Earlier in the year I wrote a report for New York-based Freedom House on Myanmar as a “country at the crossroads“. My analysis is available here. It is divided into sections such as Accountability and Public Voice, Civil Liberties, and Rule of Law. The goal of such reports is to provide an opportunity for meaningful comparisons between countries, and over time.
The standard format of these reports also includes a section for recommendations to the government in question. I think these are worth reproducing in the interest of opening up a discussion about exactly what further reforms Myanmar requires. Please bear in mind that they were written early in 2012. What I suggested was:
The government of Burma has embarked on a political transition that has been welcomed by the Burmese people. To reinforce recent positive moves and generate confidence that progress toward democratic governance is irreversible, the government should:
- Implement an immediate release of all remaining prisoners of conscience and disavow any future incarcerations for political crimes.
- Encourage the plurality of public opinion by abolishing the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division and resisting the temptation to create a new body for coercive media regulation.
- Declare a unilateral ceasefire in the civil war with the Kachin Independence Army, demonstrating goodwill and encouraging the Kachin leadership to begin negotiations for a final peace treaty.
- Implement a truth and reconciliation process to account for human rights abuses committed by current and former members of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence services during the years of military rule.
Of course, while the report was in press number two on this list eventuated. The Press Scrutiny and Registration Division is gone and time will tell whether the authorities resist the temptation to re-institute its draconian controls. At this stage it’s unclear, at least to me, exactly how much appetite remains for immediate moves on the other three.
Perhaps some of these are still achievable in the short-term. What do you think? I have heard it said that the key issue for Myanmar’s reforms is getting the sequencing right. So what do you think the Myanmar government should do next?
I’m biased, but I vote for ending the war with the KIO.
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I’d suggest abolishing the legal requirement to inform government authorities three days in advance of a protest or strike.
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Stephen
This will not change an iota to the overall control of present PTB (POwer that be)even if passes.
It will take an overall raised expectation of citizenry i.e. realizing what they will miss, to change present status quo.
Any promotion of useless careless yesteryear policy will only assure that history repeat itself.
Concerted effort to improve a citizenry standard of living will in a very short time transform the expectation of just “surviving” currently to “we can do better”.
China being the example of economic activities moving democratic principles forward.
This is but a crude example to begin to transform SG Than Shwe’s Road Map to democracy to the Citizeny’s own RMTDD.
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Please find me a single piece of publication in Burma or even in the usually critical “exile” media, even remotely anti-government because of this wonderful step-one liberation the whole world has been pulsating about.
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Nich
Good synopsis.
Road map to disciplined Democracy (RMTDD) neither publicly endorsed by the West nor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi yet presently embraced as the defacto plan.
The adage that “one lay on bed one make” will certainly bring about the corollary of how do SG Than Shwe’s RMTDD be transformed to Citizenry of Myanmar’s own RMTDD.
Hope or more specifically ‘higher expectations for a better tomorrow” have always been the sine qua non to change/transformation to any status quo.
It takes 3+ decades of effort by this government to stifle hope of an unfortunate citizenry, with the knowing complicity of DASSK and the West to arrive at this juncture of quagmire.
How long will it take to grow a citizenry that demand a better tomorrow?
Hopefully not as long as it takes to degrade.
Present litany of conflicts within and without will contribute to the delay unless DASSK and the West continue to avoid yesteryear useless careless policy.
There may not be a U turn on road to democracy, surely shortening that road without any pit stop must be the the future.
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Like it or not presently Myanmar is functioning politically on the #7 of much maligned SG Than Shwe Road Map To Disciplined Democracy (RMTDD):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadmap_to_democracy
Right off, everyone should immediately recognize that the party that touted this very concept/step has already positioned self to a ‘permanently disadvantaged position’.
Any changes/policies that are proposed diligently through Hlutthaw or otherwise that can so easily be made clearly adhering to #7 value, with clear benefit to the citizenry in mind will invariably be successful.
What Myanmar need now is ANYONE WILLING to step up to the plate to propose such policies.
Anyone willing?
Exclude everyone whose proposed changes are purely meant either to provoke the Power that be (Ptb), or curry favors to promote self.
After her round of accolades around the world, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi stand to be the very leader to format and promote such policies within the Hlutthaw as well as more importantly to assign and promote others as capable as her, but less prominent to the world,to carry on the concept of policy to benefit the citizenry long term.
It takes overall more than 3 decades to arrive at #7 RMTDD Knowing it can easily be revert back to #5, #3 or even further back to SLOR period,if given any reason to the Ptb
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“Senior General Than Shwe was the father of Burma’s thriving semi democracy and the Norwegians were seriously thinking of giving him the 2012 Nobel Prize for Peace, but he called them and told them he wasn’t ready to accept a Nobel till the time when the Act allocating the 25% of parliament seats to the Burma military is removed from the 2008 Constitution,” was the joke circulating in Rangoon when I was there recently.
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Any re litigation the validity of this constitutions delay taking advantages inherently exist within to benefit the citizenry.
Presently enough laws exists to achieve the purposes.
To strengthen none military control will require a judiciary system that favor basic civil rights/Rule of Law. It will take a concerted efforts to bring this institution to be as independent as can be.
As for the Norwegian Nobel Peace: History will clearly show that the useless careless meddling created among others,a delay to the needed cooperation b/t the military and the opposing groups worst then anointing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi/NLD the defacto group.
Will DASSK now be able to deliver as the anointed one or will she together recruit others within Hluttaw as well as else where ready to truly toil and call for available assistance to bring Myanmar out of this eduring quagmire?
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If there is indeed a need for careful “sequencing”, early action on recommendation number 4 may prove very risky for Myanmar.
And why not stress the importance of developing and enforcing a strict regime for the control of resources, not least land–on whose control the livelihood of most of Myanmar’s people and thus the future of its democracy will depend?
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The moment Daw Aung SAn Suu KYi, the West designate main opposition leader accepted her seat in the Hlutthaw the validation and acceptance of this present constitution of SG Than Swe is complete.
Stand alone #4 ever happening require magical thinking.
Buyer’s remorse aside, the main drive now, if all those previous groups that have so ardently opposed this military government, that wish to prove sincerity to be the champion of the citizenry must be,to come up with practical ways/ideas and means to bolster institutions within that will champion civil laws/Human Rights.
Presently Institutions that uphold laws/statues and orders from the police up to the judges that rule on challenges still function under mostly unchanged compendium of laws since the colonial period.
These laws are essentially still the means by with the cronies and present regime have used purely to benefit themselves.
In order that entire citizenry enjoy the same benefit of quickly the legal system need to be promoted relentlessly as well as strengthen.
The best ways to promote these institutions as well as process are well known to the West.
So why have the West that supported groups that agree with their useless careless policy now not promoting the means by wish Rule of Law can be strengthened directly and indirectly?
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One of the shameful colonial legacy is the creation of a bureaucracy that is not only made to favor the colonists but to stag against the common citizenry. A subject by itself that is still evident where HRM has had a claimed as part of the empire.
This bureaucracy has essentially remain unchanged since it inception, the latter part of 1800.
The serpentine, unclear, redundant overall onerous steps to obtain even a simple permit/document will make everyone but the most desperate to even attempt the process.
This bureaucratic quagmire has been maintained through the “Middle Person”.
For a fee the MP will navigate the necessary bureaucratic quagmire:
1)Appropriate and directed payments/bribes the Power That Be (PTB) responsible for the approval as well as minor minions along the bureaucratic process.
2)Thus Insulate the PTB from the appearance of corruption.
Unless this MP model is eradicated as in Singapore. Taiwan and Thailand.
Singapore stand alone to survive the colonial legacy through Lee effort.
Will Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her adoring cohorts ever realize and help this most important 1st step towards rule of law by making the Judiciary System in Myanmar independent by ridding it of MP?
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