is history that over a hundred years ago Bengalis were brought into Myanmar to work in the fields and as thay have been living for many generations that they were recognized by the government as its citizens. But as population boomed in Bengaladesh to make lives hard , people from Bengaladesh poured into Myanmar by waves. They called themselves Rohingyas  and demand that they were given citizenship by Myanmar government. Some obtained identity  cards by bribing the corrupt immigration department and some were given by power holding parties in exchange to vote for them in the election.

But many remain unrecognized and are  trying to become Myanmar citizens . Sometimes conflicts break out between the Arakanese and Bengalis . There are much differences between the native Arakanese and the Bengalis.  The most distinct characteristic is that the Arakans are devout Buddhists and the Bengalis  are mostly Muslims. A few years ago a spark was ignited by the Bengalis  when a group of Bengalis raped and kill an Arakan girl. This incident led to killings on both sides and brought in organizations like UNHCR to investigate in the case.

But whoever came they insist that Myanmar recognize the Bengalis as its citizens , which the government is  denying , as they are not our citizens rightfully, but unlawful immigrants. If a consensus is to be made among the citizens of Myanmar nobody will want to receive them as one of our nationalities.

But with their traditions and beliefs their population is growing fast with many families having over 10 members, that their population surpassed the Rakhines  or other ethnic groups and Hindus like in Maungdaw.

The latest incident that happened on 25^th August was started by the so called Rohingya. They have formed an extremist insurgent group and on 25^th August held coordinated attacks on several police posts where 12 members of security forces  and at least 77 rohingyas were reportedly killed. Later some Rakhine , Hindus , and members of small ethnic groups were also found to be killed by Muslims.

So Myanmar military forces had to come in to do clearance operation.Who will stay calm and immobile when our security forces were being attacked and our people being killed . So counter attack and clearing territories were made.There may be killings and burning of villages , where insurgents had been hiding , which usually happen in wars. But in the Muslim world including the UNHCR high commissioner  condemned the army’s action. They accused the army of burning villages , rape, ethnic cleansing,. Some said 3000 Muslims were killed.

 I don’t believe what they said. 3000 is ridiculous and it cannot be said ethnic cleansing. How can the military wipe out the Rohingyas whose population is over one million in Myanmar. Over 40000 fled to Bengaladesh is right. Reports that Bengalis burned their own houses were also heard , and that is to put the blame on Myanmar military and to get sympathy and funds from outside.

To flee to Bengaladesh is a right thing to do in my opinion. They had come from that country and it is the right place they should be. Why would they want to come and live in Myanmar. As I have said the Myanmar (Arakan ) people are very different from them , by race, by religion, language, customs, beliefs, and everything. These two races cannot live together for sure.

If we permit them to come and live in our land  , the first thing that will happen is that they will overwhelm our population in a few decades, by their quickly multiplying population because their religion allow men to have multiple wives with unlimited children.. And there is a threat to our country , a threat of Islamisation.

We have seen whole countries changed it’s religion from Buddhism to Islam. The countries along the Silk Road such as Western China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekhistan, Afghanistan, to Syria and Turkey were Buddhists or Christian Countries at first. But when they were  conquered They were turned into Islamic countries, by Islamic leaders and merchants who traded along the Silk Road.

So every country has to be careful to retain its land and religion, and not to become victims of Islamisation. They have plans to overwhelm the world with every means they can use.

These days countries have to face the refugee problems. These refugees are mostly muslims. On grounds of human rights countries are receiving refugees. Looking at violent incidents around the world  like bomb exploding, stabbing with knives, drive motor vehicles into crowds and such like are mostly perpetrated by Islamist extremists. The attack of the WTC  New York in 2009 which killed 3000 people was the biggest deed they had done. And they are warning the world that more are to come.

I didn’t mean that all muslim people are extremists. Maybe only a handful is a threat to mankind. But this handful like the IS is dangerous enough and the fast multiplying population is also one thing countries should think about.

At present we are facing criticism and condemnation from outside. The latest incident was not incited by the Rakhine people but by the Rohingyas who surely have military background behind them. Some said that they have plans to establish their own territory in Rakhine. To let them encroach into our country is impossible . It would be violating our sovereignty.

All foreign organizations including the UN or UNHCR have no right to put pressure on Myanmar, to let Bengalis come and settle here. This is not their country. They came from Bengaladesh and Bengaladesh should take them in or go to other Muslim countries.

This is my view concerning the Bengalis and I believe all Myanmar people believe like this. We don’t have any desire to receive any people from outside far more who can be a threat to our race our religion, our culture and our lives.