Nyo Ohn Myint
Thu 8 Dec 2005
Filed under: News, Opinion
Senior General Than Shwe’s men in uniform ordered eleven key ministries to move to Pyinmana a month before reconvening the National Convention. The junta’s unexpected order was a shock to civil servants and their families.
Before the National Convention reconvened, the military decided to setup a new defensive position for itself incase of a popular uprising. Colorful costumes worn by various ethnic people at convention may mark a further baby step on a road to reform but the junta appears to know there are dangerous times ahead.
The regime moved the National Convention to a remote area 30 kilometres from Rangoon showing, coupled with the Pyinmana move, the government is not ready to face unrest.
Security reasons and isolationism might be a contributing factor but Than Shwe may be backing away from a repeat of the 1988 massacre orchestrated by Sein Lwin, the butcher of Burma.
He exercised marshal law and curfews marginalising his supporters until they removed him from power after just 18 days.
Looking back to 1988 popular democracy uprising, the socialist regime was unable to maintain its tailored-made economy and rice shortages caused government servants to join demonstrations from early August until the end of September. In fact, many Armed Forces personnel joined the people’s democracy movement in August 1988. This alarmed the socialist regime and the current SPDC leaders.
But unlike the socialist government in 1988, the current regime faces more political, social and economic pressure.
The regime set an example when they sentenced several Shan leaders to ridiculously long jail terms, sending a message saying, “we will get you anytime”. Indeed, Burma’s national reconciliation process is moving backwards.
The war on the National League for Democracy becomes more brutal day by day.
“Than Shwe’s anger has created more political enemies while failing to provide decent life for all citizens,” a western diplomat said in Rangoon recently.
Unnecessarily issuing tough restrictions on NGO operations may confuse humanitarian efforts.
The current ecological crisis and the military’s ignorance of inflation or government subsidies mean people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the situation in their country. But the regime’s iron rule remains steadfast.
The move to Pyinmana seemed to signal that the military was also unsatisfied with the way things were working out. Western diplomats in Burma said, “this could be only a short-term solution of moving important eleven ministries right now and whole thirty some ministries before April 2006.”
Besides security issues, the regime may dream of creating a new capital. The reality is that this can not be done. It is likely they removed government workers from the possible site of protests to make sure they do not start batting for the other team.
An official who was ordered to move to Pyinmana said, “There could be more silent confrontation by the officials and how long regime uses this curtail treatment on them or how long they could tolerate wartime condition”.
The regime’s new initiative may not be well planned but caused by a need to run from domestic and international political pressure. It seems the regime is no longer able to face up to their problems and has resorted to holding themselves hostage in Pyinmana.
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