Thantzin Soe
is a writer and foreign news editor at the Voice Daily in Burma, as well as a former political detainee under the military government
My American friends tell me that the weather I'm experiencing in Philadelphia during my visit is a blessing.
It's not the only blessing I've experienced during my fellowship with the American Council of Young Political Leaders. In addition to meeting and interviewing journalists, activists, and local community organizers, I've been busy visiting historical sites, museums, and murals. I've also encountered the fastest Internet speed I've ever used.
The United States is very different from home, in ways large and small. There, Internet communication is very slow, and not as widespread. More important, our government and the opposition don't even agree on our country's name.
My government prefers to use the name Myanmar, but Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader, and her party, use the name Burma, which was the former British colony's name after independence in 1948 and during the time it was a parliamentary democracy. In 1962, the military staged a coup and the country has been under some form of military control since. During that time, Burma has become one of the world's poorest countries thanks to mismanagement, corrupt bureaucrats, Western sanctions, and unpopular army generals who get rich off the country's natural resources.
After decades of military rule, marked by occasional periods of unrest, the junta held a referendum in 2008 on a constitution that greatly favored the army. Officials bragged that this undemocratic constitution won landslide popular support. But local watchdogs reported numerous voting irregularities and international observers were denied access to polls.
According to this constitution, 25 percent of parliamentary members are directly appointed by the military, and amendments to the constitution need more than 75 percent support from both the upper and lower houses of parliament. Nothing can be done without the military's approval. Ethnic leaders of armed resistance movements also refused to accept this system, because provincial governors were appointed by the president, not elected by the people. Saying that the system did not represent true federalism, they have refused peace deals.
Despite the opposition, the generals had their military version of democracy, beginning with the 2010 elections.
Suu Kyi, often called the Burmese Nelson Mandela, was under house arrest at that time, and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), boycotted the election. The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, led by former generals, won a massive victory, though the election was condemned for voter fraud.
The quasi-civilian government is led by former Gen. Thein Sein, who has become known as the Burmese Mikhail Gorbachev for a series of reforms, which include releasing political prisoners, abolishing the censor board that brutally controlled Burmese media for more than four decades, and temporarily stopping a Chinese dam project on Burma's main river.
After her release from house arrest, Suu Kyi and the NLD participated in the 2012 election, winning 43 of 44 vacant seats. The international icon of democracy not only became a member of parliament, she also chairs the committee with oversight for rebuilding the rule of laws.
As a result, the demands for constitutional reform are gaining momentum, with mass assemblies and tens of thousands of people signing petitions. Meanwhile, a military coup in Thailand has heightened concerns that the Burmese government could lash out if it feels unduly threatened by the current pro-democracy movement. Suu Kyi has insisted that the movement for amendments must work through the parliament and is seeking ways to compromise with military-backed officials.
I'm watching the latest developments from Philadelphia, and wondering if the generals will follow the Thai example, or listen to the people and the advice of Suu Kyi, who recently said at a rally in Rangoon:
"I like to ask a question to the army, that they would pull back from politics with dignity that earns them the cheers of their people."
Thantzinsoe1987@gmail.com
Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/06/02/burma-a-democracy-in-progress/
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