Myanmar’s transition to democracy is not easy, but Canada can help

During my recent trip to Myanmar, I was impressed with the optimism of the people, and in particular of the state counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi. After 50 years of military rule, the election of 2015 brought to power the National League for Democracy (NLD), which she heads. The Nobel Peace Prize winner came into office with expectations that reached the stratosphere, and a belief that everything was possible. Change was the operative word. Hope was the message of the day. Two years later, much has changed and little has changed. In my second meeting with her, this one in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw (also known as Naypyidaw), I found a leader struggling to get her message out to the world, about how Myanmar is facing challenges, but also a sense of renewed optimism about where the country can and will go. As the honorary consul general of Myanmar to Canada, I was in the country to help celebrate 70 years of independence from Britain, as well as to meet with officials including the president, Htin Kyaw, and the minister for international cooperation, Kyaw Tin. The government has been restrained by the provisions of the 2008 military-drafted constitution. Among the provisions: it prevents Suu Kyi from becoming president, amending the constitution requires a vote of more than 75 per cent in Parliament, and no civilian control is allowed over the military or the police. The military sees its main role as safeguarding the constitution, which guarantees that it maintains an important leadership role. Constitutionally, 25 per cent of seats in all national and regional legislatures are reserved for the military. It also holds three key cabinet positions—defence, home affairs, and border affairs—and it appoints a vice-president. A constitution in line with democratic reforms has been a key priority for the NLD, but that has been by no means an easy task, given the political constraints in Parliament with the military MPs. The government is committed to building a democratic, federal state based on justice, freedom for all ethnic races, equality and the right of self-determination, respect for human rights, and a cessation of all armed conflicts. The latest challenge to the government has been the crisis in Rakhine State. The recent crisis—sparked by attacks on police installations in August 2017 by members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, and the military’s brutal response—has led to international condemnation and a massive refugee crisis. This has consumed the government and, in many ways, it has responded proactively. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan and launched by Suu Kyi, provided a document: Towards a Peaceful, Fair, and Prosperous Future for the People of Rakhine. All the recommendations were accepted and ministerial committees were established for their implementation. This seems to have been lost in the international press. As Suu Kyi pointed out in our meeting, the roots of the issue are not religious (far more Muslims are living throughout the rest of the country) but steeped in economic and social problems. More than 50 per cent of Muslims still live in northern Rakhine State. Repatriation for those who had left has already begun, with new homes being constructed. An agreement with Bangladesh has assisted in this regard. She indicated that her government will not defend any atrocities by the army and is anxious to have the army leave the political arena. Strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar and assisting in good-governance measures is something that Canada must do if we sincerely believe in the importance of a democratic state in southeast Asia. I found her engaged on all issues, thankful for the support and goodwill shown to her during her visit to Canada last June, and determined to address the social, economic, and political issues facing a nation struggling to emerge from the long shadow of military rule. The hope for the future lies in supporting the development of a federal system and ensuring the democracy takes root. Canada and other Western nations can and should provide that support. Bryon Wilfert is an honorary consul general to Canada for Myanmar and a senior strategic adviser with Tactix Government Relations and Public Affairs Inc. He is a former Liberal Member of Parliament who served as his party’s foreign affairs and defence critic. The Hill Times

Myanmar’s transition to democracy is not easy, but Canada can help

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Myanmar’s transition to democracy is not easy, but Canada can help

The hope for the future lies in supporting the development of a federal system, says the southeast Asian country’s honorary consul general in Canada.

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