Asian Currents O the Asian Studies Association of Australia Maximising Australia’S Asian Knowledge

Asian Currents o The Asian Studies Association of Australia Maximising Australia’s Asian knowledge December 2014 ISSN 1449–4418 A fearful Has Myanmar’s reform symmetry It is noteworthy that all process stalled? the high-level corrupt officials swept up in Myanmar’s best known citizen, Daw China’s vaunted post- Aung San Suu Kyi, gave a press 18th Party Congress conference in Yangon on 5 November anti-corruption campaign 2014. According to media reports, she are reportedly from expressed her concern that Myanmar’s ‘commoner’ families. reform process had stalled. Read more Read more Religious apartheid in Myanmar An unofficial The Myanmar government could find itself in breach of history of the international law over plans that could offer minority Cultural Rohingya Muslims citizenship if they volunteer to change Revolution their ethnic denomination. Read more The diaries of people A missed opportunity: who lived through the Cultural Revolution may environmental education show the ‘10-year in Indonesia catastrophe’ in a new light. Read more Indonesia’s new school curriculum for senior high school barely touches on human responsibility The passion of for environmental destruction, makes scant mention of Louise Lightfoot environmental damage, and no mention of overweening consumption. Read more A trained architect and ballet teacher, known in Indonesia promises to address Australia for promoting a fusion of classical ballet forest destruction and Indian dance, helped bring two Indonesia’s new president, Joko Widodo, has set himself cultures together. a major challenge to clean up bribery and corruption in Read more the forestry industry. Read more Remembering Munir Becoming Asian in Australia A new museum commemorating the life of Indonesian human rights activist Munir Visual perceptions of Said Thalib hooks the visitor into the larger Asian Australians have a story of human rights activism in considerable impact on Indonesia. Read more their sense of belonging to Australian society. Laos foots Bangkok’s Read more growing power bill Also in this issue The opening of a Bangkok shopping mall and a World 2015 Myanmar Update Wildlife Fund warning that the construction of the Don New books on Asia ASAA news Sahang dam in southern Laos would endanger the –New ASAA president survival of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins form part of a –Inaugural fellowship complex web of the Thai capital’s electricity consumption. Read more 1 Asian Currents December 2014 Has Myanmar’s reform process stalled? The pace of reform in Myanmar say that nothing much in the way of has slowed—but the reasons for major reform happened during this call for a considered 2013–14 is not accurate. To give just assessment, not just a politically one example, from 1 April 2013, private daily newspapers were oriented one. authorised for the first time since By Trevor Wilson 1964, and from the outset they operated without direct censorship Myanmar’s best known citizen, Daw under the press freedom reforms put Aung San Suu Kyi, gave a press in place under the Thein Sein conference in Yangon on 5 November government. Daw Aung San Suu 2014. According to media reports, Kyi’s 5 November 2014 press she expressed her concern that conference was reported in these Myanmar’s reform process had very newspapers. stalled. She questioned whether any major positive changes had In fact, a large happened in the last 24 months. She number of new long- was speaking in her capacity as term government Chairperson of the National League reform plans were for Democracy. As a political developed during statement, what Suu Kyi said about 2013 and 2014, Myanmar’s reforms was not although most did unexpected. not call for immediate new Myanmar’s initial reforms, beginning policy changes. In in March 2011, were dramatic and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi: not quick succession, it surprised everyone, but they are still concerned by any produced the ‘first’ incomplete and not always operating backtracking as Five-Year Plan well. Many problem areas, such as such. (2011–16); the long- land reforms, judicial system reform term National Comprehensive and ending human rights abuses, Development Plan (2011–31); the have not yet undergone reform, Myanmar National Spatial meaning that much unfinished Development Plan containing goals business remains. for urban development; the Myanmar Reports that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Tourism Master Plan (2013–20); the was concerned by perceived National Strategic Plan for the Myanmar government backtracking Advancement of Women (2013–22); and lack of further progress on and the Comprehensive Education reforms had been circulating for Sector Review (2014–20). several months. These concerns This was also the first time in more were, not surprisingly, picked up by than two decades that the leading international activist groups where international financial institutions high expectations of Myanmar’s returned to Myanmar, and the United reform process were not always Nations Development Programme realistic. But in her 5 November (UNDP) normalised its operations in press conference, Daw Aung San Suu Myanmar. Kyi said she was not concerned by any backtracking as such. Restarting basic Myanmar programs by the World Bank, the International The pace of reform in Myanmar has Monetary Fund and the Asian certainly slowed, but whether or not Development Bank (ADB) demanded this is the result of a reduced higher standards of long-term, commitment to reform calls for a nationwide planning, on which the considered assessment, not just a Myanmar government had to take politically oriented one. Moreover, to the lead. During 2012–14, the Thein 2 Asian Currents December 2014 Sein government, for the first time, negotiated several entirely new, While some of Myanmar’s substantive long-term programs with UN and other international agencies reforms are undoubtedly not which, under sanctions, had working as well as they should, previously been prevented from or even as intended, it is not funding normal programs in Myanmar. correct to characterise those These new long-term programs already undertaken as just target substantial institutional and cosmetic or merely symbolic. infrastructure gaps, together with offers of substantial funding, including: the Myanmar—Unlocking the Potential: Country Diagnostic plans and programs, either through Study with the ADB; a Aung San Suu Kyi herself or via the comprehensive democratic parliament in which the NLD held governance program with the UNDP, seats after April 2012, or through the covering a number of specific rule-of- normal consultations that were law reform programs; and the conducted in all cases. Exactly how Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin much impact the NLD had on Management Project with the World discussions about specific laws and Bank, to name but a few. reforms during 2012–14 is not apparent, however. During 2013–14 alone, the World Bank agreed to fund projects worth Some significant political reforms several hundreds of million dollars were certainly initiated in the 2012– for Myanmar’s public health services, 14 period. Negotiations with all telecommunications reforms, public insurgent and ethnic groups were sector financial management, begun under the Myanmar Peace decentralisation of education funding Support Initiative, launched in March for schools and students, capacity 2012; most political prisoners, many enhancement and institutional of whom have resumed political strengthening in electric power activity quite prominently, were generation, and for multiyear released; and the former military national projects, all of which do not regime’s black list of overseas end until 2018–19. banned persons was abolished in August 2012. These socioeconomic plans and infrastructure programs might not More recently, on 18 October 2014, contain all the reforms that would be one key policy reform was released desirable or necessary for Myanmar, in draft form, the much-awaited but they were prepared in processes Draft National Land Use Policy. Most that were thorough and more important of all, political inclusive than ever before. Moreover, reconciliation between the authorities properly funded and technically and the opposition—the informal supported, these plans and programs understanding between President will become key vehicles for future Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu reforms. Indeed, having the Kyi—was cemented through the first- international agencies acting as the ever modern-day political leaders’ main implementers could even be a meeting with the Burmese Army way of preserving the integrity and leadership, convened by President quality of reforms needed. (Not that Thein Sein in Naypyitaw on the UN system always achieves 31 October 2014. that!) While some of Myanmar’s reforms The National League for Democracy are undoubtedly not working as well (NLD) participated in many of the as they should, or even as intended, consultation processes on these it is not correct to characterise those 3 Asian Currents December 2014 already undertaken as just cosmetic in Kachin State had broken down in or merely symbolic. They are reforms June 2011, anti-Muslim communal that will help change, once and for violence erupted in many parts of the all, the constricting mindset of the country on an unprecedented scale last 50 years in Burma/Myanmar. after mid-2012, and long-running insurgencies with groups such as the Reflecting on the pattern of Karen and some Shan groups Myanmar’s reform process since continued intermittently. 2011, it seems that many early reforms, such as the exchange rate/ With reforms failing elsewhere in the currency unification changes of world—in some parts of Eastern 1 April 2012, were quickly and Europe, and the fading promise of relatively easily implemented with a the Arab Spring in the Middle East— top-down decision or announcement. Myanmar’s leaders might have Now, by contrast, remaining areas wondered what else was in store for for reform are complex. They involve them and what other unanticipated many levels of stakeholders or political risks they might have to interested parties who need to be face.

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