Myanmar Govt on Raja Niti

[Guest guest]

Rumours, the tool of terrorist destructionists  

Myanmar Govt on Raja Niti

  

'According to Raja Niti treatise, one should not place too much  

reliance on four types of speeches — hearsay, speech given somewhere  

behind one’s back, ambiguous speech, and speech filled with anger.'  

  

Nowadays, a variety of rumours have spread in the nation. Indeed,  

they are merely invented stories. I have seen so many people who  

have got into troubles because they assumed the rumours to be true.  

Maubin, my native town, is not far from Yangon City. Before 1988,  

the distance between Maubin and Yangon was a five-hour ride by boat.  

After 1988, one can reach Yangon from Maubin by car in about two  

hours thanks to the emergence of Maubin Bridge built by the State.  

However, it was surprising that the news stories from Yangon were  

not as they really were when they spread to Maubin. Even though  

modern communication equipment has been installed the length and  

breadth of the nation, invented stories or rumours infiltrate into  

many regions.  

Three time bombs went off at three busy places in Yangon on 7 May  

2005, leaving 11 people and members of the Sangha dead and 162  

injured.  

The tragic news spread to Maubin before its confirmation. And the  

news on the death toll had been exaggerated when it spread to the  

region. The people were informed about the correct news only after  

it was carried in newspapers and on TV and radio.  

A rumour spread to Maubin that another bomb blast occurred in Yangon  

the following day. Being untrue, later it vanished. There are many  

people who always fall to rumours. Some spread rumours without  

analyzing them, and some spread rumours to others, exaggerating  

them.  

Due to the 1988 unrest caused by rumours, Myanmar was about to lose  

her sovereignty and the Union was on the verge of disintegration.  

During the unrest, there emerged invented stories of internal and  

external destructive elements, instigations designed to fan the  

nation’s undesirable situations, manipulation of market prices by  

greedy merchants taking advantage of rumours, street journals  

published without press ethics, and undisciplined public talks  

during the unrest. The entire people were in a state of alarm owing  

to the fabrications manufactured by foreign radio stations and  

anarchic acts committed by destructionists.  

In addition, rumours put some students on the wrong path and they  

were therefore at the mercy of the insurgents. Being filled with  

compassion and showing forgiveness, the Tatmadaw opened reception  

camps and received the artless youngsters. Some State service  

personnel went underground because of the adverse impact of  

prevailing rumours. The internal and external destructive elements  

invented and exaggerated the news stories and perpetrated  

instigations, resorting to various wicked means. In consequence, the  

nation lacked prevalence of law and order, peace and stability.  

Besides, anarchy reigned supreme across the nation, and the entire  

people suffered a wide range of adversities and troubles.  

According to Raja Niti treatise, one should not place too much  

reliance on four types of speeches — hearsay, speech given somewhere  

behind one’s back, ambiguous speech, and speech filled with anger.  

Buddha taught the disciples to speak the truth that is beneficial  

and valuable to mankind as He wished them not to speak the untruth.  

He said that silence was better than speaking words that had no  

value and effect; that when two persons met they should speak words  

that contributed to the good of mankind; that although they got the  

opportunity to speak words that served no one’s interest, silence  

would always be better for both.  

In the Abhaya-raja-kumara Sutta, Buddha pointed out the following  

six points:  

[1] In the case of words the Tathagata knows to be unfactual,  

untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal), unendearing  

and disagreeable to others, he does not say them.  

[2] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual,  

true, unbeneficial, unendearing and disagreeable to others, he does  

not say them.   

[3] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual,  

true, beneficial, but unendearing and disagreeable to others, he has  

a sense of the proper time for saying them.  

[4] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual,  

untrue, unbeneficial, but endearing and agreeable to others, he does  

not say them.  

[5] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual,  

true, unbeneficial, but endearing and agreeable to others, he does  

not say them.  

[6] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual,  

true, beneficial, and endearing and agreeable to others, he has a  

sense of the proper time for saying them.  

The rumours spreading in the nation at present are found to be  

unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal),  

unendearing and disagreeable.  

Concerning the rumour, I would like to present two events as an  

example. One occurred during the Srekestra period, and another at  

present. When Srekestra was about to meet its end, a whirlwind of  

moderate intensity blew off a woman’s ‘sakaw’ (a round bamboo tray).  

The woman ran after her flying sakaw shouting, “Ngah sakaw!...Ngah  

sakaw!” (“Oh its my sakaw!....My sakaw!”). But when persons taking  

nothing into consideration spread a rumour saying, “Nga sakaw troops  

are coming!”, widespread confusion and fear occurred in Srekestra,  

and the people fled the city leaving behind all their immovable  

property.  

The present one occurred in my native town, Maubin. Thanks to Bo  

Myat Tun Bridge, we can travel to Pathein, stay for a while in the  

capital city of Ayeyawady Division, and then back to Maubin the same  

day. There are passenger buses plying daily between the two  

destinations.  

One day, while I was in Pathein, I heard bad news, which said that a  

bomb exploded on a Maubin-Pathein-Maubin daily bus. The news caused  

anxiety and fear among the people, especially, those of Maubin. The  

people of Maubin enquired their friends and relatives in Pathein  

about the rumoured incident on line. But the people of Pathein  

answered that they had heard nothing about the matter. Only when the  

bus arrived back Maubin in the afternoon did the people know that it  

was none other than a groundless story.  

On 7 June 2005, we read in the dailies a news report issued by the  

State Peace and Development Council on 6 June dateline, which said  

that the terrorists wishing to disturb and destroy the stability of  

State and the rule of law were resorting to various means to spread  

fabrications to reach that end. The Information Committee of the  

State Peace and Development Council is also holding press meets,  

issuing authentic news stories which are being featured and  

broadcast by the dailies and radio and TV stations. Specially  

published documentaries on the press meets are also being published  

free of charge as necessary.  

So, we need to know that the ones who hatch plots to spread rumours  

are the tool of terrorists. Thus, the people should analyse the  

rumours, and should not relay them. Terrorists may disguise  

themselves as ordinary citizens and make individual movements to  

commit terrorist acts. The citizens should beware of the terrorists  

to ward off their destructive acts. And if the people find any  

suspicious-looking strangers, acts and items, or persons trying to  

spread rumours, they should inform the authorities about the matter  

in time.  

In this regard, the people will have to prevent the spread of  

rumours, the terrorists’ tool, with nationalistic fervour, and to  

crush the destructionists with the four-point People’s Desire.   

   

Author : Chingya (Maubin)  

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