Mercenaries: The King of Kawthoolei

[dgold0101]

i have no idea what to make of any of this. they should get nate thayer on the story, or our own honorable ryp

[anonyx]

I realize this comes almost a year after the fact, but I'll make a mention of it in case this thread comes up in google searches as it did for me.

Mr Foster, with all due regard, despite your clear intention to investigate as thoroughly as possible the situation, it is quite clear that Mr Bleming has issues with telling the truth, whether intentional or not. He may simply believe everything he says, but that doesn't make it true, and the article here shows a much clearer understanding of the facts than does Mr Bleming's book, which shows a complete lack of understanding of the Karen people and their struggle. He sees it as he wants to, not as it is.

Your understanding, despite your best efforts, also seems to fall short. Although you may choose to call it semantics, or argue that you were up late writing the post, anyone with even a medium-level understanding of the ethnic insurgencies, especially the longest-running among them (Karen vs Burma govt), would know better than to call them Karenni. The Karenni are a different ethnic group, sometimes included within the larger classification of Karen. However, even if you choose to include them as Karen (which, many would argue, is incorrect anyways), you cannot use the terms interchangeably. Despite the similarity in spelling, it is equivalent to 'accidentally' referring to United States Americans as Canadians, or Kiwis to Aussies.

I can't judge Mr McCartan as a journalist, as I've never met him, but his story is far more representative of the reality of the situation than Mr Bleming's. I agree that the KNU has big issues, and I do not agree with the way they run their show, but that does not mean that Mr McCartan's article is not factual.

Mr Bleming's claims about involvement in other wars in other countries do sound rather far-fetched, mainly because they seem to be unsubstantiated. When faced with people who doubt his claims, he might do well to provide some hard evidence of what he did, and stick to the facts. His factual errors in his book show that he is either dishonest (deliberately or not) or his publisher changed his words before printing the book.

[RYP]

I don't have a dog in this fight but I know that the Karens' have played host to a number of Walter Mitty/SOF types and some serious folks who want to help. There is another fellow who is famous for being one of those mercenary freedom fighters and was shunned by the Karen. He recently wrote a book on Iraq.

The Karens have endured these folks and of course it didn't help that Rambo is the latest cinematic hero

Stallone’s 'Rambo' crew witnessed Myanmar killing aftermath


LOS ANGELES — Sylvester Stallone said he and his “Rambo” sequel movie crew recently witnessed the human toll of unspeakable atrocities while filming along the Myanmar border.

“I witnessed the aftermath — survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off. We saw many elephants with blown off legs. We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific,” Stallone told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday.

Stallone returned eight days ago from shooting “John Rambo,” the fourth movie in the action series, on the Salween River separating Thailand and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

“This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams,” Stallone said. “All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river.”

And this was before the crackdown last week against the largest pro-democracy protests in Myanmar in two decades. After the government increased fuel prices in August, public anger turned to mass protest against 45 years of military dictatorship. Last week, soldiers responded by opening fire with automatic weapons on unarmed demonstrators.

For decades, Myanmar’s army has waged a brutal war against ethnic groups in which soldiers have razed villages, raped women and killed innocent civilians. Especially hard hit have been the Karen, one of several minorities that have been seeking greater autonomy.

Just last week, the American Association for the Advancement of Science said it has compiled satellite images that provide evidence of village destruction, forced relocations and a growing military presence at sites across eastern Myanmar.

The “Rambo” script, written long before the current Myanmar uprising, features boatman John Rambo — the Vietnam War-era Green Beret who specializes in violent rescues and revenge — taking a group of mercenaries up the Salween River in search of missing Christian aid workers in Myanmar. The character “realizes man is just a few paces away from savagery when pushed.”

“I called Soldier of Fortune magazine and they said Burma was the foremost area of human abuse on the planet,” Stallone said.

Stallone is now editing “John Rambo,” which will be released in January, and said he Is trying to strike a balance and grapple with the question, “Are you making a documentary or a `Rambo’ movie?” Shots were fired over the film crew’s heads and there were threats, he said.

“We were told we could get seriously hurt if we went on,” Stallone said, adding the families of Burmese extras in the movie were imprisoned.

“I was being accused, once again, of using the Third World as a `Rambo’ victim. The Burmese are beautiful people. It’s the military I am portraying as cruel,” he said.

Stallone’s next challenge is trying to get an “R” rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.

“This is full scale genocide. I want an `R’ and I want the violence in there because it is reality. It would be a whitewashing not to show what’s over there,” he said, noting he plans to bring Myanmar survivors before the MPAA board.

“I think there is a story that needs to be told,” Stallone said.

[anonyx]

A quick extra post: I apologize, when I posted the previous comment, I had not yet read your newer comment on the New Mandala, which shows that you have in fact now read the book which I criticized, and have changed your opinion about Mr Bleming. Apologies for 'speaking too soon.'

[derek]

but what about the kachins, chins, mons and everybody else? The Karen are the most accessible because you can chill in thailand en route. "Chilling" in Bangaldesh doesn't have quite the same cache. The Nagas may have the Karen beat by a year since India was independent 6 months before burma or something.

[RYP]

Randall "Tex" Cobb EASILY the best film career in American history. His performance in Raising Arizona alone (that part just before he gets blowed up) is acting at its finest. Don't forget his stunningly versatile roles in:


Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol,
Raising Arizona,
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,
The Golden Child,
Naked Gun 33⅓:
The Final Insult,
Fletch Lives, and
Ernest Goes to Jail
Critical Condition
Diggstown,
....and TV!

Miami Vice,
Highlander: The Series,
Married... with Children,
Moonlighting,
Walker, Texas Ranger,
MacGyver, and
The X-Files.

[Ultra Swain]

The Karen have never actively recruited foreigners to serve in their armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Most foreigners stumble across them either through military or mercenary contacts, through magazines such as Soldier of Fortune, or even simply while backpacking as tourists through Thailand.

Myself, 2 scottish guys and 1 Italian made the trek to Tachileik to do the same thing in 2000. Thank god for us both sides decided to start mortaring each other about an hour after we got there while were enjoying a shitty beer at the Myanmar brewery. We watched the road to Mae Sai fill with scared Karens and Thais and we decided to haul ass back to the land of smiles. I heard they closed to border for several weeks after that firefight since the Burmese shells went long and landed in Thailand which caused the Thais to fire back. To make a long story short 2 days later I was sharing a hut with a rather nice english redhead in Ko Samui.

p.s. We later found out the best way to make contact with the KNLA was via the camps in Mae Sot and not by wandering around North Eastern Burma with a shitty beer in your hand. The more you know.

Next time, I am skipping all that and sneaking across like everyone else.

[Ultra Swain]

If you rent this movie and fast forward to the "Blaster BMX" scene. You will see a pair of spindly legs in red Hutch leathers (yes I know how that sounds) doing some sweet jumps in the background. That is me. Azusa BMX Rules All!

[RYP]

damn... Celebrity Poster Alert to TMZ!
http://www.businessoffashion.net/wp-con ... 0x3210.jpg

[derek]

If Robert Stack asked you to head back into the shit, would you? Blaster and Sailor and Fred Ward did.