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Perspective: New Year and New Agenda for Burma’s Lasting Peace and Democracy in Burma

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By Nai Banya Hongsar – One week is a long time in politics. Even so, Burma may need one thousand days or more to establish long lasting peace and reach tangible change. 2012 is not only a new year for the western world, but also a brand new year for the Burmese people, replete with a sense of new agendas and changing social and political circumstances. The by-election, which will be held this coming April, is expected to provide a victory for the Democratic Party led by the National League for Democracy. A new energy has been ignited in local politicians in the months preceding the election announcement. Elections are essential parts of the process towards establishing a civilian government in any country. The real question that remains in Burma’s case, is whether such a civilian government would have sufficient bargaining power with the military affiliated members of cabinet in each state and regional assembly.

It is only a matter of time before the civilian government would have to face other prominent issues in Burma, such as local employment and poverty stricken rural areas. There are over 300,000 internally displaced persons who shall be in need of adequate shelter and food if war, such as that in 2011, broke out. Citizens in each and every state and division will all be asking ‘what about me?’ with each step that the government takes to allocate resources for health, education and business development.

Burma has suffered in a state of underdevelopment, decline and disorder for over half a century. A medium sized Southeast Asian state that has been consumed by the darker side of politics, Burma has suffered immensely under the command of the un-qualified leaders in the ruling military ‘party’. A new political model has been sought by activists, students, Buddhist monks and foreigners who are seeking to see Burma develop into a stronger, more prosperous and more stable state. There ought to be a united spirit amongst the Burmese and the non-Burmese (or Bahmar). At every opportunity, there should be attempts to foster peace, development and nation building as is required of 21st century citizens. The challenges are enormous, and the tasks are innumerable. Most of all, the challenges must be met swiftly, lest the process falls apart and the country is torn apart with more bloodshed and armed conflict.

The current conflicts broke out, not because of border disputes between two groups, but because citizens are being oppressed and ethnic groups lack adequate social, cultural and political rights. The ruling junta, mostly the Bahmar dominated Defence Force known as the Tatmadaw, have remained in power without popular support because of its desire to have unconditional control. Burma is not poor because of a lack of resources and infrastructure. Burma is poor because of the constant and devastating civil war, corruption and rampant cronyism among the ruling junta and its business partners. A nation is strong only if its citizens are strong. A nation is weak when the people are mentally weak and worn out. However, this century has brought a new ear for Burma, where citizens have access to news, information and are freer to associate with people around the world.

In order to establish peace in Burma, a peaceful solution addressing the multi-ethnicity of the nation is required. A multi-ethnic state nation can be strong and united when the nations political agendas are properly discussed and debated in safe forums. Arguments for a multi-ethnic nation have been heard in the wider media in the recent weeks. These began to appear shortly after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her ethnic alliance have begun to call for a second ‘National Unity Conference’ under the title of ‘21st Century Panlong Conference’. This will provide the ethnic peoples of Burma the chance to debate, on a local and national level, the way in which Burma can be rebuilt as a multi-ethnic nation that affords equal human rights under law to all citizens. Furthermore, that its citizens are ensured the right to self-govern under law and enshrined constitutionally. These are essential elements for Burma to avoid civil war and armed conflicts and to ensure true peace and support from its citizens.

Speaking recently to DVB’s Burmese radio station, democracy icon and general Secretary of the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that before setting her own political agenda, she wishes to know the desire of all ethnic peoples on a wide variety of issues. I truly hope that this is a genuine enquiry. Suu Kyi would be greatly served by reading the pre-colonial history (pre-1757 a.d.) of Burma to gain an understanding of the multi-faceted ethnic nature of Burma. Furthermore, Suu Kyi would be far better informed if she spoke to all ethnic leaders from Rangoon and those across its borders, where many prominent ethnic leaders reside along with their political and military forces. Historically, the desire for each ethnic group to have the right to self govern and form nations is no less than that of the Burmese, or the Bahmar ethnic people. The were multiple ethnic groups who had ruled their own nations prior to British colonisation, and is some cases even prior to the Bahmar empire established in the 1600s.

Leaving the history books aside for a moment, let’s look at the current critical issues that are apparent in Burma’s modern day political crisis. A Burma is decline is a Burma that must rely on other major countries for trade and investment in areas such as oil industry development and infrastructure building. There are more than one million Burmese people living either as internally displaced persons, in refugee camps on the Thai border, or as migrant workers in Thailand, India, Malaysia and Singapore. Those who remain on their land, such as farmers and peasants in rural areas, have little access to agricultural technology and funds. The ethnic women of Burma particularly have difficulties accessing vocational education, giving them the opportunity to learn trade skills. Overwhelmingly, many ethnic youth are not able to achieve their dreams of owning a car, or a mobile phone, or even a small home to raise their families. This is a picture of the Burma that no one wants to live in, yet it is the current situation for the majority of Burma and is inescapable for most due to security concerns in many areas of Burma. Although the urban lifestyle in Rangoon is associated with modern education, technology and business; the rural citizens of Burma still have extremely limited access to essential services such as healthcare and education.

Burma’s ethnic leaders and ruling junta will be better served if they cooperate with Suu Kyi on her mission to restore democracy and unity, and attempt restore an inclusive multi-ethnic nation fit for the 21st century. This is absolutely not a dream beyond reach. It could be reached within a few years if the ruling junta (Bahmar’s hardliners) and ethnic leaders could reflect upon, and understand what politics really represents when the needs of a suffering population are never addressed or alleviated.

Recently, as informed by the media, key trade and investment partners of the ruling junta such as China, Thailand, India and Singapore have sealed deals such as a major gas project and the building of a new sea port in lower Burma. Before these developments, Rangoon elites and senior trades people travelled to Tavoy city and purchase local land above purchase price. The local farmers and peasants who had not been informed on the potential benefits and deals which they could have made by dealing with the foreign investors, were duped into sealing quick and easy. Despite the fact that there will be a new major seaport constructed in the area, the local farmers and peasants have little business opportunity due to their insufficient knowledge and links with urban-based business communities.

Local ethnic leaders must stand up for these poor famers and peasants so that they may retain their fair-share of benefits for the local community. In this sense they will truly be representing their local constituencies. Local ethnic leaders face significant upheavals in exerting leadership and power due when it comes to matters of economic and culture rights in a legal framework. This is due to the fact that there is a severely lacking legal framework and legal avenues for which they can take their claims in Burma.

After sixty years of unresolved political crisis and stagnation, and over half a century of civil war, it is time for Burma’s ethnic people to stand up. They ought to stand up for their rights to own land, farms, homes and territories within the richly resourceful and historic land of Burma. They inherently deserve the right to the land that has been passed down and are entitled to make decisions about such territories. Burma’s ethnic citizens have never been in a bettor position than they are today when it comes to seeking unity and developing strength. They are a good position to demand rights from the ruling junta who has, over the past sixty years, seized control of ethnic land and the kingdoms in the recent modern history of Burma. The only way I envision that ethnic groups will be able to retain their rights and abilities to govern, their right to rule and their right to form their own states with executive power, is to unite and demand it together. 2012 is thus declared as the year to ‘Stand Up’ for you rights. It is to be a year of action for peace, and action for freedom for all global citizens.

A election represents small change for democratic nations. True change comes when there is true power available to the people through trade unions, freedom of the press, freedom of labour and for workers, freed of association for social, religious, cultural and political organizations at all levels. Unless the military affiliated politicians currently in power resign, a civilian government will not yet have the legal authority to put all these essential conditions of true democracy into action. There is a new battle raging, one of ideas and campaigns for better government, fairer government and better economic management. The media is the best tool at our disposal for change. Especially so when the campaigning is done in local areas, in ethnic languages through local media. If one million local ethnic citizens listen to the radio daily, small changes will inevitably blossom from their knowledge. It may take 1000 days for the Burmese people to achieve significant change through the 2015 elections. However, this year is a year of action and unity with the purpose of nation building for all sides of politics.

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