MYANMAR

MYANMAR

State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)

1.         On November 15, 1997, the ruling military junta of Myanmar announced that the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) was dissolved and in its place the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) was constituted.

2.         The SPDC was made up of four Government Heads and 15 commanders of various military regions of Myanmar and could represent a consolidation of power of top military leaders, according to analysts.

3.         The leaders at the Head of the Council are the chairman of SLORC, Sr Gen. Than Shwe, Gen. Maung Aye, SLORC  secretary one Kihn Nyut, head of military intelligence and SLORC  secretary two, Gen. Tin Oo.

4.         At the second level, the functional Government has been reconstituted with about 40 Ministries, many of them new faces and the second rung of regional commanders from the armed forces.

5.         Objectives. To build a new modern and developed nation and to usher in a disciplined flourishing democracy.

6.         Critics have dismissed these changes as cosmetic and making little difference either to the people or to the process of restoring democracy.

7.         The changes came at a time when the military Government seem to harden its stance against pro-democracy leaders, particularly Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Background

8.         Myanmar formerly known as Burma has been ruled by the military Government since 1988. The military crushed the protests and recaptured power by setting up the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).  The brutal suppression of democratic uprisings resulted in the death of thousands of people.

9.         Democratic elections were held by the SLORC in1990.  The National League for Democracy (NLD) of the dissident leader Ms. Suu Kyi, won the election capturing 392 of the 485 seats.  However, the military junta could not bear to see the verdict and ordered the annulling of the verdict.  Ms. Suu Kyi and hundereds of political activists were arrested.

10.       In 1993, the SLORC organised a Constitutional Convention to draw up guidelines for a new Constitution.  However, the elected members were in minority in the convention with 85 per cent of the 702 delegates being handpicked by SLORC.

11.       The purpose of the Convention was to give the military a permanent guiding role in the Government.  Thus, the military Government wanted its leading role in the future of politics in Mynmar to be enshrined in the Constitution.

12.       Ms. Suu Kyi was freed by SLORC in July 1995.  The confrontation between Ms. Suu  Kyi and the military has been rising ever since.  Ms. Suu Kyi has demanded that the Partliament elected in 1990 should be called into session.  The SLORC  has responded by saying that the term of those elected has already expired.

13.       The NLD has rejected the participation of the military in any future Government.  It was emphasised that the armed forces should be an honourable institution which should have the goal of defending the nation and helping bring back democracy to Myanmar.

14.       In May 1997, the US imposed unilateral investment sanctions on Myanmar.  Under the measures, intended to help in the restorationof democracy, US firms will be barred from making fresh investments in Myanmar.

15.       Myanmar was also admitted as a full member of ASEAN  (Association of South-East Asian Nations) in 1997.

16.       In December 1997, Myanmar was also admitted in the trade and business bloc of nations along the Bay of Bengal. The Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Co-operation (BISTEC) grouping has being renamed BIMSTEC to accommodate Myanmar.

Indo-Myanmar Relations

17.       Mynamar  shares 1600 km border and is an important neighbour of India because its utility as a gateway to the ASEAN  and its strategic location.  The country has long remained a haven for the insurgents in the North-East of India.

18.       India appears to be caught in a bind on dealing with Myanmar, according to analysts.  India as the largest democracy in the world cannot ignore the Pro-democracy struggle by Ms. Aung Suu Kyi.  At the same time India needs cordial relations with Myanmar to tackle the North-East insurgency.

19.       The shift in India’s position came during the Narasimha Rao period when the Government indicated that it was reluctant to take up the pro-democracy issue in a big way.

20.       The change in India’s attitude was reciprocated by the SLORC and insubsequent years, the two sides held regular meetings on security-related matters.  Mynamar also co-operated  with India on North-East insurgents.

21.       India’s policy on Myanmar has been criticised as being short-sighted.  Critics want India to actively join the international effort to isolate SLORC and pave the way for democracy.

22.             Analysts feel  Government of India should engage the military junta in Myanmar in trade-cum-strategic talks but simultaneously pile pressure on the regime to return the country to the democratic path.

23.       Visits  Army chief Gen VP Malik and home secretary Kamal Pande visited Myanmar.  This along with import of 50,000 tonnes of rice from Myanmar have set the stage for the first high level, week long visit from Myanmar in mid Nov 2000.  The saliant points of the visit are  :-

(a)              Myanmar delegation was headed by Gen Maung Aye, vice Chairman of the ruling SDPC (No2 man).  He is the most senior govt member to visit since SDPC took over in 1988.

(b)              India will extend a credit loan of $15 million for Myanmar to purchase Indian capital goods.

(c)              India & Myanmar to co-ordinate their activities to control militency in the North East by joint patroling and joint manning of the BOPs.