A Melodrama of Verbal Confrontation between Dr. Zarni (FBC) and Dr.
Sein Win, the Prime Minister of the National Coalition of Union of
Burma (NCGUB)

In the evening of 7 June 2005, Dr Sein Win the Prime of the National
Coalition Government of Union of Burma came under face-to-face
confrontational situation with Dr Zarni, a leading critics of the
Democracy movement in Burma at a meeting called by the All Party
Parliamentary Group on Burma (UK).

All Party Parliamentary Group on Burma is a crocus group of the UK
cross party parliamentarians who are interested in issues relating
to Burma. The group regularly holds meetings with the democracy
campaign groups on Burma in UK. Dr Sein Win attended the meeting on
7 June 2005 as a guest of honour to the group. The confrontation
between the two gentlemen set it's scene when they looked at each
other with a cross-eye.

Outside the All Party Select Committee Room 15, the audience waited
to be invited into the meeting room. Dr Sein Win looked subdued with
the stage fear of having to speak to an influential audience. Dr
Zarni, a leading critic of the movement and allegedly an informal
mouthpiece of the Burmese military junta dressed in a dapper suit
and looked fiery with full of confidence.

The subdued Prime Minister of NCGUB spoke softly and too humbly for
an audience of influential UK parliamentarians. Zarni launched his
verbal attack on Dr. Sein Win and the democracy movement by giving a
lengthy introduction of himself and arguing that the military junta
should not be labelled as dictator. He backed up his argument by
defining the word 'dictator' and turning it into an obscure academic
debate. A more personal and direct criticism came from him when he
produced a press release statement from the NLD in which it tries to
distance itself from the parallel government. He urged the UK
parliament that NCGUB should be given a platform to speak as NLD in
exile. Zarni tone of voice of intense and his nervousness became
apparent when started getting shaky hands.

The movement in exile came under fire when he told the audience that
the 'word' politics is a synonym to a swear word by younger
generation. He blamed it on the inflexibility of the Burmese
movement in exile. The chairperson of the meeting, Ms Ann Clwyd
(Member of Parliament) tried to stop Zarni from giving a lengthy
speech during the question and answer session. Zarni concluded by
making a comparison between the anti-apartheid campaign of South
Africa and Burma. He claimed that the Nelson Mendala compromised
with the apartheid regime in order to liberate South Africa and it
is not an evident in the Burmese Democracy movement.

In response his statement on South Africa, the Liberal Democrat
Member Parliament said he supported and actively took part in the
anti-apartheid movement of South Africa and he particularly found
several critics like Zarni but when the actual freedom came South
Africa the point of views of critics proved wrong. Similarly, the
analysis of the critics of the Burmese democracy movement would
prove to be wrong when freedom actually comes in Burma.



The melodrama between the NCGUB and Zarni ended with smiling remarks
from Dr. Sein Win and Dr. Taung Thun, the UN affairs spokesperson of
NCGUB. Dr Sein Win explained to the audience that Dr Zarni must be
missing the country by living in exile and frustrated for not being
able to returned to Burma. Dr Taung Thun made a direct remark to
Zarni by pointing out to the audience that the Prospect Burma (set
up with funds of Aung San Su Kyi' nobel peace prize) funded Zarni's
education in exile and it is an irony that Aung Su Kyi is facing
criticism from him. It was a strange reality to witness a 'pseudo
military junta's' representation by Zarni and Dr Sein Win elected by
the people of Burma having a verbal exchange in the very mother of
Parliament where tradition of British democracy is rooted.


Regards,
Mg Daung