Rival Interests,Competing Agendas

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Rival Interests, Competing Agendas
14/8/98
The current political situation in Burma has put the regime in shame and
made the regime much more tenuous than ever. The regime seemed to reckon
that deterring the regular gatherings in front of the opposition leader's
house would resolve  the immediate problems that could be created by the
NLD, the opposition party. Aung San Suu Kyi's agenda was to confront the
regime and create the international outcry of the situation. Aung San Suu
Kyi , after giving the ultimatum to the ruling junta, commenced her trip to
a nearby township. It was sort of a political test drive for her. She seemed
to know what was going to happen even before she decided that peculiar trip.
To agitate the generals and make the international awareness about the
Burmese situation which is in limbo was the right move for the opposition.
She premeditated to embarrass  the government during the ASEAN meeting in
Manila.While the media was having a close watch at what was going on at the
ASEAN meeting, she was able to make big headlines in her own nation. The
government was all at sea. She succeeded in highlighting the lack of
progress in political and economic reforms in Burma. The unconditional
support from the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright  seemed like a
menace to the regime. Miss Suu Kyi wants a genuine dialogue that will pave
the way  to the representative democracy. 

The reime's agenda was the Chinese way to capitalism. Economy first and
political reforms later!Yet there has been no evidence that demonstrates
that economic reforms before political change do work. No nation ahs been
able to prove it.

What does the regime want?What is the regime's competing agenda?Does the
regime want to share power with the NLD?Should the NLD accept the proposal
of sharing power with the SPDC if SPDC proposed it?Would that resolve the
political gridlock in Burma?Should the NLD just keep on demanding to have
power transfered to NLD, sidelining the SPDC?It goes without saying that the
opposition and the west see the regime as a power-hungry group of generals
who want to hang on to power. The questions above are worth pondering about
if both sides want to see progress in Burma. Does the SPDC want Burma to
become the second North Korea?Is confrontation and political violence the
only way to resolve the political crisis?Both sides should be assiduous
enough to negotiate until   the international community could accept Burma
as a democratic nation where there should be peace and progress.If both
sides refused to talk now, it might be too late when the time became too
full and undesirable bloodsheds would occur and the result would be loss of
impeccable peoples' lives.

By Julien Moe 

Towards a Peaceful Transition for Burma