Myanmar’s own Spring

22 February 2012 08:01 pm

  The forthcoming elections for 48 vacant seats in the parliament are widely being seen as consolidation of the democratic process and the sincerity with which the powerful generals are interested in furthering the reforms. The point that the National League for Democracy, the popular party of Noble laureate Aun San Suu Kyi, is also on the same page is a welcome development. Whatever is happening in Myanmar in terms of a thaw between the army and the political parties is worth emulating in other flashpoints worldwide, as it has absolutely no recourse to violence and vendetta.
The velvet episode of Yangon that has been cautiously scripted by a host of stakeholders that also include the Asean and the United Nations had brokered genuine reconciliation. It goes to the largesse of Suu Kyi who never opted for stunts and preferred to engage the army in a dialogue by promising that its interests in the state would be well protected in lieu for embracing the voice of the people. With international recognition at her beck-n-call, Suu Kyi made Yangon fall in line, which had seen one of the most peaceful transitions of history in the region.
 Though Suu Kyi and her like-minded candidates win at the bye-polls won’t guarantee a decisive shift, it would nonetheless go a long way in harnessing a culture that is tolerant and communicative. The army, too, realises that it can’t hold the fort for long and is thus undergoing an introspective process. That is squarely evident from the manner it is scaling down on restrictions that otherwise guarantee its monopoly over civilian affairs. All that is needed is a slow and steady march towards parliamentary supremacy, wherein the will of the people for stability and security is obliged. Suu Kyi and the army are now on the same track.
Khaleej Times