10

CONTENTS NATION BUSINESS WORLD

Thelongandarduousroadtodemocracyin
Myanmarhascontinuouslybeenmiredin
skepticismfromboththeglobalcommunity
aswellasMyanmarsownpeople.
Since1962,thisstrugglingnationhasbeen
ruledbyamilitaryjuntathatsuppressedany
formofdissentandgavelittlehopetothose
whodaredtoaspiretobetterthingsinlife.
Additionally,thegovernmentsreclusiveness
andrepressionhasinvitedsanctionsprimarily
fromtheWest,resultinginlittleforeignaid
orassistancetricklinginforthecountrys
citizens.
Callsfordemocraticreformfrombothinside
thecountryandacrosstheworldhave
persistedfordecades,butthepresentationof
thejuntassevenstepRoadMaptoDemocracy
in2003didlittletoconvincepeople.
Still,afterdecadesofautocracy,thereisa
perspectiveemergingevenintheWestthat
!"#$%&'($)'*+$,&$-'!!#.$"&/$0'/#(+$&11#.2$
aglimmerofhopeworthexploring.Indeed,a
2001InternationalCrisisGroupreportabout
thejuntaslongstandingparanoidviewof
theworld,arguedthatslowerincremental
stepsmaydefusetheparanoiaandwinmore
3,04#,5#$!"',$(#-',(2$1&.$.'*3($5"',6#$
thathaverepeatedlybeenrebuffed.
TheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations
789:8;<+$/"35"$3,5=4(#2$)>',-'.+$"'2$
traditionallytakenasofterstanceindealing
withthecountry,preferringapolicyof
constructiveengagementtooneofconfron
tation.Inastatement,ASEANreiteratedthat
itrespectsMyanmarspreferencetodealwith
theUNandinternationalcommunityonits
own,butstandsreadytoplayarolewhen
everMyanmarwantsittodoso.
ThePhilippineshastakenamoreassertive
lineonMyanmarthantherestofASEAN.
ForeignAffairsSecretaryAlbertodelRosario
toldthediplomaticpresscorpsearlythis
month:Wehavealwaysbeenforthrightin
ourpositiononMyanmarthatitshould
takeallthestepstowardstheRoadmapto
Democracy.Thatincludesthereleaseof
politicalprisoners,delRosarioadded.
A2010roundtableforumofexpertsinthe
Philippines,reportedbytheAsiaSociety,
concludedthatwhileManilaspolicytoward
Myanmarisunclear,thereisasharedsense
withinPhilippinesocietythatASEANhasa
Myanmar's
Rocky Road to Democracy
A new game of the generals?
By Marishka Noelle M. Cabrera
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CONTENTS NATION BUSINESS WORLD
specialresponsibilityinaddressingtheissue
ofBurma/Myanmar.AnaccompanyingAsia
SocietyreportponderedU.S.optionsindeal
ingwiththeoppressiveregime.
Newconstitution,shamreferendum.
Inkeepingwiththeroadmap,anew
constitutionwasdraftedinApril2008,
whichincludedtheadoptionofagenuine
',($(3253*=3,#?0&4.32"3,6$-4=!3?*'.!>$
system,butwiththemilitarystillplayinga
leadingroleinthecountrysnationalpolitics
with25%oftheseatsinparliament.
AreferendumwasheldinMay,wherein
92.48percentofvotersapprovedofthenew
constitution.Thepartyofprodemocracy
iconAungSanSuuKyi,theNationalLeague
1&.$@#-&5.'5>$7;A@<,calledthereferendum
asham.
TheNLDmightbeforgivenitsskepticism,
giventhatinthecountryspreviouselections
inMay1990itwon82%oftheseatsin
thecountrysparliament,onlytohavethe
juntarefusetorecognizetheelectionresults.
Sameoldwineinnewbottles.
ElectionsinNovember2010pavedtheway
fortheinstallationofanewpresident,Thein
Sein,aformermilitarygeneral,asreported
inTheMyanmarTimes.However,some
doubttheelectionwasanythingmorethan
ameanstoperpetuatemilitarypowerinthe
country,sinceTheinSeinsloyaltylieswith
Myanmarsformerleader,ThanShwe.Hes
ThanShwespuppet.Theyhavechangedthe
name,butitisthesameoldwineinnew
bottles,acritic,KhinOmar,saidinaFinancial
TimesreportcarriedbyTheWashington
PostinFebruary,justafterTheinSeins
election.
ABurmaNetNewsreportoutofYangon,
alsoinFebruary,hasMyanmarwatchersin
theU.S.andBritainsayingTheinSeinmight
bemoremalleableandlesscorruptthanhis
mainbehindthescenesrivalforthepresi
dency,ShweMann,whowaselectedspeaker
ofthelowerhouse.Bothareregardedas
loyalfollowersofThanShwe.
Democracynotquiteonthehorizon
yet.Withtheconveningofthecountryspar
liamentonJanuary31andtheformationof
agovernmentshortlyafter,sixoftheseven
stepsontheroadmaphavebeendoneor
areunderway,buttheworldremainshard
*.#22#($!&$B,($',>$3,(35'!3&,$!"'!$(#-&5.'5>$
isreallyonthehorizon,letalonearoundthe
corner.
AungSanSuuKyi,whohasspent15ofthe
last21yearsindetentionofoneformor
another,isbarredbythenewconstitution
1.&-$"&=(3,6$*4C=35$&1B5#D$9"#$32$,&$=&,6#.$3,$
detention,havingbeenreleasedsixdaysafter
theelection,buthasalsobeeninstructedby
thegovernmenttocurbpoliticalactivities.
TheNLD,withitsrefusaltoparticipateinthe
November2010elections,isnotrecognized
'2$',$&1B53'=$*&=3!35'=$*'.!>D$$
OnJuly6,CNNreportedthatDeputyChief
ofMissionKyawWinoftheMyanmar
embassyinWashingtonwrotetoUSSecretary
ofStateHillaryClintonseekingasylumfor
himselfandhisfamily.Intheletterobtained
byCNN,Winsaidhehadnochoicebutto
leavehisposttoprotesthumanrightsabuses
andfraudulentelectionsinMyanmar.
Goingincircles?AmnestyInternationals
Myanmars2010elections:AHumanRights
PerspectivegathersthatTheroadmaphas
notliveduptoitsname,thusfaressentially
leadingthecountryincircles.Itaddsthat
thegovernmentistakingnostepstoward
accountabilityforitspasthumanrights
violations,andinfactissendingclearsignals
thatithasnointentionofdoingso.
The2010USCountryReportsonHuman
RightsPractices:Burma,meanwhile,claims
thatgovernmentsecurityforceswere
responsibleforextrajudicialkillings,custodial
deaths,disappearances,rape,andtorture.
UnitedNationsSpecialRapporteuronthe
Myanmar`s Rocky Road to Democracy