Feb 08, 2012 5:33PM UTC
Several citizens of Burma are still skeptical on government’s reform process. Most observers believe the situation is in a state of insecurity seeing that the conventional faction and moderate group in the cabinet are struggling for muscle.
On the surface, it looks like change started since government introduces reforms by letting some political space for Aung San Suu Kyi. In fact, reforms in the country continue uncertain, even with hopeful achievements made by President Thein Sein recently.
In an interview with Lally Weymouth of The Washington Post, President Thein Sein said his government has already fulfilled with Western demands, including freeing most political prisoners, setting up elections in April and allowing key opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others to participate in political process.
President Thein Sein told Lally Weymouth, “I believe we have accomplished these steps already. What is needed from the Western countries is for them to do their part.”
But, the question is not such easy. People convince that president’s soft move is a motivation for the West to lift sanctions. Although Thein Sein puts on show of his soft stance, vice-president Tin Aung Myin Oo’s conventional faction is on his way. Tin Aung Myin Oo himself has been linking in the Myitsone-dam’s project in order to gain financial advantages via his cronies’ businesses.
The difficulties of ending the war against the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) are intertwined with the natural resources benefit in the Kachin State. Tin Aung Myin Oo and his conservative faction support continuation of the offensive in Kachin frontline since the group involved deeply in the energy projects including the Shwe-gas twin pipe-line, a multibillion dollar project that expected to do good to vice-president and his cronies’ quarter.
President Thein Sein had released orders two times, on December 10 and again on January 13, to halt fighting so as to cease the Burma Army’s Kachin offensive. Regardless of the president’s visible wishes, the government’s armed forces have continued waging the aggressive war against the KIA, killing many soldiers and civilians unnecessarily.
According to Kachin News Group, officers based in the KIA’s Laiza headquarters estimate that more than 20,000 combat soldiers from nearly 200 battalions have been assigned in the anti Kahin operation, the biggest military offensive in Burma in more than 18 years.
Several Kachin citizens believe the reason of renewing the war after a 17-year cease-fire is craving for natural resources in Kachin State by the Burmese military-backed government. That’s why it strive widening its control of the areas with Chinese power projects.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Aung San Suu Kyi said, “Although the president is the head of state, he is not necessarily the highest power in the land. The commander in chief can take over all powers of government at any time he feels it to be necessary. That must be very difficult if you are in the position in which our president is.”
Most analysts support Suu Kyi’s point of view since the Burma Army’s commander-in-chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing ignores the president’s order to end of hostilities on the Kachin frontline.
On the other hand, although Government holding ceasefire talks with Karen leaders recently, the humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers (FBR) has accused in its report that Burma Army has constantly violated human rights abuses and armed mobilization in Karen State, the Karen News said.
In Karen State no ceasefire agreement has yet been signed, but both the Karen National Union and the Government of Burma have ordered their troops not to shoot at each other. Despite the ‘no-shoot orders’ the FBR report has catalogued current incidents, including homicides and forced labor of villagers.
Despite agreeing to a ceasefire with the Karen National Union earlier this month, Burma Army has been transporting food rations, military supplies and reinforcements in the Myitta sub-township Tanintharyi Division which is now under the control of the KNU’s Brigade 4, the Karen News said.
If government is sincere enough, it should be taken responsibility of pulling out its troops from the frontline zones which are in actual fact under the influence of the ethnic armed groups. To build trust between two parties, the government must show goodwill towards the ethnic minorities.
Fighting between government forces and the Kachin resistance was particularly fierce these days in an area of northern Shan state scheduled to be the route of the Shwe-gas pipeline project into China.
Due to a good number of civilians’ protests last year, President Thein Sein postponed the Myitsone dam project sponsored by a Chinese company sharing with the Burmese military. That annoyed Chinese officials who think Thein Sein of trying to minimize China’s role and to persuade investment from the Western democracies.
Such projects are a source of tension. Also in the Karen State, the same kind of project has been on its way. The Burmese government has given a green light to a huge port and industrial estate development in Dawei. The Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD) is a main contractor of the Dawei multi-billion mega project.
The planned area for the Dawei project is in a conflict zone between KNU and Burma Army. Company workers are worried about their security after being caught in the crossfire between the Burma Army and Karen fighters. A KNU source told Karen News that ITD have played down the threat to the Thai media, but privately are worried about increased conflict in the region.
In brief, reforms will not be materialized easily without addressing the armed conflicts in the ethnic areas so as to establish a national reconciliation environment.
Furthermore, the government itself needs to reorganize for one voice. Before peace talks with the ethnic groups, soft-liners or moderate faction and hardliners or conventional faction in the cabinet should pragmatically negotiate first to initiate a genuine reform in the insolvent country.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/75577/reforms-look-uncertain-as-no-reconciliation-takes-place-in-burma/
Several citizens of Burma are still skeptical on government’s reform process. Most observers believe the situation is in a state of insecurity seeing that the conventional faction and moderate group in the cabinet are struggling for muscle.
On the surface, it looks like change started since government introduces reforms by letting some political space for Aung San Suu Kyi. In fact, reforms in the country continue uncertain, even with hopeful achievements made by President Thein Sein recently.
In an interview with Lally Weymouth of The Washington Post, President Thein Sein said his government has already fulfilled with Western demands, including freeing most political prisoners, setting up elections in April and allowing key opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others to participate in political process.
President Thein Sein told Lally Weymouth, “I believe we have accomplished these steps already. What is needed from the Western countries is for them to do their part.”
But, the question is not such easy. People convince that president’s soft move is a motivation for the West to lift sanctions. Although Thein Sein puts on show of his soft stance, vice-president Tin Aung Myin Oo’s conventional faction is on his way. Tin Aung Myin Oo himself has been linking in the Myitsone-dam’s project in order to gain financial advantages via his cronies’ businesses.
The difficulties of ending the war against the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) are intertwined with the natural resources benefit in the Kachin State. Tin Aung Myin Oo and his conservative faction support continuation of the offensive in Kachin frontline since the group involved deeply in the energy projects including the Shwe-gas twin pipe-line, a multibillion dollar project that expected to do good to vice-president and his cronies’ quarter.
President Thein Sein had released orders two times, on December 10 and again on January 13, to halt fighting so as to cease the Burma Army’s Kachin offensive. Regardless of the president’s visible wishes, the government’s armed forces have continued waging the aggressive war against the KIA, killing many soldiers and civilians unnecessarily.
According to Kachin News Group, officers based in the KIA’s Laiza headquarters estimate that more than 20,000 combat soldiers from nearly 200 battalions have been assigned in the anti Kahin operation, the biggest military offensive in Burma in more than 18 years.
Several Kachin citizens believe the reason of renewing the war after a 17-year cease-fire is craving for natural resources in Kachin State by the Burmese military-backed government. That’s why it strive widening its control of the areas with Chinese power projects.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Aung San Suu Kyi said, “Although the president is the head of state, he is not necessarily the highest power in the land. The commander in chief can take over all powers of government at any time he feels it to be necessary. That must be very difficult if you are in the position in which our president is.”
Most analysts support Suu Kyi’s point of view since the Burma Army’s commander-in-chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing ignores the president’s order to end of hostilities on the Kachin frontline.
On the other hand, although Government holding ceasefire talks with Karen leaders recently, the humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers (FBR) has accused in its report that Burma Army has constantly violated human rights abuses and armed mobilization in Karen State, the Karen News said.
In Karen State no ceasefire agreement has yet been signed, but both the Karen National Union and the Government of Burma have ordered their troops not to shoot at each other. Despite the ‘no-shoot orders’ the FBR report has catalogued current incidents, including homicides and forced labor of villagers.
Despite agreeing to a ceasefire with the Karen National Union earlier this month, Burma Army has been transporting food rations, military supplies and reinforcements in the Myitta sub-township Tanintharyi Division which is now under the control of the KNU’s Brigade 4, the Karen News said.
If government is sincere enough, it should be taken responsibility of pulling out its troops from the frontline zones which are in actual fact under the influence of the ethnic armed groups. To build trust between two parties, the government must show goodwill towards the ethnic minorities.
Fighting between government forces and the Kachin resistance was particularly fierce these days in an area of northern Shan state scheduled to be the route of the Shwe-gas pipeline project into China.
Due to a good number of civilians’ protests last year, President Thein Sein postponed the Myitsone dam project sponsored by a Chinese company sharing with the Burmese military. That annoyed Chinese officials who think Thein Sein of trying to minimize China’s role and to persuade investment from the Western democracies.
Such projects are a source of tension. Also in the Karen State, the same kind of project has been on its way. The Burmese government has given a green light to a huge port and industrial estate development in Dawei. The Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD) is a main contractor of the Dawei multi-billion mega project.
The planned area for the Dawei project is in a conflict zone between KNU and Burma Army. Company workers are worried about their security after being caught in the crossfire between the Burma Army and Karen fighters. A KNU source told Karen News that ITD have played down the threat to the Thai media, but privately are worried about increased conflict in the region.
In brief, reforms will not be materialized easily without addressing the armed conflicts in the ethnic areas so as to establish a national reconciliation environment.
Furthermore, the government itself needs to reorganize for one voice. Before peace talks with the ethnic groups, soft-liners or moderate faction and hardliners or conventional faction in the cabinet should pragmatically negotiate first to initiate a genuine reform in the insolvent country.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/75577/reforms-look-uncertain-as-no-reconciliation-takes-place-in-burma/
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