Thai coup revives fears

While Thailand has seen 12 coups since democracy was introduced in 1932, Myanmar has seen two coups in the past 60 years, but those two coups produced serious negative repercussions for the country, plunging it to the status of “least-developed nation” in Southeast Asia.

It was on March 2, 1962, when General Ne Win announced the first coup, to seize power from Prime Minister U Nu.

“General Ne Win cited ethnic problems as the reason to stage a coup, but actually he just wanted power. If we had continued to discuss the ethnic conflicts, the problems would have been solved by now,” said Myo Yan Naung Thein, General Secretary of Fair and Free Election Watch Network.

Freedom was guaranteed under U Nu, but rifts in political parties gave the military the opportunity to stage a coup.

 

Iron fist

 

Ne Win’s Revolutionary Council ruled the country with an iron fist, stamping down on dissent and free speech. When university students attempted to protest on July 18, 1962, the army sent battalions to the student union building and opened fire on unarmed protesters. Countless were killed and many more detained and tortured as a consequence. 

“That year, the army handled the students very roughly. They ruled the country in accordance with their slogan “a sword to a sword, a knife to a knife”. They did not treat people like human beings and people suffered. I witnessed these situations. Nothing can recover under the military rule,” said Kyaw Ko Ko, chairman of the work committee of the All Burma Students Union.

Another coup was staged in 1988 when Ne Win stepped down after the army cracked down on student protests. The country was suffering from a huge social and economic upheaval as a result of the regime’s disastrous economic and monetary policies. The army once again used brutal force in dealing with unarmed protesters.

General Saw Maung founded the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), later renamed State Peace and Development Council. 

 

 

Under SLORC

In his address to the State on September 23, 1988, General Saw Maung said: 

“The responsibility of the State power had to be assumed unavoidably. Our purpose in forming the government was merely to establish the fundamental characteristics of a sovereign nation. The fact that only a few persons have been assigned a large number of portfolio responsibilities is clearly indicative that there is no desire whatsoever to cling on to power for a long period. Political parties should prepare to register. Protests should be stopped. As the period for which we assume responsibility is a short one, we can provide only limited attention to such matters as health, education and other social activities. Long-term improvements are to be carried out by the government that comes to power. Our Tatmadaw [armed forces] on its part will continue to carry out the original duty of national defence and security and the maintenance of law and order after handing over power to the government which emerges after the free and fair general elections.”

Despite those promises, leaders of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested and sent to prison even before the elections started. The military did not hand over power even though the NLD won a landslide victory in the general elections in 1990.

 

Brief break

In 2011, the quasi-civilian government took control of the country. Yet, military involvement in politics and the economy remains deep. There is no clue whether Parliament, 25 per cent controlled by the military, would approve the long-awaited amendments in the 2008 Constitution. It was a reason why the US extended some sanctions, largely against the military, by another year. 

To politicians and laymen, the Constitution still gives high power to the military and it could easily take back control.

“For five decades, the military has been continuously involved in politics in various forms as military administration and military government. The one-party government in the past was also military-led. The government before that was also a military government. Now, the military is largely involved. If they want to take over the country, they will become fully involved. For those who want a democracy, the military should not be in such a high position. As politics is diverse, they should be involved to some extent,” said Dr Pe Myint, chief editor of People’s Age news journal.

Thailand’s coup last week has now sparked concerns. 

Still, at the press conference held after the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting last week in Nay Pyi Taw, Defence Minister Lt-General Wai Lwin said it is unlikely Myanmar would become like Thailand.