<nettime> Burma in the new millennium

[Nadi@hotvoice.com]

Burma in the new millennium: Crisis, challenges and choices ahead

By B.K. Sen
Mizzima News Group

December 27, 1999: The new millennium is just a few days away. Euphoria of
joy has spilled all over the globe. But for Burma the shadow of "Black
September"  hovers between life and death. Living in a closed-society
under large- scale repression and reign of tyranny, the people are at the
nadir of their hopes and aspirations. When people see the past for what it
was, they may have the vision as to what the future will be. 

The basic feature of Burma's past history has been contradictions. These
contradictions broadly have been between continuity and change, between
peace and turmoil affecting development and growth. 

History began with contradiction between existence of independent
societies and integration by monarchy. Then the contradiction between
monarchy representing feudalism and colonialism representing rising
capitalism emerged. It was followed by contradiction between colonialism
and nationalism. In the vortex of conflict between colonialism and
fascism, Burmese nationalism got sub-merged. However, Japanese fascism saw
the re-emergence of militant nationalism, which also foiled the re-entry
of colonialism. Independent Burma was born. For the first time in entire
history of Burma, democracy as an instrument of governance was invented
and practiced. But soon the contradiction between democracy and
authoritarian rule came into the open. Burma is under the rule of military
generals for nearly 40 years. 

Burma steps into the new millennium under darkness. The overriding
question is how long Burma's tryst with tyranny continues and when she
will join the family of democratic nations? The cycle of contradictions in
Burma's history may provide clue to the answer. The handling of the
contradiction is of prime importance in the meandering course of a
nation's history. The failures/ successes in different stages of Burma's
history have been largely dependent on wrong/ right handling of the
contradictions by concerned forces. If in the beginning of millennium, the
leaders of the country can properly address themselves to the issues
arising out of the contradictions of the present era and reconcile them,
Burma will move towards bright future.  What then are the contradictions
and challenges and how to handle/ reconcile them? 

Contradictions are galore, in the domain of politics, economy, ethnicity,
institutions.  But politics have been in command in Burma. The basic
contradiction is the political between the present regime, namely SPDC
representing military dictatorship and NLD representing democracy. SPDC's
political aim is to have dominating and domineering rule in the power
equation. There is an apparent shift form monopoly of power to power
sharing. NLD in view of massive people's mandate rightly and legally
stated that it was unacceptable. However it was agreeable to give Army an
honourable role. 

The parties have accepted the principle of power sharing. The contentious
issue is who will wield the key in the power equation. However the issue
is a settled matter on the principle universally accepted that power
resides in the will of the people. And Burma is a signatory to UN charter.
Be that as it may. The entire burden of history is on the military
generals to break the deadlock. The reasons are that they played with
power after having toppled the elected government. It is for them to find
ways to return power back to the people. For this, they initiated a
political process, holding General Election in 1990. Thereafter to reverse
the process, they started these games of National Assembly and
constitution-drawing.  Deadlock has replaced dialogue. The Army generals
are determined not to have anything with dialogue. If that were so, they
should at least honor their longstanding commitment to their Basic Law
i.e. multiparty democracy made when they seized power.  The generals can
operate as a transitional ruling party and the NLD as responsible
opposition as is the case in all multi-party democracy. The institutions
like Judiciary, legal profession, Universities, Human Rights Commissions
must be restored freed from their political control. Civil liberties and
freedom of press have to be revived. It is in this way that the Army
generals can set the stage for continuation of the political process and
the new millennium will record the statesmanship of Army generals. The
issue of dialogue will for the time being remain in the backburner.  The
NLD on its past need not make dialogue a precondition for breaking the
present stalemate. Precious ten years have passed and the goal is no where
near. Without prejudice to the right of NLD to convene a parliament and
draw the constitution, NLD may focus on burning issues like torture,
forced labor, illegal detentions and violation of human rights. If need
be, as interim step it may declare a moratorium for one year to its demand
for transition of power in exchange of its running a Press and functioning
its party which is a legal party. The main task of NLD is to give the
people freedom from fear, which its leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi correctly
focussed years back in her celebrated book. Universities must be re-opened
to accelerate the process of growth of the middle class. NLD has to tackle
with the ethnic problem. Mere declaration of autonomy will not meet the
situation. A pragmatic design of the devolution of power, right of the
minority nationalities to have their national Parliament and other
questions have to be spelled out. 

It is naïve to expect a dramatic turn of events to bring down the Army
rule, or Burma being overtaken by a massive economic crisis or
international intervention.  Change in Burma is contingent on handling of
The issues by all sides in Burmese politics and friends of Burma in the
international community. Crisis has become chronic, challenges are great
but choice only one namely handling the contradictions/ issues politically
and not by force. 

The revival of the political process is the only course. Start will have
to be made by the Army generals by reiteration of their commitment to be
followed by response by NLD about its commitment to non-violence,
democracy and its willingness to function as a responsible opposition on a
time frame. Politics is the art of possibility. The democratic opposition
has to begin debate on tactical line so that a new political horizon is
opened up in the new millennium. 

(B.K. Sen is an advocate who works for Burma Lawyers’ Council in India and
contributed this article to Mizzima News Group.) 
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