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Awaiting a pro-people regime for Myanmar

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Nava Thakuria,the Narinjara News, 14 October 2024

 

India’s eastern neighbour Myanmar (also known as Burma andBrahmadesh) today faces a civil war following a military coup on 1 February2021, which was orchestrated by General Min Aung Hlaing to dethronedemocratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD)government in Naypyitaw.

 

The Buddhist majority nation is still under military ruleeven though the dictators are facing intensifying protest outrages  acrossthe south Asian country. Lately the anti-junta agitation turned violent wherethe civilians had also taken arms to their hands to stimulate the resistanceforces carried out by various minority armed outfits.


They have systematically targeted the armed forces and their close relatives inresponse to military atrocities on the Burmese civilians. Since the military coup, over 5,500 civilians were killed, nearly 27,000 were arrested andmore than 3.3 million have been displaced.

 

The junta soldiers created a reign of terror with relentlessairstrikes on populated areas, setting many villages and urban localities onfire across the country of 55 million people. But it has not deterred theresistance forces from attacking the military bases in many localities and manytowns had already gone under the control of armed groups.

 

Many bases were even abandoned by the soldiers and somesoldiers even joined the anti-junta forces. A number of towns, preciselybordering India, had gone under the control of armed groups.


Even though the junta has gradually lost control over the entire land and itspeople, it plans for a national election by next year.

 

The junta-controlled Union Election Commission also alreadystarted preliminary preparations for the polls including a countrywide census.

 

However, the electoral process in the ethnically-divergedcountry remains doubtful since its independence in 1948. The powerful armedforces often dictate the political leadership where the military-drafted 2008Constitution made the situation more critical for the pro-democracy activists,as it reserved a sizable number of seats in the Parliament  and regionalassemblies for the military persons and their associates.


Amending the Constitution still becomes difficult as the country continues tobe ruled by the junta by different batches from time to time.

 

Unless there is a crack in the military fraternity and theirpolitical standing, Myanmar will not be able to modify the Constitution andhence it may not be possible to conduct  a free, fair and participatory election both in national and regional levels. So  a free, fair andparticipatory election to form a stable & progressive regime in thepoverty-stricken country under the ill-designed Constitution cannot be expectedat this moment.


Progressive Voice, an umbrella organization of pro-democracy civil societygroups, recently claimed that the military junta is teetering on the brink ofcollapse and the  ‘sham election is nothing more than its desperate ployfor false legitimacy and hoax democracy’.

 

It expressed anger that certain international actors like China, Thailand, Russia, Laos and India are backing the junta’s hoaxelection plan, which is like insulting the unprecedented sacrifices andtireless efforts of the people’s resistance movement to build a new federaldemocratic in Myanmar.

 

This problematic approach will only allow the junta tocontinue to terrorize the people and bring the country back under militarytyranny, asserted the organization.


“In reality, it is not remotely possible for the junta to hold a vote, giventhe lack of control it has in large parts of the country.  Any sustainablesolution for Myanmar’s crisis and for the achievement of sustainable peace mustbe identified, agreed on, and led by the people of Myanmar while internationalactors must rally all its support behind the Myanmar people. They are committedto break the vicious cycle of violence and impunity and no longer seek toresume the pre-2021 democratic transition façade. Instead the people arepursuing a genuine change to form a federal democratic regime, which is equal,sustainable, and inclusive in nature,” said Khin Ohmar, founder &chairperson of Progressive Voice.


However, India has to deal with the situation carefully as the country’snorth-eastern region shares a land border of over 1,600 kilometers with Myanmaralong with a 700 km maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. 

 

New Delhi has also invested in the Kaladan Multi-ModalTransit Transport Project, which is identified as a major developmentinitiative inside Myanmar with an aim to connect the land-locked northeastIndia with the port in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State. Moreover, New Delhiis also looking for the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway for connectivity andbusiness.


It’s widely assumed that a pro-people democratic regime will be installed inthe land of Golden Pagodas soon  for their own interest as well as theentire western part of the south Asian region.  

 

Photo by Berkeley Political Review

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