THAN SHWE
Unmasking Burma’s Tyrant
By Benedict Rogers. Silkworm Books. 272 pages. £20.99
ISBN 978-974-9511-91-6
This timely book does not need any tribute from me, but I warmly recommend it to everyone. As a great admirer of the American missionary, Adoniram Judson, and having visited Burma six times to encourage, I have become very concerned for all its peoples, especially the Christians.
Benedict Rogers has previously written A Land without Evil: Stopping the Genocide of Burma’s Karen People (2004). Also, in 2007, Carrying the Cross: the Military Regime’s Campaign of Restrictions, Discrimination and Persecution against Christians in Burma (a report).
Now Mr. Rogers has published this third and most enlightening book, revealing the progress of this man from humble background to powerful dictator. This is a timely book dedicated ‘For the people of Burma who have suffered too much for too long with too little attention from the international community’.
Mr. Rogers has clearly manifested a noble spirit in seeking facts and conducting over 30 fact-finding missions to the country and its borders. The chapters flow consecutively and show something of the progress of this dictator and the studies involved including psychological warfare. Than Shwe does not commend himself as a Buddhist, but more as a man seeking absolute power. He appears most hateful of the democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been treated shockingly for 20 years under house arrest, and when allowed some freedom has been nearly killed.
What I also found so surprising was to read of so many countries that trade with and support Burma, some trading in drugs and other industries, like gas, jade and military weapons. I quote from page 138: ‘Pakistan became a major supplier of machine guns, ammunition, and mortar bombs to Burma. Ukraine, Russia, and others also supplied weaponry. India, despite initially supporting the democracy movement, became a provider of arms to the regime, including artillery shells, bullets, guns and training. But by far the most significant supplier is China.’ In addition, there are occasional reports ‘that Than Shwe’s army has chemical or biological weapons, built with assistance from a German company.’
Despite the ideals of the United Nations and what the member countries sign up to, Russia and China have used their veto power to resist moves for human rights in Burma. So the people go on suffering while the army and the leaders are highly paid and weddings among the very top are hugely grand and expensive affairs.
We are our brother’s keeper and so I plead for this book to be read by everyone: while we are not to put our trust in princes, but in the Living God who is the judge of all, yet as fellow human beings we are to seek justice for all. As the prophet, Habakkuk, says in the Old Testament: ‘O Lord how long shall I cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save?’ The Bible assures us that it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God — he who is a consuming fire!
Thank God truth will out. May this book, written at such cost, result in prayer and action for the neglected and oppressed peoples of Burma. I urge you to buy, to read carefully and prayerfully, and then to seek action to relieve the oppressed. As with Abel, blood from the ground calls for justice.
Joseph Hewitt, retired Grace Baptist pastor
This review was first published in the English Churchman, and is used with permission.
