Myanmar democracy plan ridiculed
Critics say a junta road map leading to 'fair elections' is designed to keep the generals in power
The plan for democracy announced yesterday by Myanmar's new prime minister, Khin Nyunt, was rejected by observers as an attempt to legitimise and strengthen the junta's hold on power.
General Khin Nyunt gave few specifics of what he termed a 'seven-point road map' to be introduced as soon as possible. He revealed no time frame for its implementation and scarcely mentioned detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
But the few details he revealed - resumption of a national convention to draw up a constitution, followed by 'free and fair elections' - failed to impress opposition groups and analysts based in Thailand.
The general secretary of the exiled National Council of the Union of Burma, Aung Moe Zaw, said promises were pointless without dialogue involving all the country's political and ethnic groups. He said Ms Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won elections in 1990 but was not allowed to form a government, were essential to the process.
'We've been looking for national reconciliation through dialogue,' Aung Moe Zaw said from Chiang Mai, in Thailand. 'Whatever the regime would like to do for our country's future, at least they should talk with the elected representatives of our country, especially Aung San Suu Kyi, to overcome the problems we've been facing.'
Ms Suu Kyi and hundreds of members of her party have been arrested, freed and rearrested since the junta took power in 1988.
Under international pressure, a national convention brought together Myanmar's main political groups in 1993 to draw up a constitution and move towards democracy. But the convention was suspended in 1996 when the NLD walked out, alleging the military was ignoring its views.
Debbie Stothard, the co-ordinator of the pro-democracy group Altsean Burma, believed the junta - which calls itself the State Peace and Development Council - was developing a constitution which would prevent Ms Suu Kyi from becoming head of a government.
Inspired by the constitution under which ousted Indonesian president Suharto's military-backed Golkar Party had governed for three decades, the charter would reserve parliamentary seats for the junta, she said.
'A lot of the preliminary work had been done by working groups at the national convention,' Ms Stothard said. 'The regime and technical advisers have been working of their own accord without consulting other key stakeholders.'
Her views were shared by Myanmar expert Sunai Phasuk, a professor at Bangkok's Thammasat University. He said there had been much speculation recently that the regime would try to transform itself into a political party, with General Khin Nyunt at its head.
The general, considered the least close to the military of the junta's key figures, was appointed prime minister by leader Than Shwe six days ago.
Dr Sunai suggested that while General Khin Nyunt's comments yesterday appeared to meet demands by the US, Asean and EU that Myanmar move towards democracy, they were aimed at strengthening the junta's position.
'It will try to co-opt junior leaders of the NLD, but Suu Kyi will be excluded,' he said. 'The party will be kept as a puppet to show there is an opposition. Fresh elections will be called which the military will be assured of winning.'
Dr Sunai said the junta might also look at Laos' 1991 constitution, which states that the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party would forever be society's nucleus.
Myanmar does not have a constitution and the junta has ruled by decree since 1988. The NLD wants laws to be based on the country's first constitution, drawn up in 1947 by Ms Suu Kyi's father, independence hero Aung San.
