Burma: Changing the course, Time to Push Forward by Htun Aung Gyaw

The way Burmese Generals shed their uniforms and transformed to a civilian government is a reminder of the same tactics used by their predecessor General Ne Win, who first established military dictatorship in Burma. However this time, changing to civilian government has a different course and there is an opening that was not there under the Ne Win rule. 

Ne Win changed his army uniform into civilian and became the first quasi-military-backed civilian President. Even though he claimed as a civilian government he had total control of political power with his one and only political party, Burmese Socialist Programm Party which controlled one hundred percent of the political space. 

Unlike Ne Win, the current Thein Sein regime allowed the opposition political party to exist. In the coming election, the most influential woman of Burma and worldwide Democracy icon, 1991 Nobel Peace prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party will enter the race on April 1st, 2012. However there are only 48 vacant seats for the by-election. Even if she wins all the seats she cannot compete against the regime’s party USDP which hold 68% in the parliament plus 25% non-elected military personals in the parliament. 

Some critics say there will be no change after the election. In fact it is true there will be no change for the moment but as a highly influential person her voice will be heard in the parliament and it will force the regime to change whether they want to or not. The catch is she has no right to challenge the undemocratic laws in the 2008 constitution because after the April by-election parliament will recess until next year. 

Thuya Shwe Mann the speaker of the lower house of the parliament recently stated the appropriate business laws needed to introduce immediate foreign investment. He warned that without appropriate laws no one will invest in Burma and Burma will still be undeveloped and left behind the neighboring countries. 

It seems some elements in the Thein Sein regime are struggling for real change and some hardliners are blocking it. Some critics say change is only on the surface and the regime is playing the good cop and bad cop game. But I think we cannot lose anything to encourage the moderates like Thein Sein and Shwe Mann for real change, rather than staying on the side lines. If they are for real and willing for the country real development, we have to support them. If we cannot move forward and do nothing the country will slide deeper into China’s dependency rather than move toward democratic change. 

China and Russia are the blockades that do not want to see the emergence of democratic governments in the world. We have witnessed this case in Burma and Syria. People are suffering from brutal suppression in both countries but the UNSC resolution to help the unarmed civilians have been vetoed by China and Russia. 

My main concern is if we still stand on our principle of 100% democratic system, the military will not accept. They fear to be punished and that is the reason they gave amnesty to the government officials within the 1988- 2008 period under the 2008 constitution. That is the reason they want to protect the constitution. But if we show them we want real freedom and not revenge, we can build confidence between the democratic forces and the military personals. Only then we will move forward for national reconciliation. 

We have to and dare to participate in real politics and not idealistic stances, which have no space for moving forward. Of course there is a chance some want to play dirty politics but we have to take a chance on those who may actually want to change and save our country from foreign dependency, especially from China. We have to encourage the moderates willingly and cautiously for change. President Thein Sein needs to release all remaining political prisoners once and for all to prove that he has true desire for national reconciliation and nation building. 

Htun Aung Gyaw