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Juntas cautious approach
[Straits Times] MYANMAR leaders understand they must democratise, but they are being practical and doing it cautiously, step by step. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong gave this analysis of the political situation in Myanmar yesterday during a wrap-up interview with Singapore media at the end of a four-day visit to the country.SM Goh, who has been visiting Myanmar since the 1980s, said he appreciated the difficult situation that its top leader, Senior General Than Shwe, had inherited from his predecessors. Recalling a discussion he had with the late Myanmar leader Ne Win, who died in 2002, Mr Goh said: 'He told me quite frankly during his time he had come to a dead end, he didn't know what to do and he had left it to the younger generation to decide.' He stressed that Singapore wanted only to engage Myanmar and to offer 'inputs', not to pressurise the government. He also noted the presence of diverse ethnic groups in Myanmar, many with armed insurgents fighting the government. Although 17 groups have agreed to a ceasefire for now, it is not known yet whether they will take part in the elections the Myanmar government plans to hold next year as part of a roadmap to democracy. Critics have noted however that the military will continue to be entrenched in politics, as Myanmar's new Constitution gives 25 per cent of the seats in Parliament to the military. Mr Goh said he asked General Than Shwe about this, and whether there would still be seats reserved for the military 10 or 20 years on. The General's answer: The Constitution can be changed, and it would be up to the elected Parliament to decide if it wanted to do so. Posted by: Fred 2009-06-13 |
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