BURMA: Release of political prisoners could speed up democratic transformation

Amid euphoria that Naypyidaw is on its way to irreversible democratisation process through implementation of recent reform initiative is heartening but still fails to touch the core problems, outlining the ethnic and political conflicts that plague Burma for almost half a century.

Although President Thein Sein’s civilian-cum-military dominated regime has come into being through self-drawn, military supremacy 2008 Constitution, stage-managed or manipulated referendum to rigged, controversial election; he has managed to push some piecemeal reform process to ease the confrontation and tense political atmosphere to a certain degree.

His poverty reduction workshop, a close-door, four eyes meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, invitation of exiles to return home, peace overtures directed at armed ethnic groups, and easing off the restrictions on the media have been conducive to some improvement in political atmosphere.

Strangely enough, the war flames in Kachin, Shan and Karen states are on the rise, prompting observers to speculate whether Thein Sein is really calling the shots or if he is in a position to rein in the status quo or military hardliner camp, within the government.

The most encouraging news coming out to date is that the recent meeting between Mr. Espen Barth Eide, Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Parliament president Thura Shwe Man, when the latter said that political prisoners will be released very soon.

According to BBC, Thura Shwe Mann was responding to the question of Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, whether Burma would respond to the international demand of the release of political prisoners before sanctions could be lifted.

While it is relatively safe to conclude that the NLD members and 88 generation student leaders like, Min Ko Niang, Ko Ko Gyi and the likes will be on the forthcoming list of release, many concerned people are afraid that the regime could hold back the monks leader, U Gambira, and other 200 or so monks connected to saffron revolution and the ethnic leaders like Khun Htun Oo and his SNLD members languishing in various prisons across the country.

The reason for such worry is that while the monks opposition could quickly snowball into a massive mass civil disobedience if they choose to take the street anew, as proven by the popular saffron revolution in 2007, the SNLD leader and his imprisoned members could become vocal, in the wake of heightened armed conflicts between the regime and ethnic armed groups, for the restoration of Panglong spirit and federalism again, which the regime could see it as a direct challenge to its unitary, centralised system.

At any rate, we could only take President Thein Sein’s word at face value, when he said: “We are also trying to lessen the conflicts based on disagreements with local political forces that have not accepted the constitution yet. Today, democratization is in the process for flourishing democratic practices, so each of us are to have a strong sense of democratic spirit for the type of freedom that is in conformity with our culture and society. We are exercising the executive power of the Union government the most effectively for sustainable development in the democratic practices.”

”We are also implementing the proceedings we have pledged to this Hluttaw such as ensuring good governance, clean government and democratic practices, fundamental rights of citizens, the rule of law, transparency, undertaking, reducing the gab between the rich and the poor, creation of a harmonious society, economic reforms and environmental conservation.”

”Our government is the government of the people. So, we have to give the first priority to the public interest.”
(Source: President U Thein Sein addresses second regular session of first Pyidaungsu Hluttaw -  New Light of Myanmar, 22 Aug 2011)

Whether Thein Sein will literally follow what he preaches is a question only time could answer. But hopefully, the much awaited release of political prisoners will be all-inclusive and no reason or purpose would arise to hold back any prisoner of conscience, whatsoever

The contributor is General Secretary of Shan Democratic Union – Editor

www.shanland.org