Far Eastern University GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA Marjon P. Alcisto Prof. Fe Atanacio-Blas IS1042 October 1, 2013 “The Continuing Struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi for the Democratization of Burma” Myanmar, a country of estimated fifty million people, has abundant natural resources such as oil, natural gas, timber, and minerals. Once known as the rice bowl of the world, it was the richest country in the region at the time it gained independence from colonial rule in 1948. But decades of military rule have ravaged the country. Following a military coup in 1988, Myanmar was gripped by a repressive, authoritarian military junta. Sanctions from numerous countries and civil unrest gave way to crucial steps toward democracy, including elections in 2010 and 2012. They also led to the release of the country's most visible figure, pro-democracy leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, from house arrest in 2011 and her election to parliament in 2012. Many are hopeful that the new reforms have marked a new era of 1 | Page
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Far Eastern UniversityGOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
Marjon P. Alcisto
Prof. Fe Atanacio-Blas
IS1042
October 1, 2013
“The Continuing Struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi for the
Democratization of Burma”
Myanmar, a country of estimated fifty million people, has
abundant natural resources such as oil, natural gas, timber, and
minerals. Once known as the rice bowl of the world, it was the
richest country in the region at the time it gained independence
from colonial rule in 1948. But decades of military rule have
ravaged the country. Following a military coup in 1988, Myanmar
was gripped by a repressive, authoritarian military junta.
Sanctions from numerous countries and civil unrest gave way to
crucial steps toward democracy, including elections in 2010 and
2012. They also led to the release of the country's most visible
figure, pro-democracy leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,
from house arrest in 2011 and her election to parliament in 2012.
Many are hopeful that the new reforms have marked a new era of
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democracy and possibilities for the beleaguered state. Experts
say that increased foreign investment and the lifting of
international sanctions will allow Myanmar to progress even
further, but a combination of increasing ethnic violence and
disproportionate economic growth could still handicap the
country.
This paper aims to intensively discuss the steps of
democratization in Burma through Aung San Suu Kyi’s efforts. The
paper paves its way into determining what difficulties Burma
underwent as the main basis of Suu Kyi on promoting democracy to
sprout in Burma’s soil. The paper presents historical backgrounds
years when Burma had actually democratized after liberalizing
themselves with occupation from Britain and Japan and its path
towards military junta regime under the infamous General Ne Win.
It further discussed Aung San Suu Kyi from no one into someone
and as the hailed sole symbol of democracy in Burma. The paper
laid down the roles of Suu Kyi’s role and impact in democratizing
Burma under disastrous path, focusing on her struggles as a
political prisoner and initiated movements for 23 years inside
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and outside prison and Burma. Finally, the paper analyzes what
were the repercussions of Suu Kyi’s efforts in her democratic
advocacy for Burma, leading the readers to the question; has Aung
San Suu Kyi’s efforts democratized Burma?
Burma’s democratic history
Myanmar (former Burma) has been a nation that went whirlpool
for a long-standing struggle dating back from 1947. Prior to the
Second World War, Burma has been under a colonial rule by the
British government in 1886 because of its political instability
as monarchs then were trying to build independent states to have
an absolute rule. Not long enough, in 1920s, Burmese and Buddhist
monks initiated a protest for Burma’s independence. It was
further strengthened when in 1935, a Students Union at the
Rangoon University engaged in an active and powerful movement for
national independence. This movement was famously led by a young
law student named Aung San, successfully organizing series of
protests and student strikes that gained the support of the
nation. It was a grueling struggle for a young man to be involved
in such misfortune of his nation. Nevertheless, his sentiments
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grew common to all Burma’s people and his conviction to attain
the longing peace and independence was hard and at the outbreak
of the Second World War, Aung San and his other comrades decided
to undergo a military training in Japan for their initial plan
that they would fight with the Japanese to defeat British
invaders in Burma. They fought with the Japanese and they had
negotiations to Aung San that if they successfully defeat the
British, they would grant independence to Burma. Apparently, Aung
San saw that the Japanese would not follow their promise; he
quickly outwitted them and negotiated with the British this time,
to fight with them against the Japanese in return of Burma’s
democracy. The British successfully fought with Burma as their
ally against the Japanese and defeated them. The British, being
true to their words, gave independence to Burma.
General Aung San as the new leader
After years of struggle, Aung San together with Burma united
for a common aspiration for their nation to be independent in
1948. After that, Aung San emerged as the leader of an
independent Burma. For some reason, democratization process paved
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way for the country with difficulties. It was challenged by
communist and ethnic groups who felt under-represented in the
1948 constitution. With this as Burma’s situation, the nation was
plagued by a civil war destabilizing a newly-independent country.
Just only six months as Burma’s newest leader, General Aung San
was assassinated, together with his colleagues while in a
constitutional council, which shocked the nation. The
assassination was led by his political rival U Saw, but others
believe that it was backed up and plotted by British men. U Nu, a
member of General Aung San’s cabinet, suddenly filled up the
position the General left. But not long after, he was removed
from office, by a caretaker government led by General Ne Win,
because Burma’s economy floundered. To Burma’s depression of
restoring law and order, Ne win grasped this opportunity and took
control of the whole country. Within his power, he advantageously
staged a coup to solidify his position as Burma’s military
dictator.
Burma under Military Junta
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Shortly lived, democracy in Burma seemed distant in the eyes
of most Burmans. Ne win turned the hopes of democratization of
Burma into ashes. He was the leader and founder of the Burma
Socialist Programme Party and it made him propel to become the
dictator of Burma in 1962. After seizing power, he saw a number
of reforms. One of the major implications of him as the military
dictator of Burma was his power to suspend the constitution and
he then instituted an authoritarian rule and declared Burma
having a single political party. He drafted a new constitution
called the “Burmese way to Socialism” as he closed Burma from the
outside world in his isolation ideology. With this, no contact to
foreign world was allowed and all means of media was shut down.
This military regime caused the nation on a disastrous path of
cultural, environmental and economic ruin. Insurgency remained
endemic and in many areas of Burma armed struggle became a way of
life. Most Burmans would express their disappointment and
depression to the military regime as it caused them hardships,
like, prices continuously going up and there were little fuel and
electricity. They felt unsafe and uncomfortable because it seemed
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like each of their action were being watched and one wrong move
would result to death. There were so many restrictions and also
corruption. Primarily, they were denied of their natural human
rights and health problems were burdens to their everyday lives.
In addition, currency devaluation wiped out many people’s
savings and triggered anti-government riots. Ne Win’s answer to
these riots was the State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) that declared martial law in 1988, allowing the military
to arrest thousands of people including advocates of democracy
and human rights. One prominent person arrested was the daughter
of General Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi who came back straight from
Great Britain. With this in mind, did Aung San Suu Kyi came back
home to her motherland with a purpose? If so, what could be her
purpose and intentions on coming back? Is she up for something?
Does she has something to do with Burma’s democratization?
The name Aung San Suu Kyi has been a pronounced being
roaming in different soils and banging with high regards. To
start with, Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of the legendary
liberation movement leader General Aung San and she was just two
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years old then when his father was assissinated in 1947. Her
mother was a nurse and became an Ambassador of Burma to India.
She spent most of her childhood in Burma with her mother and
here, she developed ideologies, thinking, political views and
religions. When they moved to India as part of the diplomat
privilege of her mother, it was here when she unfolded her wings
and verged on the realms of reality where she took note of
Mohandes Gandhi’s path on non-violence. She finished all of her
studies in India including college, masters and doctoral degree.
It was also here when she met her husband Dr. Michael Aris, a
professor at Oxford University and had two sons. They settled in
United Kingdom on 1972 until up to 1988, in which an initial
nursing duty to his dying mother evolved into a bolder decision
not only for her but for her motherland, the entire Burma. A
decision which her father had, engaging in the country’s
nationwide democracy uprising.
Suu Kyi: a witness of Burma’s turmoil
Back when she was still at United Kingdom, news broke out
and spread like wildfire about the military regime that Burma was
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under the leadership of an iron fist, General Ne Win. It caught
not only the attention of the international community, but also
of Suu Kyi.
The reason why Suu Kyi came to Burma was because their
family caretaker phoned and informed about the situation of her
mother Khin Kyi. She was informed that her mother is dying and
because of concern on her mother’s health condition, it seemed
that she was unaware on what really was happening in Burma that
time since they have to leave for India, but not ignoring
sympathy for her fellowmen. It was 1988 - arriving in Burma was
never alien to her as it is her native land, her beloved country.
But the conflict didn’t quite got into her nerves in her first
few days in Burma until she actually witnessed how troubled her
country was. After the military leader Ne Win stepped down of his
position on August 8, 1988, riots and mass demonstrations for
democracy followed because Burmese and even Suu Kyi had the
greatest suspicion that although General Ne Win stepped down in
his position, he was still in control and the highest political
authority. General Aung San’s huge portraits were with the
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movement as it symbolized what Burma had attained before,
democracy. This was an indicator that Burma wants to be freed
legitimately from the military cuffs. During these times, Suu Kyi
literally saw killings, maltreatment, violence, injustice, etc.
and this was known as the 8888 uprising. Her political awakening
intensified as the movement continued, civilians fought heartily
for freedom and as days passed, piling up of dead people
motivated scholars and colleagues of then late General Aung San
to ask help from the daughter of a great Burmese leader, Aung San
Suu Kyi. She did not hesitate as it was for her country.
First steps for Burma’s democratization
Suu Kyi didn’t quite expect these kinds of event in her life
but nevertheless, gave her full passion in ending this turmoil.
Her first step towards democracy was appeals to the government
through letters asking to address the problems that protestors
had exposed. But it seemed the Burmese military government had
deaf ears and ignored these appeal. To their mind, they thought
it was it, but Suu Kyi had her appearance and gave her very first
public speech in front of a crowd of several hundreds of
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thousands at the historical Shwedagon Pagoda on August 28, 1988.
An excerpt from her public speech is stated below:
“I could not as my father’s daughter remain indifferent to all that was going on.
This national crisis could in fact be called the second struggle for national
independence.”
Another statement that she used was by her father’s before his
assassination:
“We must make democracy the popular creed. We must try to build up a free
Burma in accordance with such a creed. If we should fail to do this, our people
are bound to suffer … Democracy is the only ideology which is consistent with
freedom. It is also the only ideology that promotes and strengthens peace. It is
therefore the only ideology we should aim for.”
These divine words from Suu Kyi’s monumental speech did not only
gained thrust on her reputation and credibility, but also the
thrust of her nation’s struggle for human rights and democracy.
She clearly asked the cooperation of each Burmese to be united
and disciplined, in which she aimed at informing the whole world
of the will of the people. She also gave importance to the
institution of her very own father built, the armed forces. She
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asked for respect from the armed forces so that people could
place their trust and reliance. From this significant public
speech, she slowly built the foundations of democracy in Burma,
again.
Prior to her public speech, she had traveled throughout
Burma and its jungles. It seemed an unending speech about freedom
and democracy to provinces to reach ethnic minorities, but Suu
Kyi was really determined and all for this fight. During this
time of her travel, State and Law Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) was implemented. The regime’s objective was to “restore
order while the country prepared for ‘democratic’ multiparty
elections.” With this being implemented, political parties were
encouraged to register and it tarnished the policy of one-party
system of then dictator Ne Win. Majority of registered parties
were in the opposition side and one of them was National League
for Democracy (NLD), which was founded by Suu Kyi and her
members. The party’s main goal was to establish a well-rounded
and fair democracy in Burma. Continuing NLD’s advocacy of
democracy, Suu Kyi defied SLORC as it was obviously a disguised
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name for another repressive regime. Despite of the impending
danger, she continued to become active in giving speeches and
organizing demonstrations which led her to become a political
prisoner and was put into house arrest in her mother’s house in
1989.
Suu Kyi detached from Burma and the world
As a political prisoner, Suu Kyi was never allowed to go
beyond her mother’s house gates. Even the address of the house
was removed so recognition from media would be hard. But again,
this house arrest never stopped her from carrying her democratic
fight. Since she was detached from the entire Burma and the
world, she made sure she has an outlet for her distress and her
burning passion for democracy would not fade. She wrote letters
and essays and through these, she developed her ideas more of
democracy and freedom in Burma. She even wrote books which was
unfortunately smuggled outside Burma, and published abroad. The
smuggling somehow helped Suu Kyi be recognized as a political
prisoner denied with her civilian rights under a repressive
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regime. In 1990, a national election was held and even though she
was invisible in the eyes of the Burmese people, it didn’t impede
her party to take the majority seats in the parliamentary. NLD
took 80% of the seats in Burma’s parliament, but the government
nullified the results because of Suu Kyi incapability to take the
role as the Prime Minister due to her being under house arrest,
thus refused to hand over power. This caused an outcry in the
international community. Also, in 1991, this was the time when
she was awarded as a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for promoting
democracy in Burma (her son Alex Aris received her award as she
can’t attend the prestigious gathering), of course with her
husband’s effort and it also served to acknowledge her condition
as a political prisoner. It took her six years before she was
given release under house arrest in 1995. A year after her
release, she was immediate target for an attack in 1996 during a
motorcade of NLD in Rangoon (now Yangon). With what happened, NLD
quickly filed for complaints with the police, but there were
never actions taken even an investigation. Throughout her
release, she insisted on leaving the capital of Rangoon to hold
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political meetings outside the country. This made her to put into
house arrest again in 2000, but it was also in this course of
time when she began talks with the military junta where
information were not leaked and conversations remained
confidential. After two years (2002), she was again freed by a
negotiated talk between Burma’s military junta and the United
Nations. The following year (2003), a similar incident happened
back in 1996 where the same regime’s militia attacked Suu Kyi’s
caravan, resulting to death of 70 Burmese people. She fled with
the scene with the help of her driver but caught immediately upon
entering the border of Myanmar-Thailand. She was then put for a
secret detention before putting her again into house arrest. She
was supposed to be granted freedom on 2006 but another extension
came about. After all of these house arrests, she was not seen
until 2007, climbed up to her gates and make public appearance so
as to make sure that she was still alive and the struggle for
democracy is not yet over. It was also her 12th year in house
arrest that year so Buddhist monks blessed her. She also met with
her political allies, the National League for Democracy (NLD) for
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talks. She also had meetings with a very important person of UN,
Ibrahim Gambari, UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs
in 2007-2009. Ban Ki-Moon also tried to have an encounter with
Suu Kyi but the military junta didn’t allow him and he was very
disappointed for that. From 2009-2010, continuous meetings with
NLD and Suu Kyi occurred talking about future plans after her
release and surprisingly, NLD was banned as a political party
because of constitutional amendments. Another incident that
extended Suu Kyi’s house arrest from 2009 to 2010 was a trespass
incident of an American named, John Yettaw, who swam across the
river near Suu Kyi’s house. She allowed the intruder to spend two
nights at her home and she was tried for that and found guilty.
Just as a national election was expected by March 2010, the
government made constitutional amendments again particularly
pertaining to a law prohibiting convicted criminals from
participating in elections, and another barring anyone married to
a foreign national from running for office. This prohibited Suu
Kyi to run on any position in the Burmese government and her
party (NLD) decided not to re-register. As expected, there were
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no oppositions so vast majority votes went to the government. A
year after, on November 13, 2010, Suu Kyi was officially released
from house arrest. Just as another election was expected by April
2011, Suu Kyi wasted no time and registered to run for a seat in
parliament and NLD also re-registered as a political party.
Again, the democratic movement is once alive. She made sure that
her advocacies were aligned with pro-democracy ideologies and for
that, she asked reformations on the 2008 Constitution, removal of
restrictive laws, more adequate protections for people's
democratic rights, and establishment of an independent judiciary.
On May 2012, she was announced winner and took her oath and took
office. In her seventeen years as a political prisoner, she never
lost her hope for Burma’s establishment of democracy. Once and
for all, a lady dedicated to a hard work such as hers truly comes
once in a while in the soil of a suppressed land. Whatever
reasons the government had on extensions of house arrest, Suu
Kyi’s blazing fire for democracy will never be taken as long as
the torch is not yet lightened up. The struggle of Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi was remembered as a very calm approach as she is a
A biography of Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma Campaign UK. Retrieved from http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/about-burma/about-burma/a-biography-of-aung-san-suu-kyi.
Works Cited Plummer, Simon Scott. 2010. Everything is Broken: The Untold Story of
Disaster Under Burma's Military Regime: review. Retrieved from
