The real heros that deserve our focus and support are the journalists who, while caring nothing about personal economic profit, take risks every day to fight for a free press and the right of the Burmese people to receive accurate information about their country and government.
RD shares the faith of sick Anton (art only): money greedy, general connected, drug addicted, paedos...both got what they deserve: insein prison with full fledge treatment, the generals are next
Moe Aung Wrote:
23/02/2011
Burmese saying: those in the service of the monarch are like trees lining a river bank. Vulnerable to erosion and the changing course. Same for those who curry favor and then fall foul later. Shooting stars while they last.
RD probably took a calculated risk, and paid a higher price than he reckoned. They deserve each other.
Erik Wrote:
22/02/2011
Daw Lay said: "...sucking the blood of Myanmar people and their resources."
Well, there's only a handful of western expats in Burma. I guess the real sucking of blood and resources is done by the generals.
Let's face it: they couldn't care less if Dunkly visited prostitutes or not. Sadly prostitution is everywhere in Yangon and is condoned. Until the military has an unrelated reason to get rid of someone and uses the prostitute thing as a stick...
Daw Lay Wrote:
19/02/2011
Let this be a lesson to all foreigners who thinks that they are above the law. Living like colonial masters feasting on the flesh of young girls and sucking the blood of Myanmar people and their resources.
Mirko Kurass Wrote:
19/02/2011
Mingalaber, U Aung Zaw,
sadly, your article is correct in the reporting but too biased in judgement.
Did you know that RD was - together with Luc de Waegh - leading promotional speaker at a "Myanmar Investor's conference in BKK last year?
My comment was: "Crazy hero to do such an investment and tell us, it's a challenge, but anyone can do investments there..."
His error was to trust the Burmese, as George Orwell knew already.
Still, although he had to adapt to the regime, he showed the people how to do a real newspaper. In Bangkok or Chiang Mai it is so easy to be a critic.
Formeryangonexpat Wrote:
18/02/2011
I have lived and worked inside Yangon before.
The expat scene is small, and everyone knows that Dunkley is a drug addict and frequently hires young prostitutes. He used to even have a designated pimp, who he would call up and ask to organise girls for the night. I hate to think the way he treated some of those girls, who were simply trying to feed their families.
Its not a secret, he was so arrogant and felt so safe in Yangon that he didnt try to hide it. Nor did he try to hide the fact that his main interest was business in Burma. As most people will remember the main incentive for Myanmar Times was Twinza Oil.
The man is liar. He talks about true journalism but he doesnt care at all, all he cares about is making enough money to buy drugs and underage sex workers.
HOWEVER the staff in his office are REAL journalist. They have little respect for the man. These guy write articles which you would never dream. Sadly censorship never passed them.
This is Dunkley's bad karma.
Thuyein Kyaw-Zaw Wrote:
18/02/2011
And Pete, that's not the first time, businesses have been robbed. You remember the name 'Mandalay Beer' eh? Cock-up King knew that of course. But he decided to ride along. That's what we called poetic justice on the street of shame.
Thuyein Kyaw-Zaw Wrote:
18/02/2011
I think Pete has misconceived being generous with money as the love for people of Burma. Dunkley may be nice to his staff. But we could say that to Chicago gangsters who are also nice and generous to their 'staff'.
Regarding his assertion of creating a structured working environment, I think Pete is overly generous about Dunkley's contribution. He also benefited from such structured working environment, hasn't he? Suppose Burma has a proper functioning press freedom and have various media outlets in addition to Myanmar Times, and his staff say MT is better place to work than others, then you may have a point to about Dunkley's contribution. But mere the fact that MT created opportunities in a country with no press freedom and no job opportunities unless you are a close associate to the regime is not saying much. Don't be too trivial, Pete.
I think Aung Zaw's piece is not unbalanced.
If only he titled his headline as errr 'From cocktail party to Cock-up King'?
Well done Ko Aung Zaw!!
Tettoe Aung Wrote:
17/02/2011
Well like Ko Nyunt Han said Ross Dunkley is not a saint. But the fact is that he wants to make money and not wanted to educate young journalists. If he were to do so then he is not training them on ethics of journalism or for them as journalists to be 'objective'. The search for truth must be their objective. Ross wanted to make a quick buck then when the wheel turns, it's his turn. Will Myanmar Times be reporting 'why he was arrested'? I won't put my money on it.
Dunkely hater Wrote:
17/02/2011
Crying out loud guys-
He should be jail for what he did to our Myanmar girls. Foreigners think they can do what they want in our Country.
Besides, Myanmar times is not as popular like back in early 2000. Now a days, there are so many news magazine that are 10 times popular then Myanmar times. We are talking about what he did and he should be jail for what he did to Myanmar girls.
Ko Htun Lwin Wrote:
17/02/2011
He got what he deserves. Anyone like to toe Junta line remember him.
ludu Wrote:
16/02/2011
This guy lived in Myanmar with high profile. Even he smoked in meetings where smoking is not allowed, according to an insider. As a westerner who had got privileges from junta he must know the rules of games in Myanmar.
Zaw Lwin Wrote:
16/02/2011
This article is nothing but Aung Zaw's personal hatred for Ross Dunkley is very clear. Maybe Aung Zaw is jealous and wishes he was successful like Dunkley.
Dunkley is a successful business man and this kind of internal power struggle can be seen in every companies in every other countries around the world. I see it in the company I work for everyday.
He just wasn't smart enough to know when to sell his shares and get out at the right time. Now it is too late.
Nyunt Han Wrote:
16/02/2011
@Pete
There are two sides to every coin and Ross Dunkley is no different.
toharian Wrote:
15/02/2011
This guy was a junta junkie and there are millions of them in Burma (including "Myanmar Egress"), so I care about him as much as I care about Khin Nyunt. Charlatans, all of them!
Chai Lay Wrote:
15/02/2011
Train Burmese journalists? Train them to be apologists? It is very condescending to many Burmese journalists - No senior editors and journalists in Burma have respect and admiration for Ross Dunkley. He is just one of the businessman opportunists and apologists of the Khin Nyunt regime.
Pete Wrote:
15/02/2011
Why did this article not discuss the ramifications for other investors in Burma? After all, what's the lesson here? Build a successful business and have it stolen from you.
There is so much to this story that's been buried beneath Aung Zaw's petty feelings towards Ross Dunkley.
Pete Wrote:
15/02/2011
This is a terribly unbalanced article. Ross Dunkley may be a bit rough around the edges, but he is a warm and generous man who cares deeply for his staff and the people of Burma. All his staff will tell you that.
He has consistently pushed for greater press freedom and has discussed such issues with very senior UN officials.
Aung Zaw's hatred for Ross Dunkley is well-known and he should not have written this piece. It is typical of the slanted view taken by the Irrawaddy that have long diminished its standing as an unbiased news provider.
Dunkley, besides being generous with his time and money, has created a modern work environment that gives talented young Burmese the opportunity to work in a structured, professional organisation. The journalists learn a lot there and have many opportunities for promotion. I can't think of a better business in the country for a ambitious young Burmese person to work in -- and for that Ross should receive full credit.
He is a good man.
Erik Wrote:
15/02/2011
Much of all this is true. But it is too easy to imply that Dunkley is not more than a regime apologist. The Myanmar Times is about the only professional publication in a rather amateurish media landscape in Burma. Many young Burmese journalists have been educated.
And I know for a fact that the people working there are true journalists in spirit and try to go as far as possible with the censorship board. Well, you only know if you saw the pages they submitted and what was printed in the end...
I was actually rather encouraged by the way the Myanmar Times was able to report about the elections, while at the same time the editors were furious about the fact that the Burmese majority share holder was running for the USDP.
Anyway, I guess the regime is making way for its own puppets with this clampdown on Dunkley. Which is only further prove that he wasn't the puppet that Aung Zaw seems to think he was.
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