Is NLD walking into a trap?

Is NLD walking into a trap?

Published on Friday, 28 June 2013 21:55

Written by Thurein Hlaing Win

The Sangha community of ordained Buddhist monks have come under a series of rude assaults in the social media. Many were offensive reactions to the undue activities of nationalist monk U Wirathu.

Those so called "liberal" went on a message rampage without exercise of reasons. Those under registered names - Khun Deram and Demo Fatty - are believed to be from a group close to National League for Democracy and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Previously they used to post information and photos related to the Party and its leader on social networks.

People have come to assume that they are the voices of NLD and its leader.  Their social media assault is thus seen as a confrontation between the Party and the nationalists.

Such a proxy war by Party insiders is undermining the moral value and leadership of Suu Kyi.

In Myanmar, two mainstream nationalist establishments have been the "military" and the "Sangha".

The Sangha became the representation of nationalism as they have the belief that is their duty to protect the religion and the nation.

As they cannot vote in an election because of monkhoodship - they can still influence the people who are Buddhist, and represent the majority of the country's population.

The monks are teachers and mentors to rural communities. The Sangha has supported the leadership of Suu Kyi and that was the key to NLD's landslide victories in the 1990 election and 2012 by-election, respectively.

Nonetheless, NLD now finds itself confronted the Sangha, because of the activities of U Wirathu and the so called liberalists.

There are more than 500,000 Buddhist monks in Myanmar. There could not be more than 10% of them who failed to abide by the Buddha's rules for a monk.

The activities of these monks have led to critical attacks on the entire Sangha establishment, and this does not bode well for the NLD.

The opinions of some NLD supporters against the Buddhist majority on the recent TIME magazine cover story which accused Buddhists of radical Buddhism have fuelled added controversy.

Myanmar is a country where more than 85% of the population is Buddhists. The Time magazine story dishonored not only U Wirathu but also other Buddhists.

That's why most of the Buddhists expressed their disagreement on the TIME coverage. But some NLD supporters attacked the nationalists by supporting the TIME, and even condemning the recent campaign against it.

The criticism against TIME is not because it criticized U Wirathu but because it disgraced Buddhists without giving sufficient balanced backgrounds to the Rakhine and subsequent sectarian conflicts.

Myanmar is a country located between populous countries with strong religious beliefs. Given the history of pre- and post- colonialism, long-years of military rule - politics cannot be separated from nationalism and religion yet.

The NLD supporters who regard themselves as "liberal" are going by way of one-sided secularism with the attacks on the nationalists.

But it is nothing more than political naivety as they are wasting efforts that could be used to push the country forward.

The Opposition appears to be caught in a trap in dealing with ethnic issues and government projects. Again, they were trapped when the Bengali conflict emerged.

So far, the Opposition have enough political capital to ride out the often illy-thought-out strategies.

NLD is still well supported by majority of the population.

However, it is experiencing erosion in people's trust and support for Suu Kyi. Its popularity is tested each time in its handling and response to certain national calamities or agenda!

NLD should take an introspective   look what it must do if it is to win a nationwide victory in the all important 2015 national election.

It cannot be unbelievable that traps are laid out for NLD to fall in as a way of undermining the Party's popularity and as a means to defeat it in the next national poll.

NLD's landslide victory after the 2012 by-election proved it. It is apparent that nationalism has been used as a tool to take on the popularity of Suu Kyi and NLD.

There is growing hatred between NLD liberals and the nationalists or conservatists as you wish it call them.  Nationalists' support for NLD has already fallen.

NLD should not be caught by mere political traps or game of power or fall into vanity of self illusion of invincibility.

 NLD followers have attacked nationalists, rather than trying to put through a dialogue.

Their charade against Buddhist monk activists will increase the Party's isolation from the mass.

I strongly fell that this is a major political error of a seismic proportion as NLD misread public's nationalistic sentiment.

Since my childhood, I have become a consistent supporter of NLD. I am not a political or religious expert.

These are the things I see as a young man. What I cannot understand is why NLD is easily prone to these traps that even a young man, as I, can see detect.

Every country has its own unique nationalism. If the United States of America is regarded as a symbol of democracy, it can be said that most Republicans are nationalists.

But, they do have constant dialogues with other parties and groups so that the country's well being is not compromised by biasness in policies.

Similarly, although there are different emotions and senses of importance, various groups should set aside their differences and see through the national interests.

If NLD followers just merely obsessed with attacking the nationalists including the Buddhist monks and portray them as extremists, the Party's image can only be but damaged.

A lot soul searching will have to be done between now and 2015 election.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/06/30/is-nld-walking-into-a-trap/