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Myanmar: Pangs of Democratic Transition IPCSIPCS SpecialSpecial ReportReport 130 August 2012 MyanmarMyanmar Pangs of Democratic Transition Sampa Kundu SOUTHEAST ASIA RESEARCH PROGRAMME (SEARP) Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies B‐7/3, Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi 110029 91‐11‐4100 1900 www.ipcs.org About the Author © 2012, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies is not responsible for the facts, views or opinion expressed by the author. The Institute of Peace and Conflict Sampa Kundu Studies (IPCS), established in August 1996, is an independent think tank devoted to research on peace and Ms Sampa Kundu is a Research Scholar at the School of security from a South Asian International Studies, JNU, New Delhi and is working on perspective. India and Myanmar in BIMSTEC: Implications for North‐ east India. Its aim is to develop a comprehensive and alternative framework for peace and security in the region catering to the changing demands of national, regional and global security. Address: B 7/3 Lower Ground Floor About "Inside Southeast Asia" Series Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi 110029 INDIA The Southeast Asia Research Program (SEARP) within the Institute, as a part of its activities, undertake re‐ Tel: 91‐11‐4100 1900, 4165 2556, search and organise events under "Inside Southeast 4165 2557, Asia," aimed at exploring issues and challenges in 4165 2558, 4165 2559 contemporary Southeast Asia covering economic is‐ sues, inter‐State relations, political developments and Fax: (91‐11) 4165 2560 emerging social tensions and fault lines. This essay Email: [email protected] was a part of the first annual conference held in De‐ Web: www.ipcs.org cember 2011. IPCS Special Report 130, August 2012 Myanmar Pangs of Democratic Transition Sampa Kundu I broader international context, a brief INTRODUCTION attempt has also been made to analyse the neighbours’ responses towards Myanmar’s Burma or Myanmar, as it was renamed in recent developments. At the end, the essay 1989, is undergoing a transition. In 2003, draws attention towards the post‐2010 the then Prime Minister of Myanmar, Khin election trends in Myanmar and the future Nyunt designed a seven point road map for possibilities. Myanmar, which included a referendum, a new constitution and elections for the The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), an country (Holliday, 2008). Though Khin independent research agency conducted a Nyunt was ousted from the government survey among 167 countries, and soon, his thoughts gave a new vista to the according to them only 26 countries enjoy government of Myanmar to build a support full democracy and no country in South base in the country and abroad. This and Southeast Asia falls in this category. proposal was adopted to create a Some of the questions that were asked flourishing and democratic Myanmar so during the survey included whether that both international and domestic pro‐ national elections are free and fair, how democracy supporters could be pacified. secure are the voters, to what extent the The 2010 November elections were sixth national government is influenced by on the list of the seven points projected by foreign powers, is there freedom of the government of Myanmar for the expression, what is the state of human transition to democracy. rights and so on (EIU, 2010). These questions should be kept in mind while The purpose of this paper is to study and dealing with the issue of democracy. find out what is happening behind the curtains, and to investigate how far or near Before going into the details of the 2010 Myanmar is towards democracy. For that, elections in Myanmar, one should have a the essay broadly deals with the 2010 look at Myanmar’s recent history, election process and its immediate especially with reference to its fight for implications for the country so far. For and against democracy. understanding Myanmar's politics in a Myanmar: Pangs of Democratic Transition Democratic ideas are not new to Burma. Voting was introduced for the local government of Burma as early as 1882. By In 1993, the Junta established a gov‐ 1923, household suffrage for formation of ernment funded organization called legislature was introduced in Burma with Union Solidarity and Development Or‐ no gender discrimination. But things ganization (USDA). Than Shwe and underwent a change with the subsequent his supporters used this organization military rule in the country. Ne Win’s one to raise support for the government to party rule came to an end in 1988 in the the maximum possible ext. wake of the famous 8‐8‐88 incident. This uprising was mainly led by the students but they were soon suppressed. Another military government came to the democratic movement. fore in the name of State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). SLORC Apart from regular arrests and detentions organized a national level election in 1990. of the pro‐democracy leaders and their In this election, the world saw the rise of supporters, the Junta has also tried to another charismatic leader in the history capture the social and economic life of the of Myanmar ‐ the daughter of Aung San, people. In 1993, the Junta established a hero of Burmese freedom movement, Daw government funded organization called Aung San Suu Kyi. In the meanwhile, she Union Solidarity and Development had formed her party, National League for Organization (USDA). Than Shwe and his Democracy (NLD), and decided to fight for supporters used this organization to raise democracy in her country. support for the government. In fact, Kudo (2011) said, all senior students of the The NLD contested the 1990 election and country were required to accept its secured more than 80 per cent of the membership and encouraged to spy on votes. The SLORC needed to convene the fellow students. parliament within 60 days in July 1990. But SLORC ignored the existing laws and In 2010, the USDA was renamed as Union ignored NLD’s repeated call for a meeting Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) to solve the issue. and participated in the national elections. The military used to control the entire The NLD leaders decided to form a economy of the country through three legitimate government in the country. This organizations: Union of Myanmar move of the NLD was brutally suppressed Economic Holdings (UMEH), Myanmar by the SLORC; the offices of the NLD were Economic Cooperation (MEC) and raided, supporters and leaders were Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC). arrested and several other punitive One of the principle objectives of UMEH is measures were taken to destroy the to meet the basic needs of the military IPCS Special Report 130, August 2012 personnel and their families. On the other popularly known as the Saffron Revolution hand, MEC works to transfer all public of 2007. Soon the monks took over the sector funds to the private sector, and MIC leadership of this movement until the handles all foreign investments in SPDC destroyed it completely. Myanmar. (Salah, Yusuf 2009) The Myanmar government faced intense In between these political, social and international criticism for the brutal economic developments, SLORC was suppression of the Saffron Revolution. In dissolved and renamed as State Peace and order to divert the international attention, Development Council (SPDC) in 1997 with the SPDC decided to hold the National leadership under Senior General Than Convention on 3 September, 2007, which Shwe. On its part, the Junta also took some was according to them the first and second initiatives in order to influence the people step towards democracy. The Junta about its good spirit for reinstallation of declared that Myanmar should have a democracy. In 1993, the government had disciplined democracy under the announced the formation of a national leadership of the military, and should not convention for a new constitution for the encourage any rapid changes. It was country. In 2003, the idea of the seven‐ reported that on 18 September 2007 the point road map was got put forth, as SPDC formed a 54‐member drafting mentioned earlier. However, all these committee for the constitution‐ the third efforts were very sporadic and step towards democracy ( Maung, Myoe insignificant in nature, and the slow pace 2009). on the part of the government only proved their reluctance for the restoration of In mid‐2008, when a large number of the democracy. population was actually struggling for survival in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, In 2007, the third biggest movement was the SPDC decided to hold the referendum undertaken by the pro‐democratic youth for the new constitution. Meanwhile, in and volunteers since the 8‐8‐88 uprising, April 2008, the constitution drafting committee had released a 194 page draft constitution to the public, and in May, The 2002 ‘declaration’ on the code of 2008 the constitutional referendum was conduct of parties in the SCS dispute, finally held. It implies that people got only hopes to fructify a more binding code one month time to study the draft of conduct, while managing tensions constitution before the referendum. through a support of the tenets of Though the number of participating voters 1982 UNCLOS such as freedom of were significantly low in the Cyclone navigation, over‐flight and MSR. affected areas, the SPDC announced at the end of May that almost 98 per cent people took part in the referendum, and out of that 92.48 per cent voted in favour of the The Indian Civil Nuclear Programme: Issues, Concerns, Opportunities Myanmar: Pangs of Democratic Transition draft constitution. The adoption of the new constitution through a national When the result was announced, the referendum was the fourth step towards world saw the USDP winning the elec‐ democracy. The fifth step was to conduct a tion with 883 of the total 1154 parlia‐ national level election for the legislative mentary seats, that is, 76.5 per cent.
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