Myanmar must avoid temptation of Thai-style reform

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Myanmar must avoid temptation of Thai-style reform
The Nation

The military should loosen its grip and allow society to build on the foundations for democracy laid over the past four years

BANGKOK: -- Although the two neighbours enjoy a close relationship and their political systems are similar in being dominated by the military, Myanmar need no longer look for guidance from Thailand when it comes to reform toward democracy.

Leaders in Nay Pyi Taw should now realise that their prospects for democracy are brighter than those of Thailand.

Of course, many things need to be done before Myanmar can legitimately call itself an "open" and democratic society, but the path has been set. The leaders, military and people of Myanmar should be applauded for taking a crucial step in 2011 when they began their reform journey under a seven-step road map. The first election in two decades brought a less-than-perfect result, but it saw the end of junta rule as a semi-civilian government led by former four-star general Thein Sein took power.

He might represent continuity with Myanmar's dark decades under military rule, but Thein Sein has done much over the past four years to push the reform agenda. He has relaxed tight control over opposition politicians, activists and the mass media. Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from almost 15 years under house arrest and now sits in parliament as an elected MP, able to voice her concerns about the country's development. Reforms have also opened up the economy to the outside world, allowing much-needed foreign trade and investment to flow into what many are calling the globe's new economic frontier. Few of Myanmar's citizens will get rich overnight, but they can now be fairly confident of brighter prospects offered by the growing economy.

However, a halt in the momentum of reform since late last year shows that leaders are reluctant to break new ground in the name of democratic freedoms. This year the government and parliament have made few, if any, achievements in this direction.

The military-drafted constitution is littered with booby traps for democratic development. An article that bars persons married to foreigners from running for president was almost certainly aimed at Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the 1990 election, only to see the result scrapped by the junta. The charter also gives too much power to the military, guaranteeing it 25 per cent of the seats in parliament - which represents a veto over any move to amend the constitution. And the charter offers ethnic groups no means to play a significant role in running the country, either at the national level or in their ethnic homelands.

Plenty of ideas for constitutional amendments have been floated over the past year, and a committee set up to review the proposals. Last week parliament unanimously endorsed a move for six-party talks on the charter involving Suu Kyi, President Thein Sein, the speakers of the two houses, military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and a representative from an ethnic political party. But the meeting is in doubt after a spokesman for the president called it "impractical".

Lower House speaker and presidential candidate Shwe Mann, who is supposedly a progressive figure in politics, had earlier said the constitution could not be changed before the 2015 general election. That statement seemed to snuff any hope of Suu Kyi becoming president next year.

The brake on reform reflects the fact that the conservative elite and the military are reluctant to venture further down the road to democracy. It could be that the leaders fear their country could descend into the kind of chaos Thailand witnessed in the months leading up to May's coup. On his visit to Thailand in July, Min Aung Hlaing declared that the military must have a major role in governing Myanmar.

But no country with ambitions to become democratic should follow the path that Thailand took on May 22. Myanmar has already stalled too long on its road to reform. Its leaders must now kick-start the process and show their Thai counterparts that the military can exist in harmony alongside democracy, and that everyone benefits from reform.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Myanmar-must-avoid-temptation-of-Thai-style-reform-30248951.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-02

[noitom]

Thailand, a model to avoid at all cost.

[Suriya4]

On the contrary. Thailand should follow burma.

[EnzoRippo]

On the contrary. Thailand should follow burma.

Very funny to see Yellow Nationalists praise Burma (well, burma as they consider this country does not deserve capital letter).

[Chris Lawrence]

Thailand jurno's giving advice? Must be slow day for news in Thailand or there is the need to show that they are not alone in the world. In any event who cares?

[smileydude]

Telling Myanmar not to reform like the current Thai military-led rule is like telling a cow not to eat grass.

Despite what people think, hope or wish Burma to be like, they are and probably will be for a long long time ruled by the military.

On the outside they're just opening up like China for the economic benefits but the insides are pretty much the same albeit with a more welcoming demeanor in order to allow private investors to exploit their abundant natural resources and add to their coffers.

Edited December 2, 2014 by smileydude

[ourmanflint]

Burma has more natural resources than Thailand and is ripe for pillaging. Who will get there first and get most is all anyone is really thinking about.

[boomerangutang]

I visit Tachilek often. It's the border town across from Thailand's northernmost town, Mae Sai. I see lots of changes there. One which I lament: Tachilek's best asset, its large locals' market, was completely razed to make way for the ubiquitous cement monoliths - sprouting up everywhere in the small city. Thus far, there are no malls in Tachilek, but they're inevitable, because regular people are always going to emulate the Gods of Consumerism: BUY BUY BUY, AND BUY SOME MORE.

Still, it's always a relief for me (a farang resident of north Thailand) to get away to Burma, even if just for a day or two. With it's faults, Tachilek is still an improvement over Thailand, in several ways: One that stands out: its people seem more able to think for themselves, and not tethered to saying what they think they're supposed to say. Thais will often be effusively polite, but politeness is usually rote. I'd rather have someone be honest with me, than always polite and saying what they think they're required to say. Also, Burmese mix with each other, particularly after work (in the cool of the evening). Thais probably used to do that, but now Thais are sequestered in suburbs and/or flocking to malls (to buy whitening cream, or...?), so they don't see any good reasons to mix/talk/gossip/joke with others in their neighborhood. Plus, young Thais are too busy staring at their hand-held devices.