DEMOCRACY DIES IN MYANMAR - AN IMPECCABLE ANALYSIS 2021

 

To:     The Senior General Mr. Min Aung Hlaing Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces

From: Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Date: April 19, 2021

RE:    Democracy Dies in Myanmar– An Impeccable Analysis 2021

Suggestions:

Mr. General, let me start paying my respects to you and through you to. I have watched and observed many documentaries about Myanmar, Myanmar military is taking brutal military action against the Rohingya Muslims and its own populations. I am sorry to inform you that Myanmar government is responsible for a real genocide on Rohingya Muslims. In addition, Myanmar army has failed smooth transition to disciplined democracy and human rights. Myanmar democracy and human rights was real regrettable. Democracy and human rights can be managed by soft diplomacy. But your military ruled government murdering and arresting its own population. It is painful to see what is happening in Myanmar, a country is a beautiful land and people of many ethnicities. I have no words that adequately convey my repulsion and disgust. Any government must care its people so that they can build a great nation. If you want to build a great nation you need to have a set of governing ideas, you need to have a legal system to enforce the laws which built by governing ideas. You may have strong military but you don’t have a great legal system. IMHO, your military coup is disingenuous compare to other international military coup. If I am not mistaken, your great country had lot of advantages during 1950s and to be an extraordinary economic growth in the 1950s but it lost its way under military ruled government. I think something spooked by you perhaps, recent election results 2020, Rohingya crisis, charges in the ICJ (International Court of Justice) backed up by the Genocide Convention etc. But these issues should be fixed as earliest as possible.  

Mr. General, According to Human Rights Watch “Myanmar electoral process is undermined by systemic problems and rights abuses that will deprive people of their right to fairly elect their government.” If Rohingya minorities were barred from voting, certainly, the election was not fair. International media reported that you were alleging voting list issues, double voting, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi violating official’s secret laws (recently) etc. That’s why the military had handed the power to you. But Myanmar Election Commission has said there is no evidence to support double voting and alleging voting list. However, if Myanmar military is in the power, Myanmar will never have disciplined democracy and human rights because civilian control over the military never serves on a democratic government certainly. Myanmar military rule is woefully inaccurate and war on people because it has no strong institutional systems of checks and balances. If you had strong institutional systems of checks and balances, you can prevent from instituting a self-coup which leads to the smooth transition to disciplined democracy and human rights.

Mr. General, you said that you believe in democracy and you believe in law and order. IMO, your own assessments of what is right? And what is wrong? not a democratic model. Myanmar military government made constitution of 25% soldiers elected in Assembly of the Union and democratically elected government cannot change any law without military permission. If democratically elected government wanted to change any law more than 75% of the vote needs to change law so democratically elected government couldn’t do any sweeping changes in policies or laws without the approval of the military. Moreover, Myanmar constitution says military plays major role in controlling all arm forces such as borderline guards, police, Security Council etc. and cannot be punished military dictators of all the past actions. Let me put it very clearly democracy never existed in Myanmar as military exercised more power beyond the democratically elected representatives. The main obstacles to a democratic rule with civilians in control of Myanmar are financial rewards for high ranking military officers have kept senior high ranking military officers in lock steps to form a united front against the rest of the population. Thus, it is possible for military willing to do anything to crush democratically elected government at anytime. The Myanmar military allowed the appearance of democracy but many important government ministries were controlled by the military both directly and indirectly. Indeed, this is not a democratic model.

Mr. General, if you had a right leadership and constitutional safeguards for all citizens, Myanmar could have been model for the world. But Myanmar military should not aware of their proper role in a democratically elected government and should not obedient to the Myanmar constitution. In Myanmar, democratically elected leader had no leverage to seize power as military own the constitution, own the political party and own the part of the government. Nothing in the constitution gets changed as Myanmar military retains guaranteed number of seats in Assembly of the Union. In my opinion, Myanmar constitution should design to allow for its people to be true to nature and pursue happiness while enjoying the liberty. Myanmar constitution should guarantees its three pillars (legislative, executive and judicial), separation of legislative, executive and judicial of government, freedom of speech, gathering, the active engagement of its citizens, etc. Full democracy is difficult to build and sustain under authoritarian rule or military rule. Moreover, when Myanmar is transitioning from military rule to democracy it failed to consolidate the civilian control over the military. That is why democracy was bound to fail in Myanmar. If I am not mistaken South Korean President Mr. Kim Young-sam established civilian control of the military. According to Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) “South Korea has regained the status of full democracy on the Global Democracy Index 2020.”   

Mr. General, we never get democracy in its pure form because democracy is made up good and bad, different and indifferent, strong and weak, courageous and cowardly, powerful and meek. In addition, sometimes we have been electing the wrong leader to serve us. The elected leader supposed to work for us. If the elected leader didn’t work for us we have to change, we have to consider who and what we want to serving us. Democracy permits misinformed voters to elect narcissistic or deluded people. Democracies are inherently stable when the elections change leaders regularly and peacefully. Democracy makes possible for citizens to act in ways that benefit other citizens. Democracy means majority rule, embedded in the rule of law (rule of law for all citizens necessary for a government resembling true democracy), separation of powers (legislative, executive and judicial), human rights institutions, rules of civic interactions, respect for education, respect for truth and facts, respect for minority opinions etc. The nation will work better if your government system works on raising the education, participation, goodwill, intelligence and of course enlightenment of the citizens. Nations success is due more to the enlightenment of the citizens. The reason for the any nation success was that democratic societies allow many more people to participate in political and cultural life. If I am not mistaken, Myanmar military seized power on March 2, 1962 and continued to 2015 but Myanmar military rule has been devoid of economic progress. Myanmar military ruled government failed to pursue administrative reforms and modernization for so many decades compare to other Asian countries which is fostered great economic progress. Today, Myanmar is a mistake of history under military ruled government.

Mr. General, I have one question in my mind when your military had a very strong command why did you launch the coup? I suspect that your military government want million of Rohingyas are supposed to get back to their homeland because future democratically elected government cannot do so. Myanmar still far ahead on religious, equal opportunities for all, freedom of speech, legal rights, transparencies in government (transparencies in government discourages corruption), tolerance etc. In Myanmar democracy grows from the top down. IMO, democracy grows most effectively from the bottom up rather than top down. Myanmar military failed to establish a democracy from scratch. Myanmar does not have the necessary roots to flourish democracy. What I observed Myanmar military government unable to make good decisions because inherent desire for domination, arbitrary exercise of power that naturally in conflict and Myanmar cultures such as religion, ethnicity etc are further differentiation. Democratic authoritarianism that leads to democracy failed in Myanmar.

Mr. General, Democracy works best when people choose to be reasonable. Democracy works best when people listen to one another. Democracy works best through good reasoning. Democracy works best through public discussion. Democracy works best when voters are able to be informed by impartial media. Democracy works best as education becomes universal. Democracy works best if an elected politician focuses on the people health and happiness and long term benefit of the people. Democracy works worst when politicians only care about winning the vote. Democracy works worst when the nation practices nationalism. Democracy works worst gross violations of international law or procedure. Democracy works worst when the nations in economic sanity. Democracy works worst when government inherently unable to make good decisions. Democracy works worst when government inherent desire for domination. Democracy works worst when government arbitrary exercise of power that naturally in conflict. Democracy works worst when nation has failed institutions. Democracy works worst with opposed to collective governance. Democracy works worst excessive corporate power. Democracy works worst dominant economic-centric. Democracy works worst who those in power conduct corruption and the list continues. We must all fight against these worst tendencies so that we will make it truly reasonable democratic.

Mr. General, I often write to world leaders that democracy must be built upon solid foundations of building blocks. The only way to eliminate darkness in Myanmar is to bring disciplined democracy. If I am not mistaken, Taiwan and South Korea went through military rule before transitioning to democracy. Their institutions of governance were built during military rule. Their military created institutions that put checks and balances on the first. Indeed, their checks and balances to ensure that majority decisions respect basic human rights for all. Indonesia and Thailand use their military to correct for excesses in their democracies. Democracy is success in all Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland). Nordic countries are all putting the welfare of the citizens first. The EU member states are managing to maintain their democratic values since the EU formed ( November 1, 1993)

Mr. General, Myanmar foreign policy has been a gigantic failure in all possible way since military rule as Myanmar military neglected human development around the work and neglected building relationship with people. IMHO, the backbone of democracy is the Constitution and system of government. You need to change constitution and system of government on the path towards full democracy. Changing constitution and system of government would limit the democracy damaged but it will not be easy. It will take years and intense dedication by Myanmar government if it wanted to see a Myanmar is fair, balanced and cooperative nation. In other words, changing democratic institutions and constitutions appropriate to that Myanmar society aspire to and they are fit for purpose. Democratic institutions and constitutions would need to be reviewed time to time so that they are fit for purpose and would guarantee human rights. If Myanmar government responsive to everyone’s interest, the people of Myanmar acknowledge that demand of democracy is ever growing. This makes Myanmar democracy great. It will take years of work to rebuild democracy and regain legitimacy. It will eventually lead to Myanmar more prosperity. In my opinion, democracy and international relations are the only viable way forward for humanity on this world.     

DEMOCRACY’S CORE CONCEPTS – SUMMARY

Democracy is the right to vote on every issue and be counted more accurately.

Democracy is the free press to inform the voters of the facts.

Democracy is the right to preserving the rights of minorities of every kind.

Democracy is the right to be involved in decisions that determine our social and economic existence.  

Democracy is the right to public discourse but not likely to move into violence over arguments.

Democracy is the ideal form of the government such as equality conceptions, freedom choices, philosophical democracy and perspectives justice.

Ideal democracy can sustain if any government understand or aware the difference between conscious and unconscious thought. 

Democracy is the only system that fosters constitutional government and balance of powers.

Democracy works if there is an effective balance of power which prevents demagogues.  

Democracy makes it possible for nation to be of the people, by the people and for the people. 

Democracy is for the people. Democracy requires citizens to be responsible for their government (of the people). Democracy requires citizens to participate in it (by the people).

Democracy grows stronger when social issues not confused with the fear of socialism.

Democracy is the right to view humanity as one unified community.

Democracy demand strong leadership.

Democracy demand vigilant oversight and constant maintenance.

Democracy is dynamic but not inert.

Democracy is a living entity.

Democracy is a project of humanity.

Democracy leads humanity to more perfect society.

Democracy denotes a plan for all.

Democracy support education for all, opportunity for all and access for all `

Democracy becomes more stable as the people become more educated in terms of morals, ethics and virtue but not in higher learning.

Democracy is a process not an end.

Thank you very much for your kind attention Mr. General. 

 

With most amicable regards,

Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja (Independent Research Analyst)

Athinarayanan Advisory Services Since 2009

Athinarayanan Twitter 

Copy to 

Myanmar Ministry of Defence.  

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar 

Myanmar Assembly of the Union 

President of the People’s Republic of China Hon. Xi Jinping