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Published on February 21, 2008

Mahn Sha was shot and killed by unknown gunmen on February 14 while at his home in the border town of Mae Sot. The politician and freedom fighter was 64 years old. He was a strong force in Burma's opposition movement, and throughout his lengthy involvement in the struggle against Burma's military dictatorship he worked hard to unify the various ethnic, religious and political groups that comprise Burma's opposition forces. He was held in high regard by the entire opposition movement, both Burman and ethnic alike.

Included in the long list of those mourning Mahn Sha's killing is Burma's National League for Democracy, the party led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Nyan Win, spokesperson for the NLD said that Mahn Sha's "death was a great loss as he was a person we could rely on for the country's national reconciliation and unity".

Mahn Sha, whose mother tongue was the Pwo dialect of Karen, was a Buddhist born in Taw Gyaung village, Maubin district, in the Irrawaddy delta, thus making him a minority in the KNU leadership, overwhelmingly composed of Christian Sgaw speakers. Mahn Sha who had been KNU general secretary since 2000 remained committed to his people's struggle throughout the last few years, which has been a particularly difficult period for the once powerful KNU.

In Karen areas not under the control of the Burmese military, the KNU is the de facto government; KNU territory, however, has been reduced significantly in recent years as the Burmese military has made major gains against the KNU.

In an interview with the opposition newspaper Mizzima, conducted just days before his killing Mahn Sha criticised the Burmese junta's recent announcement that it would hold elections in 2010. He voiced concern that the election would be rigged to ensure the generals' path to the legitimacy they crave.

Mahn Sha's killing is indeed a major setback for the Burma democracy movement. We hope that those who take his place and continue the struggle will follow Mahn Sha's commitment to dialogue and consensus building as a means to making a democratic and prosperous Burma. He will be sorely missed.

Canadian Friends of Burma

Ottawa

Picture raises obvious questions about Oct '76

Re "Damned if I was involved", News, February 19.

They say every picture tells a story. Never was a saying made to ring so true than the picture of Amorn Amornrattananon on your front page standing in front of the tragic photo of the many dead from the October 6 massacre. It is disturbing indeed and tells its story so clearly.

However, this picture also asks a question as much as it tells its story. How can Samak, who was intimately involved with events at the time, have such a dysfunctional recall of the events? Is it because he is unable to recall properly and is suffering from senility or brain dysfunction? Or is the answer much simpler?

The country deserves a truthful answer to this question, but only seems to get profanity and bluster from its 25th prime minister. This response clearly tells its own story.

Jack Stein

Bangkok

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Selective support from Western powers

Now that Kosovo has unilaterally and illegally declared its independence from Serbia - eagerly supported by the US, Britain and some other EU countries (but not by Spain, Cyprus, Russia or China) - may we hope to see in the near future the same enthusiastic support from the same countries for the independence of the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia and Trans-Dniester in Moldova, as well as the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, without forgetting the Basque homeland of Euskadi and the Chinese breakaway province of Taiwan, as well as the occupied nations of Tibet and Palestine?

Edward Duhigg

Bangkok

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Egat must look at alternative energy

For the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to arrange and fund a "feasibility study" on nuclear power plants is like having the Police Department arrange and fund a study to decide whether all cops should be given expensive new cars. If Egat, with its stated desire for nuclear power, is funding the study, then it will massage the message so that the findings point to a glowing future for nuclear power (pun intended).

Here's a challenge for Egat: Allow experts representing alternative energy options to showcase their wares. It could be like a World Fair of energy options. Energy experts (nuclear, solar and others) would relish the opportunity to exhibit their technology, and they would gladly pay their own way - which would preclude much of the planned Bt1-billion Egat expenditure. With such open exhibits, the public would get educated on options, and it might well inspire Thai entrepreneurs toward innovations and inventions.

Egat could also arrange "town hall" meetings throughout Thailand that would enable ordinary Thais to freely express their concerns. The theme for such meetings could be: "Would you be open to having a nuclear power plant within a kilometre of your house?"

Egat must have a short list of recommended sites for one or more of the four nuclear plants it is planning. Will the Thai public get wind of the proposed sites before or after the feasibility study?

Here's a challenge for PM Samak and his new Cabinet: with such a serious matter as Thailand's future electricity security, the PM could facilitate a non-industry-funded feasibility study. Such a study might be more objective than putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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Effects of second-hand smoke still up in the air

Re: "Smoking ban justified on health grounds", Letters, February 20.

David, please quote me correctly or remember what I said.

1. Do I believe that smoking is harmful to your health? Absolutely!

2. Do I believe that I should be allowed to smoke anywhere and anytime I choose? No! Obviously smokers and non-smokers should be separated because there are, in fact, a lot of rude smokers and I would imagine that it's not pleasant to have smoke blown in your face if you do not smoke.

3. Do I believe the American surgeon-general's report on second-hand smoke? No. It was obviously contrived by an agency that had an agenda. And if it didn't have an agenda, why was the report ordered in the first place?

I'm sorry David, but until you can answer two questions for me, I will never agree with you about the validity of that report.

A/ How is it possible that I could have pumped the smoke from 40 to 50 cigarettes a day directly into my lungs for 50 years and I am still here. And yet you would have me believe that you, by inhaling infrequent smoke from my cigarettes, are going to die from it?

B/ How could it be possible to determine how much second-hand smoke any given person has taken in and be able to come to the conclusion that it killed them? Particularly when just about everyone in the world breathes in fumes from automobiles 24/7?

You suggested that anyone who finished grade school knows that second-hand smoke can kill you. I would suggest that anyone who believes such a thing can only have finished grade school.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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