9/30/2007

Myanmar junta split

A report supposedly from London, to give it that sign of authority, but no names mentioned, said that 'A split has emerged within Myanmar's ruling junta, according to exile groups which claim that second in command Gen Maung Aye was angered by the violent crackdown on monks and portesters ordered by Senior General Than Shwe. It was also reported that Gen Maung Aye was holding talks with imprisoned opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi....' Reading these two paragraphs, one will get the impression that Maung Aye is a moderate and decent guy. But next to this paragraph is a write up of Maung Aye. It reads, 'Deputy Senior General Maung Aye,...has a reputation for uncompromising ruthlessness even more notorious than that of Senior Gen Than Shwe...Indeed, Gen Maung Aye is believed by some to have been behind an attack on Ms Suu Kyi's convoy...in 2003 from which she barely escaped with her life.' What is the paper trying to say? Maung Aye a nice guy or a bad guy? Or it is the way the paper is casting doubt on the credibility of the report? Or it was just pushed out without reading? The stark contradiction cannot be missed by professional journalists that double and triple check their sources to validify their reports.

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