Suu Kyi against 12-party talks

Following the government’s 11-party talks on October 31, there is an attempt to host another. 

In this regard, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi looks very unlikely to win the approval for her proposed four-party talks, with the president, the Army chief and parliament speaker. The Union government has so far rejected her demand.

Late November, the Union Parliament approved the proposed six-party talks which will also include the Upper House Speaker and a representative from the ethnic groups. The government has not yet said that it would join the conference, though. 

On December 9, the Yangon Region Parliament has approved a proposal calling for a 12-party political summit. The proposal by Saw Tun Aung Myint, the minister for Kayin Ethnic Affairs for Yangon Region, includes the phrase 'instead of six-party talks.' In his proposal, the region minister said the six-party talks are not suitable. He suggested the inclusion of seven ethnic groups. Some are convinced that the government was the mastermind behind the proposal.

Suu Kyi last week bluntly said that the 12-party talks was proposed to disrupt the six-party talks approved by the Union Parliament.

“Frankly, I can say that they are disrupting the political talk to be unsuccessful. When I requested for four-party talks, the government said they want 14-party talks. And then six-party talks have been planned and now they want 12-party talks,” she said.

“They will tell all things as they don’t want to hold political talks. It will be easy if they want to do (hold talks),” said Suu Kyi in a response to a question on how she would deal with the new proposal.

Moreover, the democracy icon said the mindset of the political talks needs to change than just holding formal dinner.

“They have to change their attitude. The political talks are important for the destiny and future of the country. They need to accept the challenge deeply and courageously,” said the democracy leader.

Aung San Suu Kyi said she has no objection to the six-party proposal and agreed with the decision. Ethnic parties have chosen Dr Aye Maung, chairmanof Arakan National Party, to represent them in the political dialogue. Yet, the government has no response to this. 

Ye Htut, the president’s spokesperson said, “It cannot happen at the moment as the approach to it is very different from our view. Our approach is based on the organisation. However, the proposal by Aung San Suu Kyi and the parliament are based on character.”

After the remark of the spokesperson, many expressed concern over what the president’s reaction would be on the proposal.

Saw Tun Aung Myint, the minister for Kayin ethnic affairs of Yangon Region, submitted an urgent proposal on December 9 to hold twelve-party talks inclusive of seven ethnic groups instead of six-party that agreed upon earlier.

The proposal was discussed by MPs in the parliament held on December 10. Nine MPs voted against it and 99 MPs voted for it.

Aye Maung and other MPs said the proposal by Yangon region government is over the limit under the constitution.

 

 

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Analysis 

 

Govt’s reluctance to relinquish power 

Nay Tun Naing

Myanmar Eleven 

Over one month has passed since President Thein Sein held a meeting with key political figures, including military leaders, ethnic leaders and parliamentarians, in Nay Pyi Taw. At that meeting, attendees discussed peace-building, national reconciliation and charter change, and the president pledged to hold future meetings to see reforms through.

Ahead of the meeting, which took place on October 31, Thein Sein spoke on the phone with US president Barack Obama. The meeting is widely seen as a public relations manoeuvre by the government to assuage then concerns of President Obama, who would visit two weeks later. 

Either way, it does not appear as though a follow-up meeting will take place before the year is out.

For years, Aung San Suu Kyi has met individually with military leaders and political rivals to try to solidify reforms in favour of national reconciliation and constitutional reform. These meetings have yielded few results. 

In an attempt to squeeze some last-minute utility out of her relationship with the current government, Suu Kyi has publicly demanded four-party talks, which would include President Thein Sein, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, parliament speaker Thura Shwe Mann and herself. 

Suu Kyi has said that a four-party meeting would be the right forum to discuss how to continue Myanmar’s political reforms beyond the 2015. Thein Sein and his party disagree, saying four parties are not enough to represent the spectrum of interests throughout the country. 

With about a year until the next election, no resolution to this impasse has emerged, and the people of Myanmar are left to question whether any advances toward ethnic equality, political freedom or poverty alleviation will proceed after 2015.

Some politicians say it is the responsibility of the parliament, not of four or six parties, to amend the constitution. However, it is impossible for parliament to amend the constitution unless the military relinquishes some of its political power and allows for the amendment of Section 436, which severely restricts the possibility of amending other sections without military approval.

But instead of passing some of its power to the democratically elected civilian members of parliament, Defence Services representatives are currently attempting to increase their own power. They have suggested five amendments to Section 201 of the constitution that would empower the National Defence and Security Council to dissolve parliament under more conditions than are currently stipulated.

 The Thein Sein government and the military have demonstrated time and again that they are not serious about national reconciliation or democratic reform. If elections end up being free and fair, as the election commission says they will be, the ruling party’s chances of victory will be badly hampered. This is obvious, but it does not seem to affect the behaviour of the current government, which raises ominous assumptions. 

If the current leaders repeatedly demonstrate that they are not concerned by the effects of their undemocratic behaviour on their electoral performance, then it is logical to assume that their electoral performance will be irrelevant in deciding who will truly be in power after 2015.

 

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briefs 

Bengalis in Malaysia claim Myanmar citizenship

Bengalis arrested in Malaysia for illegal immigration falsely stated that they are Myanmar nationals, according to the Myanmar embassy in Malaysia. 

“Both Myanmar nationals and illegal immigrants to Myanmar have been seized in Malaysia. Some of the arrested people claimed they are Myanmar nationals, but when we checked them, we found that they are not,” said the second secretary of the Myanmar embassy Tin Win Aung. 

The Malaysian government warned immigrants without legal documents that if they do not leave the country by December 31, they will face serious action, according to Tin Win Aung. 

San Win, the chairperson of the funeral service of Kapong said, “Bengalis have illegally entered into Malaysia. Then they claimed they are Myanmar. Illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have the lowest chances of being released. So these immigrants claim to be Myanmar, Indonesian or Thai.”

 

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Borderless bird flu feared 

A new strain of bird flu has been identified in India and China, and it might enter into Myanmar through the illegal trading of chickens and ducks across Myanmar’s borders. 

Myanmar’s border areas are a source of high demand for chickens, which they import for cheap prices from neighbouring countries. 

“It can be assumed that the new outbreak of bird flu in India comes from wild birds. These birds also live in Myanmar and can carry the disease. What is more, the illegal trade of chickens and chicken products from the border areas can spread the disease. Illegally imported chicken products are much cheaper than the legal option. H5N1 is affecting in India, and H7N9 has been found in China. As of now, no such bird flu has been found in Myanmar. But it can enter, especially if livestock owners do not inform the authorities about the disease for fear of losing their chickens,” an expert said. 

Bird flu can infect humans through wild birds, chickens, Muscovy duck, chicken-feed and syringes used on birds.

“There were bird flu epidemics in Myanmar. However, there have been no abnormal chicken deaths this time,” said Dr Kyaw Naing Oo from the Research and Disease Control Department. 

The Livestock Department is conducting projects in the border areas to control the outbreak of H5N1 and H7N9 within the country. 

H5N1 has broken out in Myanmar six times between 2006 to 2012 in Sagaing Region and Bago Region, according to the Livestock Department’s announcement. There were some abnormal chicken deaths in 2013 in some areas, according to experts and livestock owners, but the department has not released data for that year.