No coup for now: Commander-in-chief

When he broke his silence last week, he touched on two important issues – amendments to the 2008 Constitution and a possible military coup.

While politicians including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi criticised the military’s reluctance to amend the Constitution, the chief commander said he did not oppose constitutional amendment. One condition is attached, though: the amendments must be done in accordance with Section 12 of the Constitution. 

Under the Section, the motion must be supported by 20 per cent of legislature members and it must be approved by 75 per cent of the members. The armed forces, Tatmadaw, still reserves 25 per cent of the seats in the 224-seat Upper House and the 440-seat Lower House. The commander himself appointed military personnel to both houses. 

“I do not disagree with constitutional amendment. We have to follow the amendment process in accordance with Section 12 of the constitution,” Min Aung Hlaing said in an interview with Channel News Asia on January 21.

He insisted that only full Parliament can pass the amendments, adding that frequent amendments to the Constitution are not good.

“A constitution needs to be strong. Since it is the constitution, we must consider amendments carefully.”

In a related issue, he did not rule out a coup in Myanmar, but said that would be done only with the president’s instruction to restore law and order. 

He said that the military would not unilaterally stage a coup. However, it would not hesitate to step in to restore law and order if the president instructed. 

As the election draws near, violence erupts in the country, likening the situation in Myanmar to Thailand. The Thein Sein government is also criticised of slow reforms. Thailand's military had staged a coup in May last year after months of protests. Then, the coup leaders vowed to restore order and introduce political reforms. About two months later, Myanmar's military chief visited Thailand and had expressed his support for the coup.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said: "The military coup in Thailand was without bloodshed. It was done to protect the people. That's why I supported their action. In fact, if you consider carefully, there was simply no other option. They will just need to carry on according to the law."

Though saying that Myanmar’s military will not have to resort to a coup, he does not rule out the possibility entirely.

"We cannot override authorities just because they are not in control. When things become really out of control, if the President says the military needs to step in, in that region or state, the military will step in when a state of emergency is declared. If we don't act according to the law, we have to face a lot of consequences,” he told the Singapore-based news agency.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is aware of how citizens perceive the military. He said it is important to be in touch with the people, as Myanmar matures as a democracy. But the military chief said this does not mean giving in to all the demands of the populace.