SPDC’s Constitution is

just the Step 1A only

Dr San Oo Aung

Congratulations SPDC! For finishing the step 1A of the Road map to democracy. I hope that the SPDC Generals would be wise enough to accept the UN Secretary General, UN Special envoy Mr Ibrahim Gambari, all the oppositions including NLD and the Myanmar/Burmese people’s call for the National reconciliation and for a meaningful dialogue to discuss and negotiate to chart our country’s future. This could definitely be labeled as the Step 1 B of the Road map to democracy. Then only, your Step 2 of Road map to democracy, a referendum, would be a smooth ride leading to the new election or important 3rd Step of the Road map to democracy.

According to the International Laws, Common Laws and Burmese traditional customary laws, in order to be legal, any agreement: whether marriage, divorce, changing the land titles, Sales and Purchase agreements, inheritances etc must follow the certain universal guidelines or principles.

According to the traditional standards, or in a legal way, the agreement must be done with the free will of all the parties, the persons must be in the sound mind, not under duress or intimidation. And there must be independent third party witnesses who could verify the agreed facts, status of the two parties concerned during the agreement and signing of the documents. Acceptability of accused person’s guilty pledge could not be accepted in a court of justice, if it was obtained under duress.

In order to pass the baptism of fire, your recently finished step 1A of the Road map to democracy must be negotiated with all the democratic forces, NLD led opposition, ethnic minorities and the all interested people of Myanmar/Burma under the UN Moderators’ watchful eyes.

Now let us look into the recently finished SPDC Constitution. Since 2nd October 1992 when the SPDC announced the six basic guidelines to draw the Constitution, SPDC made it clear that the new Constitution must guarantee the military’s continued dominance. That is an unfair demand on all the other parties concerned.

Just look at the First step of Democratization of SPDC Junta’s Constitution Convention. Are they conforming to the fundamentals of democracies? Delegates to the Convention are chosen by the SPDC and the Fundamental human rights and democratic requirements of the delegates are not fulfilled in the convention. There is no sign of a genuine process of political transition to a real democracy. The delegates to the Convention should be freely chosen and it should proportionally reflect the results of the 1990 elections.

1. And regarding the Delegates there must be freedom of speech during the convention.

2. They must have the freedom of movement to meet others inside and outside without hindrance.

3. The delegates must be allowed to bring in and distribute documents and other materials.

4. They must be able to return to their constituencies to consult with the grassroots during the Convention.

5. Some of the delegates were arrested for the activities carried out in relation to the Convention.

6. Moreover, some were expelled or barred from the Convention for what they say or

advocate peacefully.

If the SPDC claims that the current National Convention is the first step to the democratization, they must follow the guidelines of democracy.

1. No delegates should be arrested for the activities carried out in relation to the Convention. Each and every interested citizen must be allowed to talk, discuss or request his views or desires without fear of arrest or repraisals. SPDC must lift its following gag order, “anyone commenting about the National Convention could be prosecuted and jailed up to 20 years.”

2. And no one should be expelled or barred from the Convention.

3. Political parties or other groupings should not be expelled from the Convention for what they say or advocate peacefully.

4. Daw Suu also should not be disqualified from this right.

The most important thing in the democracy is to clearly recognize and include in the Constitution, the respects for each and every person’s rights; minority races, minority religions, workers, women, children including handicapped persons etc.

1. And those minorities’ rights must be protected from the “bullies” of the majority.

2. The National Convention should be conducted in a more meaningful way and a more inclusive or all-inclusive process, as repeatedly told by various UN authorities.

3. All the people of Myanmar/Burma must be allowed to be participated by representation.

4. NLD, all the oppositions, civil society, ethnic minorities and minority religious groups must be allowed to be participated or allowed to present an open official stands, give suggestions, requests or objections.

SPDC’s politics must be based on democratic principles. SPDC’s Constitution ignored the essence of Participation & Representation in a true democracy. We could not see any possible chance of the Participation & Representation of ordinary civilian Burmese people in the future governments. Just look at the First step of Democratization of SPDC Junta’s Constitution Convention. The whole world know that it is just a procrastination attempt to hold on power longer.

Let us look whether SPDC is conforming to the fundamentals of democracies or not. After that only it could be called democratic and would be accepted by the people of Burma/Myanmar and the International Community. Present process shows that SPDC Generals are just uttering the word democracy without knowing the true essence of democracy. No wonder they failed to include or promise the people in their Constitution about the fundamentals of democracy such as human rights, individual freedom, good governance, and rule of law.

They failed to recognize or acknowledge in their Constitution, the rights of minorities e.g. ethnic minorities, religious minorities etc. Burma’s ethnic minorities are always fearful of total dominance of Burman Buddhists Tatmadaw. SPDC just claimed that they are practicing one form of democracy to sugar coat their bitter pills of implementation of the authoritarian rule of undemocratic Military continuous dominance policy. Myanmar Military Generals are trying to hook wink the whole world with their “Seven Steps of Road-map to democracy”. The catch word of SPDC is “Guided” or “Disciplined” Democracy.

Myanmar Tatmadaw had refused to honor the results of the election they themselves had held because people rejected their Military affiliated party and had given mandate to the opposition. It is a blatant insult to the wisdom of the Burmese people and against the basic concepts of democracy. If some one is regarded to be unreliable and broken the promise, especially if that person is the leader of a country, how could we trust them again? If the Burmese people again dare to reject their referendum and or the election, what is the Military Junta going to do? Do they dare to promise the people of Myanmar and the whole world, including the UN, that they would just quietly withdraw peacefully to their barracks, like their previous leader General Saw Maung of SLORC had promised before the 1990 elections?

The subsequent steps of the seven steps of democratizing Myanmar include the referendum and a new election. SPDC is declaring that they are aiming for the “Guided Democracy” or “Disciplined Democracy” but they even could not hide the fact that the Myanmar Military’s promised “Democracy” would be dominated by SPDC, Myanmar Military and ex-military such as SPDC affiliated Kyant Phuts etc.

SPDC failed to realize that the true cultivation of democracy requires more than simply the introduction of elections. It also requires the establishment of a democratic process and a leveling of the political playing field. They had ignored the results of the 1990 election, where opposition won 85% of the seats. However, they are now preparing for the referendum and another election. In the present scenario of total lack of democracy, how could SPDC conduct the referendum and or the election?

The SPDC Generals must allow the free and fair competition among political parties. The election authorities and election officials must be independent, impartial, and effective in guaranteeing free and fair elections. Please just discard your plan of repeating the General Ne Win’s Burmese Socialist Programmed Party which had legalized the authoritian, dictatorial military rule with the referendum and the elections before.

SPDC failed to understand the difference between the Rule of Law and Rule by Law. In Myanmar, the military rulers are above the Law. Myanmar Military monopolized all the powers of the branches of government. SPDC ignored that we need check and balance even in democratic governments. We need the establishment of the basic characteristics of democratic system, which must be instituted and followed such as:

1. There must be plurality.

2. We must allow multi-political parties even if based on different races and religions

3. There must be no intimidation of the candidates and voters or electorates.

4. There must be no intimidation of the oppositions; there must be no threats or strictions on all the candidates and parties.

5. All the citizens must be allowed to participate in the election process, voting as well as standing as a candidate or people’s representative.

6. There must be an independent unbiased Election Commission.

7. We strongly recommend a UN Election Watch Dog.

8. The opposition must be given a free hand to campaign.

9. The opposition must be allowed access and usage of mass media even if it is controlled by the military government.

10. And all, including Tatmadaw and SPDC Junta Generals must accept the result of the elections whether any one win or loss.

11. Voters must be able to freely choose their preferred candidates/parties without interference or intimidation.

The other facts that may pull down the SPDC’s future Guided or Disciplined democracy to a lower level or to the bottom of the ratings are:

1. The censorship of the print and online media is worse in the world ranking now and there is no indication of relaxation in a near future. All the Media must be free.

2. The SPDC government policies is currently favoring one race and religion in the Military and Government ignoring the ethnic minorities and minority religious groups.

3. There are no signs of freeing the political prisoners and there is no promise of not to continue the practice of re-arresting the freed political prisoners because of their peaceful political activities.

4. If they want to be recognized as moving towards the true democracy, they must allow individual freedom and especially the political freedoms. SPDC must allow the freer level of democratic development.

5. SPDC must respect the Civil Rights of all the citizens.

6. There must be good Governance free of Corruption.

7. There must be Rule of law not Rule by Law.

8. Political participation of all citizens must be allowed.

9. Civil liberties must be allowed by SPDC.

10. All the restrictions of SPDC on political parties must be stopped. SPDC Junta is not showing any signs or indications of reducing this oppression at the present and because of that, the opposition groups in Burma/Myanmar are fragmented and ineffective.

11. There must be a legitimate, non-arbitrary, transparent process to amend the constitution and laws.

12. Burmese People’s rights to demonstrations and assembly must .be recognized.

In Myanmar, the military rulers are above the Law. The double standards in the implementation of law is ever present under dictatorships like Military ruled countries. One law for the ruling elite like SPDC Generals, staying above all their own laws and another for the rest, especially for the opposition leaders like NLD Daw Suu and all the opposition members up to their fall outs like ex-MIs including ex PM Khin Nyunt. All the ordinary citizens are coerced into submission, cowardice and obedience by the Rule by the Law of Jungle or Military Laws or Martial Laws. In every democracy, Rule of Law is the most important fact for all the citizens.

1. The judicial system must effectively protect human rights and democratic principles.

2. Constitutional and legal arrangements must guarantee the democratic process in practice.

3. All military, police, and security forces must be subject to civilian control.

4. To be called a democratic country; we must enact just and fair laws for all the citizens of Burma/Myanmar.

5. In addition, no one must be above the law: whether he is from Military, a General, Senior General, King, President, Prime Minister, Cabinet Minister, opposition leaders or opposition party members, mixed blooded relatively new citizens or Ethnic Minority, except for the previleges and immunity to the elected Members of Parliament and top leaders of the Government for their acts on performing the official duties but they must be held responsible for their out of duty acts as ordinary citizens.

6. We could see that the progressive, longsighted Governments that always avoid or refrain from interfering in the way of their citizens’ ability to make a living and progress will always end up ruling over the wealthiest countries.

7. SPDC needs to change Myanmar/Burma to become: a more Law abiding place where just and fair Laws rule all the citizens, where no one is persecuted in the Kangaroo or corrupt courts. We need to rebuild a country where “respect for human rights are practiced and there is equal treatment of all the citizens”.

8. SPDC needs to “stop the unfair permanent dominance of Military doctrine’, and “release the political prisoners”.

9. Myanmar SPDC Junta failed to realize that these minor domestic embarrassments or harassments they are committing on not only on the oppositions but also on all the citizens of Myanmar are seen by the world as a serious crimes against humanity and actually it would surely lead to their down fall.

We need to have a clear distinction between rule of lawrule by law. and

(1) Rule of law is an intrinsically moral notion. There is a pre-written just and fair law that respects and protects the rights of each and every citizen. No one is above the law and no one should be prosecuted or persecuted by using unjust laws.

(2) Rule by law is very different. Someone rules by law not because the law is higher than oneself but because it is convenient to do so and inconvenient not to do so.

(3) In rule of law, the law is something the government serves.

(4) In rule by law, the government uses law as the most convenient way to govern or subdue the people. One can have authority without any moral basis.

(5) The “rule of law” embodies the basic principles of: equal treatment of all people before the law, fairness, both constitutional and actual guarantees of basic human rights. It is a predictable legal system with fair, transparent, and effective judicial institutions is essential to the protection of citizens against the arbitrary use of state authority and Lawless acts of both organizations and individuals.

(6) There must be The Rule of Law; but not the Rule by Law as practiced by successive Military Governments. And that Law must be fair and practice justice on all the citizens without any discrimination. No one must be allowed to stay above the law or allowed to break the law. The LAW or JUSTICE must be BLIND.

a. There must be the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

b. Trial by jury of peers.

c. The right to a fair trial with appeal rights.

d. The right to adequate & independent legal representation.

e. Not only there must be fair and justice but it must be seen that there is fairness and justice.

SPDC failed to elaborate about the Good Governance free of Corruption for Burma/Myanmar in their Constitution. SPDC need to completely reform or revamp the Political, Civil, Human Rights & Economic situations before they could claim to be walking the corridors of democracy and announcing that they are practicing good governance.

1. Police & Military must be under the control of civilian elected politicians.

2. SPDC government’s decision-making must be transparent and must allow the public scrutiny.

3. The present and future elected officials in the Government and civil servants must be held accountable for their actions.

4. The government must be responsive to the public complaints and grouses.

5. SPDC must grant the Freedom of speech for all the citizens and all the media.

6. Under the successive Myanmar Military Governments of BSPP,SLORC and SPDC there is NO FREEDOM AFTER SPEECH. One would be definitely arrested, charged in a Kangaroo Military subservient Court and given long term sentences in Myanmar.

7. Freedom of association for all the citizens, organizations including the opposition parties. Various Religious & Political organizations must be permitted to form, organize and active freely.

8. SPDC must change to a true full democracy but not the guided or disciplined democracy or the corrupted flawed nor hybrid democracies.

9. There must be Separation of Powers between the Legislative (Parliament), Administrative (Government) and SPDC must allow independent free media allowing investigative journalism allowing to probe the Government officials and Government Servants.

10. It must be Independent, competitive, non-monopolized, media free from government censorship or editorial restrictions. The media must be free and independent from government or other sources. Journalists and the media must be allowed to present a diversity of political views. SPDC must accept that the media contributes positively to democracy. Journalists must have an adequate access to public information.

11. Allowing setting up the independent Anti Corruption Agency.

12. Full freedom of religious-thought, belief, expression & practice, including abolition of Government controls of religious affairs.

13. The right of self-determination for each and every citizen, irrespective of race, religion, creed, color, gender etc. That means we all have to agree for the Rights of all the Ethnic Minorities and all the Religious Minorities.

14. There must be a strong and firm Non-discrimination by Governments, individuals or organizations on the basis of race, nationality, color, religion, gender, marital status, political belief or affiliation, physical or mental disability.

15. SPDC must set up the antitrust legislature to control the monopoly in each and every field.

16. People must be given the power and rights to monitor and record at the distribution of wealth and opportunity among the different groups depending on: race, religion and political alignment e.g. relatives of Military affiliated groups or from the ruling party.

17. People must be given the power and rights to monitor and record the Political patronage- awarding government contracts, appointments, promotions, scholarships, land distributions, permits etc.

18. SPDC Constitution must include the guarantees to take care of the Rural development and the Urbanization, squatter relocation and settlements must be properly planned.

19. SPDC must put in its Constitution the responsibility to take care of the Basic infra-structure facilities, water (24 hour supply) , electricity (24 hour supply), highways, telephone and multimedia facilities must be taken care of for the benefit of all the citizens especially the poor and underpreviledged.

20. I wish to quote Thomas Jefferson “That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.”

The SPDC failed to lay down the basic characteristics of democratic system for Burma/Myanmar in their Constitution. _

1. There must be plurality. We must allow multi-political parties even if based on different races and religions although there must be a strict rule for the government of the country to be secular and must be color blind regarding ethnicity and religious matters.

2. And all the appointments, selections, promotions, rewards, scholarships and giving out the tenders etc must be based on meritocracy.

3. There must be a parliamentary system.

4. And the most important thing is that there must be free and fair elections. There must be a clear separation of powers and responsibilities among the legislatures, judiciary and executive branch of government. We must never allow any one; King, President, PM or Military Generals, monopoly rights to all three branches.

5. We must improvement these institutions by allowing a proper check and balance system.

6. But we must start the act of eradicating corruptions, we must be accountable in every deed and there must be transparency.

7. And the most important thing is to respect and recognize each and every person’s rights, minority races, minority religions, workers, women, children and etc including handicapped persons.

8. And those minorities’ rights must be protected from the “bullies” of the majority.

9. The most important part in the democracies is the “Good Governance”.

10. The right to dissent by any citizens. The right to dissent even in the ruling party or even among the MPs and Cabinet members is essential for the healthy democracy.

SPDC Constitution ignores to elaborate the Respect of Human rights and Individual Freedom for Burma/Myanmar in their Constitution. First of all let us look at the Human Rights issues.

a. All human beings are born with inalienable rights.

b. These human rights empower people to pursue lives of dignity

c. no government can bestow them but all governments should protect them.

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.” But the SPDC Government had arrested and jailed the Myanmar citizens who dare to take these copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to distribute to the public. What a shame! Actually UNSC should punish SPDC for this crime.

Second important fact is Individual Freedom, which is built on a foundation of_

a. justice, tolerance, dignity, and respect ,

b. regardless of ethnicity, religion, political association, or social standing.

SPDC Junta’s Constitution must allow all the Burmese/Myanmar citizens to pursue these fundamental rights. Actually SPDC’s Constitution must understand and accept that they must acknowledge and respect every human being’s rights and freedom whether they are: citizens, tourists, diplomats, foreign journalists, foreigners staying as permanent residents in Myanmar with FRC certificates, legal and illegal migrants in Myanmar, mixed blooded recent migrant citizens, non-Military ordinary citizens, armed rebels, opposition members and leaders, political prisoners, even other prisoners and convicted criminals etc.

SPDC Generals must understand that if they wish to claim that they are walking down the road to democracy, they need to review their wrong records and start practicing the respect of the human rights and allow more individual freedom for all the Myanmar Citizens.

1. Freedom of ideas of the Free societies create a “marketplace of ideas” where people exchange their views on any number of issues.

2. There must be laws to protect human rights and individual freedom and thejustice systems must enforce them equally among the population.

3. All the citizens must enjoy the Freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture.

5. For each and every citizen, opposition party members or leaders, an ethnic minority, or even if one is a common criminal, there must be a basic human right.

6. There must be a professional police force that respects the rights of all the citizens of Myanmar, enforcing the Rule of law.

7. Myanmar/Burma’s ethnic minorities should be free to use their language, maintain their traditions and cultures. Governments should recognize the rights of minorities while respecting the will of the majority.

8. All the Myanmar/Burmese citizens should have the equal opportunity to work, earn a living, support their families, to travel to anywhere in the country and abroad, right to settle and work in any part of the country, government job appointments and promotions.

9. All the Myanmar/Burmese citizens should have the equal opportunity in education, training, further studies locally and abroad and in getting scholarships or stipend awards.

10. All the children must get special protection. They should receive at least an elementary education, proper nutrition, and healthcare.

11. All the women’s rights should be protected, stop gender discrimination in all the laws, rules and regulations. Women’s health especially during maternity must be taken care of.

12. All the future governments must be transparent, corruption free and must remains accountable to the people.

When we go through the present SPDC Constitution, there is no possible chance of the Participation & Representation of ordinary civilian Burmese people in the future governments.

a. The SPDC Constitution’s sole aim and objective is to force Burmese people to perform the duty of rubber-stamping the permanent dominance of Myanmar Military only.

b. The SPDC’s present Constitution is going to allow the Myanmar Military to monopolize all the powers of the branches of government.

c. In The SPDC Constitution there is no separation of powers. The principle of seperation of powers was drafted by John Adams for the constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the government of this commonwealth_

i. the legislative department shall never exercise the executive and judicial powers or either of them:

ii. the executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them:

iii. the judicial shall never exercise the legislative and executive powers, or either of them: to the end it may be a government of laws and not of men.-Massachusetts Constitution, Part The First, art. XXX (1780).

SPDC Junta failed to realize or ignore the universal truth that in a democratic country:

a. Citizens are not governed by the majority of the people or military or the powerful elite or the ruling party, but by the rule of law.

b. Constitutional Republics are a deliberate attempt to diminish the threat of mobocracy: Political control by a mob, the mass of affiliated people to the ruling party or military, as the source of political control, as SPDC is currently practicing on fuel hike protesters by using Kyant Phuts and Swan Arrshins.

c. Thereby, protecting minority groups from the tyranny of the majority and by placing checks on the power of the majority of the population.

d. The power of the majority of the people is checked by limiting that power to electing representatives who govern within limits of overarching constitutional law, rather than the popular vote having legislative power itself.

e. Moreover, the power of elected representatives is also checked by prohibitions against any single individual having: legislative, judicial, and executive powers. (But just look at the SPDC Constitution, Tatmadaw is shamelessly trying to monopolize all those powers.)

f. John Adams defined a constitutional republic as “a government of laws, and not of men.” (But just look at the SPDC Constitution, it is clear that Tatmadaw is trying to establish the Military Government, disguised as civilians by just changing their uniforms into muftis. Military Governments are known for using the laws of the jungle but not the fair and just laws conforming to the international civilized democratic world.)

g. The SPDC Constitution writers were notably unaware or never care or dare not raise objections of the dangers of military rule in oppressing freedom and liberty of the individual civilians.

h. The SPDC Constitution failed to keep the best elements of majority rule but with protections for individual liberty, a separation of powers, and a layered federal structure. Burma/Myanmar is a multi ethnic multi religious country. If we wish to have peace, progress and prosperity, we all should aim for a Secular Federal Democratic Union of Burma/Myanmar. There is no other alternative.

i. SPDC Junta ignored the truth that “democracy must not be a dictatorship of the majority nor the powerful nor the military”.

j. We need to compare Myanmar’s present political scenario with the real or Full democracy countries’ basic concepts. Then only we would be able to gauge the “Democracy” promised by SPDC, whether it could be qualified to call or classify as a full democracy, flawed democracy, and hybrid regime or just remained as is now authoritarian regime. SPDC Constitution confirmed that Tatmadaw’s permanent dominence and authoritarian regieme is the main agenda of this whole process.

k. In the SPDC Constitution, opposition political parties would not be able to provide an effective avenue for citizens’ participation in politics. Political parties must be able to adequately represent the interest of their constituents.

l. In the SPDC Constitution, Civil society organizations are not allowed to effectively promote the public interest.

m. We could not see any chance of transforming to real and meaningful participatory democracy when they clearly wrote in their constitution that_

i. 25% of he seats are reserved for Myanmar Military.

ii. the President must have 15 years of military experience.

iii. Defense Minister’s status is equal to the Deputy President.

iv. The Myanmar Generals are actually planning for the total and permanent dominance of the military in their so called “guided democracy”.

v. They even legalize the future military coups as their legimitate rights as if a mandate given by the people, clearly enshrined in the constitution.

n. So the future role of ordinary Burmese civilian citizens are sure to be degraded to just confirming or rubberstamping or approving the showcase of sham elections not unlike the elections under communists and dictators.

0. The SPDC is going to stream-rolled the so-called seven steps to democracy with their tanks.

But the opposition parties including NLD and Daw Suu and ethnic minorities are pragmatic.

1. They keep on saying that they could forgive and forget the past wrong doings and Daw Suu is especially promoting, Loving Kindness. The 1990 election they won is the real fact, no one including SPDC Generals could deny.

2. 88 Generation Student leaders are also telling that they did not wish to revenge or even mention about their sufferings but are just asking for true and meaningful dialogue and National Reconciliation.

3. Re-arresting the 88 Generation student leaders and continued arresting Daw Suu, NLD, opposition members and leaders do not show that the Generals have good faith or that they are sincerely changing towards a real democracy.

I would like to highlight some of the Civil Rights of Burmese People that SPDC Constitution failed to mention or allowed_

1. Burmese People should be allowed to openly question and discuss official government policies including the present National Convention without fear or threat of prosecution with jail sentences.

2.The SPDC government must allow Burmese citizens to demonstrate their will or grievances peacefully.

3. Now they are jailed for peaceful political activities. Daw Suu and NLD leaders, U Khun Tun Oo and Shan leaders, U Win Tin and other journalists, Min Ko Naing and 88 Generation Student leaders, people who distribute UN Declaration of Human Rights, Su Su Nwe and others who complaint of the forced labor, even the honorary consul general for Scandinavian countries, Mr Nichols was jailed for using unregistered FAX MACHINE and was believed to be murdered in the jail.

4. SPDC is not seen to be relaxing the restriction on all the Civic associations and political organizations. They must be allowed to freely organize, mobilize, and advocate their views if the Myanmar Generals want to claim that they are democratic.

SPDC propaganda expert, Senior General Than Shwe is hoping to follow the propaganda technique which is called “The Big Lie”. This theory was started by Dr. Paul Joseph Gobbles (who was Adolf Hitler’s Propaganda Minister).

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” And even the person telling the lies also started to believe that he is telling the truth because that person is also unknowingly trapped in the illusion he had made.

So SPDC is saying these over and over and over again, and hoping that the Burmese people and the whole world will believe it, and that’s their strategy. In a true meaningful democracy Participation & Representation of all the people, the opposition parties and civil societies are very important.

Political parties would not be able to provide an effective avenue for citizens’ participation in politics under the influence of the military.

Political parties could not be able to adequately represent the interest of their constituents, as the Myanmar Military continue to interfere and restrict them.

Civil society organizations could not effectively promotes the public interest because of Myanmar Military’s restrictions.

However, if the SPDC Junta Generals from Myanmar Tatmadaw wish to claim that they are walking down the road to democracy, they need to review their wrong record of blemishes and start practicing the respect of the human rights and allow more individual freedom for all the Myanmar Citizens.

If we look at the present and future of Myanmar/Burma’s political scenario and in the latest SPDC Constitution, the rights and interests of vulnerable and threatened groups are ignored. The Military, ex-military, their families and cronies from their affiliated organizations like, Kyant Phuts and Swan Arrshins only are adequately represented and looked after in the political system according to the proceedings of the present National Convention.