http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=533&z=105
Generals’ New Evolutionary Theory
By The Irrawaddy
May 01, 1998
The regime has reported that a study group was sent to Pon Taung Region, Sagaing Division, in March 1997 to investigate the ancestry of primates. The group was led by Lt.Col. Than Htun, temporary head of Military Strategic Study of the Defence Ministry. Two academics, Dr. Tin Thein and Dr. Aye Ko Aung accompanied him. This trip was made following the instructions of Secretary One, General Khin Nyunt. During their study trip, they declared that they had found the bones of primates as well as the fossils of the mammalian family, such as elephants, mammoths and pigs. They also stated that the fossils and the bones of the primates were 40 million years old.
Secretary One Khin Nyunt subsequently gave a speech in Rangoon on 11 May 1997. He claimed that these findings were proof that the beginning of human life and civilization began in Burma. These claims were reported in the Burmese language New Light of Myanmar on May 12. The report stated that the recent findings illustrated the origins of the great Burmese nationality and the superiority of Burmese culture. The report went on to say that, should the academics be able to obtain proof of this, then Burmese people could definitely say that “Culture began in Myanmar.â€Â
The regime displayed a fossil originally found by academics U Thaw Tin and U Ba Maw in 1978. This fossil came from the same region and might have been a fossil of humans in Nwe Khway village of Chaung Oo Township, Sagaing Division.
In 1978, U Thaw Tin and U Ba Maw had tried to share their findings with the international community, and several foreign journalists had tried to follow up the story. Consequently, U Thaw Tin and U Ba Maw were arrested and the fossils were confiscated by the BSPP. Since that time, nobody knew where these fossils were kept. Khin Nyunt stated they had conserved the fossils in a secure place so they could be studied for the advancement of the people.
In 1923 the fossils of primates had been found in the Pon Taung Region. Even though U Thaw Tin and U Ba Maw found such fossils again in 1978, they had never hypothesised that the human race originated in Myanmar.
In the analysis of the evolution of the biological process, we have to study all living organisms which have originated on earth and have been diversified and modified through sustained changes in form and function. It is unacceptable to make an analysis based on, and influenced by, current political, national or regional territories.
In 1995, some 35 million year old fossils of primates were found in Krabi, Southern Thailand. Following these findings local academics postulated that primates had originated in Asia and, due to climatic changes, had moved to Africa, contrary to the usually accepted theory that the movement had been from Africa to Asia. There is evidence showing that the Anyartharian culture (Stone Age) occurred in Burma and Thailand, but these were no Homo sapiens; rather, these were Homo erectus. These individuals have been found in most of Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the rest of the world. In Asia, the Chinese and Indian civilisations were the first recorded civilisations  a mere 5,000 years ago. Due to recent findings in Thailand of human bones and everyday items, we can date human civilisation in this country to 4,000 years ago.
The first civilisation in Burma was in Pyu, dated approximately 2,000 years ago, when there were isolated city states: Mai Maw, close to Ku Mer (200BC); Pitthanoe, close to Taung Twingyi (100AD); Han Lin, close to Wet Lat (300AD); Wessali, close to Myuat U (800AD); and Pagan (1100AD).
According to evidence in our country’s history, we can say the people of Burma originated 2,000 years ago. At that time, there were very developed civilisations to the west in India and to the east in China. It is thought that people from Tibet and Yunnan were experiencing an early form of identity. People came from these regions around 3,000 years ago, bringing new cultures, and mixed with the indigenous people developing culture and civilisation. Some 2000 years ago, the Pyu culture was established. There is no earlier evidence before that. They may or may not be the ancestors of the current peoples of Burma. We can only say that there were Pyu people and Pyu culture at that time.
It is academically assumed that the name “Pagan†originated from the Kalar in the Brama region (Indian). It is theorised by Dr. Than Htun that Pyu may well be what is known today as Pagan.
The evolution of primates began about 40 million years ago in the history of 600 million years of evolution. Groups of primates are separated into many kinds with the evolution of the body and then the brain from anthropoids, hominids, through to Homo erectus and on to Homo sapiens. The following summary is nearly universally accepted among academics regarding the evolution of human beings:
1. Australopithecus ramidus, dating from 4.4 million years ago;
2. Australopithecusafarensis, dating from 3.9 million years ago (starting to walk upright);
3. Australopithecus africanus, dating from 3 million years ago;
4. Australopithecus robustus, dating from 2 million years ago;
5. Homo habilis, dating from between 2 million and 1.3 million years ago;
6. Homo erectus, dating from between 1.3 million and 300,000 years ago;
7. Homo sapiens, dating from about 300,000 years ago.
In 1974, Australipithecus africanus was found in the Hadar region of Ethiopia and was given the name “Lucyâ€Â; some academics suggest that modern humans evolved directly from Lucy. In 1994, an upper jaw was found in the Hadar area. When the jaw was studied, it was found to be of the Homo group, so some academics postulate that Lucy first evolved directly into Homo erectus and then into Homo sapiens. Homo erectus was very close to modern human beings; they used stone weapons and were thus known as the “stone age†people. Java people, Peking people, Neanderthal people, Cromagnan people, Anyarthar people of Central Burma and the people who lived in Burma’s Byadalin cave about 11,000 years ago were Homo erectus. The DNA of the Neanderthal is very different from the DNA of Homo sapiens. Some theorise that Homo sapiens were contemporaries of Neanderthal man around 300,000 years ago. Most academics believe that Homo sapiens moved from Africa to the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and that 4,000 years ago one group separated and moved to the American continent. These theories have been formulated from available evidence but there are also some academics who believe that Homo sapiens existed all over the world at the same time.
Today, people of the world are Homo sapiens, whatever their colour, culture, or language, whether or not they are modernised or pre-modern, live in the mountains, the plains , the delta, deserts, or islands. All are Homo sapiens, all are human beings.
Homo sapiens have developed from small scale societies to societies with complex divisions of labour. They have learnt to be productive and, as productivity increased beyond self-sustainability, it is thought that contacts and relationships developed. “Civilisations†started to emerge with different cultures, systems, relationships and leaders. Rulers and the ruled emerged. This is the history of the development of human “civilisation.â€Â
Originally, there were no nations, no boundaries, no nationalities, but as humans developed, their form of community changed. With the changes from small self-sustainable communities to eras dependent on slave labour, feudal periods and capitalism, nations and nationalism emerged. At the beginning of human “civilisation,†there were no mapped boundaries. Because of changes in productivity, relations and systems, nationalism gained ground and developed into its present structure.
There is evidence showing that the first “civilisation†began in Egypt and the Middle East, spreading its influence to the surrounding areas. Languages and cultures diversified as they spread to different areas and then developed their own identities, so we cannot specify any one root from which all culture developed. Some occurred, and later completely disappeared; some developed, changed and influenced other cultural growth, making new dynamic cultures. Countries emerged, some adapted to change and others did not.
There are many conflicts in societies in the world; political, economic and social activities must address these problems. All problems are integrated globally. All countries are interdependent; no country is totally separate; no problem can be solved individually. In the contemporary world, no country can isolate itself and survive. Burma is not only part of the world, but also part of the humanity. We cannot separate ourselves from the world. We have to deal with other countries, other peoples, other cultures, and we have to develop ourselves. Our culture may spread to others, and theirs may spread to us, so that cultures can merge and develop again.
Now, the regime has spoken alot about the 1997 Pon Taung investigation in their propaganda, even though there have been no new findings in this region. The victories of the Tatmadaw-led investigation are being propounded. General Khin Nyunt is shouting out that human beings and culture originated from Myanmar (Burma).
It is well known that there is no academic freedom in Burma. It is known that the regime has previously coerced academics into writing history as they want it recorded. They are trying to instill blind patriotism among the people.
General Khin Nyunt and his colleagues have been working very hard in Pon Taung region to propound a new evolutionary theory which no one can accept.
Contributed by Win Thein, based in Thailand.
