Military personnel will back charter change if explained: Suu Kyi

Myanmar’s opposition leader has said she believes the majority of military personnel will support constitutional amendments if she has the chance to clearly explain to them why it is necessary to change the charter. 

During her visit to Australia on Sunday, Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy  was replying to a question from Radio Australia (Myanmar Section) on the military’s stance on constitutional amendments. 

“It is very difficult to say about the whole military. There are many ordinary military personnel. There are officers as well as top officials. I can’t say whether they have the same stance. 

But if I have the chance to explain why the constitutional change is needed, I think they will support it,” said Suu Kyi, who is also a Lower House MP.

“The military role is important. The four-way summit [Suu Kyi has requested] means a meeting between the executive, the parliamentary legislators, and the military. I also heard it was not appropriate to meet with only a single political party. 

“What I remember is that I was denied the same way in 1988 when I offered to meet with the then government of the State Law and Order Restoration Council. They said it was not appropriate to meet with one single party because there were more than 200 parties. The meeting that the largest opposition party is calling for now is something that should be done. By doing so, we understand more about the status of the military. They will also understand us.”

Asked how genuine Myanmar’s reform process was, she said it depended on the government’s stance over the constitution, adding that it could not be said that the government wants democracy without supporting constitutional amendment. 

The government’s response to her calls for a four-way summit could generate the view that the executive does not want constitutional change, she commented. Suu Kyi recently sent a letter calling for a meeting between President Thein Sein, Union Parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann, Defence Services Commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and herself. The president said such a meeting could only be considered after a report by the parliament’s constitutional review committee.