Common Sense Understanding for the Myanmar Constitutional law and how it impacts, or otherwise, Myanmar Political Realities since 1948
Preamble:
This article is written for thoughtful Myanmar readers. Myanmar is an inclusive word meaning Bamar, Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Shan, Mon, Rakhine, all Myanmar citizens, etc. When word Burmese or Burma is used, it has to do with British usage during their rule or as leftover usage. Foreign readers are unlikely to know the sense of some of the Bamar words in this article. This is written as an article, in order to stay compact. Elaboration generally is kept to a minimum.
Let us review a highly compressed Constitution Law history of Myanmar, starting with just before and since Independence in 1948. I am no legal expert, but this article below is written for anyone with basic common sense. Common Sense understanding of the Constitutional law for Myanmar should be taught in every school in Myanmar, much like in USA regarding its Constitution, its political and government systems. Also in USA, those who wishes to be citizens need to attend classes to get to know of their system of government. This article regarding the Constitution in general and for Myanmar in particular, is nowhere near as comprehensive as that taught at American school systems, but should provide sufficient understanding of the Myanmar Constitution realities for the upcoming General Election of November 2020.
Myanmar, after about 20 years of Independence, got its main political party AFPFL (Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League) trashed. Its political and governmental systems trashed. Its Constitution got trashed in many ways. The Union of Myanmar got very close to getting disunited and trashed. That was the handiwork of U Nu the first prime minister. Myanmar, a country with no over-population problems, and one of the best South-East Asian countries economically and educationally, with very good natural resources, with people who have good IQs and can be trained well, was well on its way to getting totally trashed.
The most important national conference prior to Independence, to help define the Constitutional Law requirements, but only obliquely, was the Pan-long Conference, February 1947 [the relationship between the central government and state, provincial, or territorial governments]. Its main purpose was not about comprehensively defining the Constitutional Law, it was with regard to whether the Frontier Region non-Bamar ethnic groups will stay together with the Bamars who were getting Independence from the British, or to fracture away and remain under the colonialist rule. The agreement for the Union was decided. Underlying implicit very important imperative was for the coming new Union government to be governed as a democratic, and as a secular state.
Immediately after WW2 and its horrendous genocidal excessiveness World Wide, the British Military [1][Lord Louis Mountbatten, Governor Hubert Rance; YouTube video: Burma Independence Day (Jan-4-1948)] administrators truly intended the Myanmar people to decide their destiny for themselves. However, there were Empire Loyalist Obnoxious British Colonial Civilian administration people, who wanted to perpetrate their empire forever, and they were involved in the assassination of Bogyoke Aung San the leader for Independence, and the top tier Myanmar political leadership on July 19th, of 1947.
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U Nu, somewhat amenable to the British government in London, and Vice-President of AFPFL when Bogyoke Aung San was president, was made prime minister. Some considered him the "Man of Destiny", because he had risen to be the prime minister more by accident rather than by his own efforts (Guardian Sein Win's book; 'The Split', 1959 book in PDF format link this web site). The Constitution of that time accorded the prime minister to be leader of the executive branch and the President as a figure head of state, but he may temporarily wield executive powers during a Constitutional crisis whenever the prime minister role becomes non-functional. The economy flourished because the Korean War created greatly increased rice export. U Nu's regime had many downsides, and almost all of them were to do with him wanting to be prime minister perpetually. That did not bode well with his own major political partners, who naturally would like to have their turns to be prime ministers, especially when U Nu already broadly served for more than two 4 years terms (actually he held power for nearly 11 years). The ruling party started to split up in 1958. Distinguish journalist Guardian Sein Win (bio; Wiki) documented the event in his book 'The Split', revealing the shenanigans U Nu committed to hold on to power, when he should be handing over state power to the President because of developing Constitutional crisis. To a large extent it was U Nu's addiction to be prime minister that contributed to the drawn-out disintegration of the governing political party, AFPFL. With that gone, the political safely net of the country ceased to exist.
Another one of his political strategy was to use Buddhist religion and with him as its supreme proponent, and to get votes from the ethnic Bamar (Buddhist) majority. He did not care a hoot of whether he weakened the unity of the Union of Myanmar that was also made up of non-Buddhist ethnic groups. He was only of second liner importance and was not involved in the Panlong Conference of 1947, that defined the unity principles of the Myanmar people. The average Bamar voter was indifferent about the Union becoming a Buddhist state. Nonetheless, when he won the 1961 election due to other issues beside religion, he declared Myanmar to be a Buddhist state. Immediately, the ethnic Kachins, who used to be one of the most loyal to the Union, declared the formation of Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The unity of the Union begun to crumble.
U Nu, the man with a giant ineptitude regarding governance, soon run into intractable problems with his own political party fraction partners, and provided General Ne Win with ample plausible reasons to grab power.
Ne Win was Myanmar's military dictator from 1962 to 1988. The following paragraph is from Wikipedia.
- Ne Win founded the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) and overthrew the democratic Union Parliament of U Nu in the 1962 Burmese coup d'état, establishing Burma as a one-party socialist state under the Burmese Way to Socialism ideology. Ne Win was Burma's de facto leader as chairman of the BSPP, serving in various official titles as part of his military government, and was known by his supporters as U Ne Win. His rule was characterized by isolationism, political violence, sinophobia, totalitarianism, economic collapse, and is credited with turning Burma into one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
Ne Win proceeded to totally trashed the Nation. Free press was trashed, economy was trashed, the spirit to think freely was trashed, what remains of the Constitution was doubly trashed, and the Union of Myanmar, without a democratic and secular government, got totally trashed. Anybody who disagreed with him ended in prison for several years to say the least. Isolationist policy was put into effect to keep those who disagreed with him (like myself) out, and also to blind-side the recently Independent population to learn about what freedom is, and to be ignorant regarding the evolution of the rest of the planet. And to foster culture disorders as much as possible, so that he and his underlings might continue to misrule much easier.
In 1974 a new socialistic Constitution was introduced. What good it served was of no interest here. Failed state government continued to be the norm. The nation got totally trashed. This kind of tragic governance went on for decades and as the people got hit harder by acute poverty, the government became more murderous in order to maintain control. Read my article "Living a Life with Values, Part 1"; should be in the same social media page as this article. The paragraph below is adapted from Wikipedia.
Failed democracy became the norm. The nation got totally trashed. This kind of tragic governance went on for decades and as the people got hit harder by acute poverty, the government became more murderous in order to maintain control. Read my article "Living a Life with Values, Part 1"; should be in the same social media page as this article. The paragraph below is adapted from Wikipedia.
- The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests (MLCTS: hrac le: lum:), also known as the 8-8-88 Uprisings, or the People Power Uprising, [6] the People's Democracy Movement and the 1988 Uprising, were a series of nationwide protests, marches and civil unrest in Myanmar that peaked in August 1988. The 8888 uprising was started by students in Yangon (Rangoon) on 8 August 1988. Student protests spread throughout the country. Hundreds of thousands of monks, children, university students, housewives, doctors and common people protested against the government. The uprising ended on 18 September after a bloody military coup by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Thousands of deaths have been attributed to the military during this uprising, while authorities in Myanmar put the figure at around 350 people killed.
SLORC (very Orwellian) first major policy change was to dump socialistic economic policy over-night and exchanging it with some kind of semi-free market approach. Very free marketing for the military generals and their cronies, and many of them becoming multi-millionaires, exploiting the natural resources of the country to the hilt for themselves, and trickle down economy for the rest. Above the Law and below the Law (drug trafficking, gems smuggling, land and property grabbing, etc.) practices for their own gains were the rules of the day. However, to participate in international trading, the potential international trading partner countries demand adherence to meaningful international trading laws and regulations. Another demand to safe-guard the first demand, that was to re-establish a democratic form of civilian government that is serious about governing by the Rule of Law (meaning having Constitutional Laws), especially for international business trading purposes. Therein lies the problems that the mindset of the (mis)ruling rogue generals were highly challenged to adequately make adjustments as needed. They were faced with trade sanctions if they do not change with their overbearing ways of doing business.
General Than Shwe became the undisputed political and military head of state after Ne Win died in 2002. He needed to come up with an elected government system of some kind to overturn the trade sanctions imposed by economic super powers, and at the request of Daw Aung San Su Kyi (ASSK), on the grounds that the country lacks human right, etc. In 2008, he held a rigged referendum for the "approval and support of the people" for the new Constitution Laws he fabricated. Before delving into the merits or demerits of his new Constitutional laws, we need to briefly discuss below of what Constitutional Laws are all about.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
- Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in federal countries such as the United States and Canada, the relationship between the central government and state, provincial, or territorial governments.
- Not all nation states have codified constitutions, though all such states have a jus commune, or law of the land, that may consist of a variety of imperative and consensual rules. [2]These may include customary law, conventions, statutory law, judge-made law, or [3]international rules and norms. Constitutional law deals with the fundamental principles by which the government exercises its authority. In some instances, these principles grant specific powers to the government, such as the power to tax and spend for the welfare of the population. Other times, constitutional principles act to place limits on what the government can do, such as prohibiting the arrest of an individual without sufficient cause.
- Further info Links:
Readers wishing for more details regarding the above subject matters, can explore the links that can be found in the Wiki. There are also many very good (some animated) YouTube videos:
[4]What is a Constitution?
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[5]Why do Constitution Matter?
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[6]How are Constitutions made? Rule of Law etc.
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Union of Myanmar may be somewhat considered as similar to a federal country like United States or Canada because it is an amalgam of many states, and very importantly, with several different ethnic people and many of them minorities within minority within these states. Myanmar definitely is not a Confederation of States because none of these states has sovereign independence. There are some people who get mixed up in their understanding of what Confederation (something like European Union) and Federation means. The Constitutional Laws of Myanmar essentially are for a Federal like State. There is no single country in the world that as a single state is a Confederation (Switzerland only on paper is a Confederation as per its codified Constitution about 300 years ago, but is presently, essentially a Federation). United States went through a deadly Civil War in 1861 to suppress the formation of Southern Confederated States.
Not all nation states have codified constitutions, for example like the United Kingdom -- Brits, a country with a long history of political evolution, has good laws for the powerful, but unforgiving laws for the underlings especially when it was an empire up to just after WW2. It is not easy to codify a credible just and fair caste system Constitution. Dictatorial states of unprogressive political evolution usually need no codified constitution although some do have for odd reasons. Their people have no say and are to obey as commanded. Otherwise life, limb and poverty threatening possibilities can become too real and too fast. That kind of government tend to exist in third world or lower achievement level countries especially with poor education standards. Today, with the internet, it is much more difficult to keep a population isolated, ignorant and unable to organize anti-government activities against bad government (think about what Ne Win in his times did to the Myanmars). Then there are states that would like to appear progressive and modern by having good Constitutional Laws. For such countries, Constitution documents can usually be found in special glass show cases written by renown experts, but often not put to practice in the outside real world (see John F. Cady, American historian's books, re. southeast Asia).
For those countries which can manage economic well-being and are quite free for its people to travel abroad, even with a somewhat phony Constitution, or with a somewhat dysfunctional democracy, may not be a heavy political issue as long as the people and its government somehow sufficiently get along with one another and the economy sufficiently flourishing. Then there are the super powers who want to rule the planet. They would like other countries to believe that they value being very democratic, being just and that their Constitution principles are so very good, and need to be worshipped like Holy Cows. Maybe good on paper, but in order to dominate whenever deemed necessary, those "holy" documents are simply ignored as needed, and then proceed to murder, sometimes in their millions, of those who got in their way, no different from the Romans -- the super power of two thousand years ago, and since then also other super powers and wannabe super powers.
Above paragraph is a very brief information about what Constitutions means in the real World and how it may be used, or exploited. Good Constitutions exist for the benefit of the country and its people, and possibly planet Earth. Less than good Constitutions are fabricated by those holding or influencing power for self-serving purposes. Dictatorships usually need no Constitutional Laws. The lesser than good, the poorer the Constitution will be codified for the people. Less precisely codified, the more room for interpretation. and if the civil servants have positive ethos and are capable to do good work, they still can accomplish much good for their own kind.
General Than Shwe needed to meet a few objectives when designing his Constitution. Firstly, to have the certain amount of coercive power over any political force that won in the upcoming elections of 2010 and especially 2015 and onwards. The arrangements are to protect the military senior generals, their henchmen, and their cronies from retribution for their ill-gotten gains. Secondly, If any government dare to prosecute them, the military was to reserve the right (written into the Constitution) to dump the Constitution and grab state power anytime it feels like needing to do without providing any reason. Thirdly, the Rule of Law apparently is the responsibility of the elected government. But the military itself is above the Law established for civilians, and it will have its own laws to command the military. It is also OK by the military if the civilian government itself likes to break the Law to enrich themselves. That way, the civilian government cannot claim any holier than thou attitudes toward the military. All governments throughout planet Earth have to contend with corruptions, and although the heads of governments ought to be accountable to respect the Law, in the real world, plenty of corruptions habitually occur.
There are to be two Upper and Lower legislative bodies. The military will appoint 25% representation in each of the houses. Depending on the type of bill being considered, and if the bill is critical in terms of Constitutional amendments, a vote greater than 75% is required to pass it. That means the military can always overrule any bill it does not want. Essentially, having veto power. There are other voting percentage requirements like 67% and 51% for less sensitive bills. It may be argued that this approach provided only a partially elected representation, and is not therefore a full democracy. True, but when Brazil military handed back political power to a civilian government in 1985 after 21 years of their rule, the major Western powers at that time accepted the arrangement of the 25% rule, assuming that the incoming civilian governments will eventually be able to successfully govern, and the military will then have to relinquish their 25% unelected representatives. That also eventually happened.
General Than Shwe also decided to sandbag his Constitution on behalf of himself and friends. The military, the police, the border security, all the weapon carrying and wielding forces and government apparatuses are going to be under the top military commanding general. The government is not going to be purely a civilian/democratic, but is going to be a hybrid of military/civilian command/maybe democratic government. General Than Shwe rigged the 2010 elections and his choice for president, General Thein Sein, was successfully elected (a term of 5 years). Unlike the 1948 Constitution, the President will be head of the executive branch (no prime minister).
President Thein Sein government was a prototype pseudo democratic, pseudo military government. The parliamentary system was given a test run, and since nothing much was demand out of it, its performance in accordance with the Constitution got a passing grade. Freedom of the media got a little better than before and therefore was moving in the right direction albeit slowly. However, Rule of Law did not get any better. Irreplaceable natural resources were getting depleted. His cronies and henchmen were simply flouting the Law whenever opportunity showed up, to amass ill-gotten gains. Read my article "Living a Life with Values, Part 2"; should be in the same social media page as this article. During his presidential tenure, infrastructure projects such as Mekong bridge to Laos, got completed. The cell phones were made available and their prices also dropped, ushering in the era of pocket phones for many Myanmars. Very large numbers of automobiles were allowed to be imported, and all these caused heavy traffic delays all over Yangon. In spite of all these desirables commodities allowed into Myanmar, the people did not vote the President's party for another term. When he was President, he did next to nothing regarding education. Next to nothing to mitigate cultural disorders (also to do with education). Next to nothing about educating the people of where the country was in this century compared to neighboring countries, and how to think and make progress for the future.
The main reason for ASSK-NLD (National League for Democracy) won the 2015 General Election was that the Myanmar people were totally fed up with the rule of military dictatorship over five decades. Only the senior generals and their hanger-on's who profited greatly, thought otherwise. The victory was a landslide. ASSK was also backed by the Anglo-Americans. President Obama of USA and Hillary Clinton visited her in Myanmar before the 2015 elections. DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) was set up within Myanmar, funded by foreign money to politically support ASSK and NLD. The medias of Western powers also supported them. President Thein Sein permitted such freedom of the media within Myanmar. ASSK is also Bogyoke Aung San's very wayward daughter. But that irregularity was overlooked or unknown, and many thinking people to their regret found out the hard way only after a few years of NLD assuming state power. Read my article "Living a Life with Values, Part 3 and Part 1"; should be in the same social media page as this article.
The Constitution is now a big serious point of contention from ASSK with respect to the upcoming 2020 General Election. After more than four years in power, her track record of un-accomplishments is overwhelming. Her track record of accomplishments is underwhelming. Her excuse of what happened badly for the country during her watch is because of the unworkable Constitution of General Than Shwe, that is inhibiting to do doing good. Therefore, the fault is totally that of General Than Shwe. And therefore, she deserved to be reelected. Of course, how she will overcome the problems created by General Than Shwe if she got reelected, like to get rid of the 25% military representatives in the legislative branches, she seemed to have no better idea how to accomplish that than just badgering.
ASSK contention of blaming General Than Shwe's Constitution for her incompetence as head of NLD, can be debunked fairly easily. The main purpose of the 25% military representative’s clause is to stop constitutional amendments attempts that are deemed not conducive for military's interest. Let us start by examining the important components of the Constitution's concerns of the various branches of the government during NLD watch, and contemplate whether progress regarding them can be made or not.
Survey the Executive branch activities such as in the areas of education, economic and cultural evolutions. There are many reforms and advancements that can be implemented without any opposition from the military, if done correctly. The military might even cooperate if the proposed changes are WIN-WIN for everyone. In the Legislative branch, the current organization functions of the Upper and Lower Houses make very little sense. Most parliaments' Upper House have less but politically more important members (senators in USA) and they vote on more important wide ranging bills and the Lower House vote usually on domestic issues. There can be common issues that both Houses may vote but for those types of voting are usually handle separately, like if an issue only wins at one House, but loses with the other, that issue will not pass. In Myanmar, each House voting significance is not viewed as separate, and the smaller Upper House in most cases cannot overturn the Lower House decision and seemed redundant. This kind of Legislative aberration should be a candidate for reform, but there is absolutely no indication of interest about that by NLD.
During the dictatorship era, the Judiciary branch of government was subservient to ruling generals. Now with a highly questionable democratic government of NLD, it appears to be also subservient to ruling NLD executives. The twisted judgments got handed down time to time from that branch on behalf of ASSK's or NLD's are aplenty. Whenever these corrupt judgments were made, one may wonder of whether clowns and monkeys are running the Legal Courts. Are the Myanmar people to kowtow before these shameless vile characters? Are they absolutely sure that they will nor reap the Nuremburg type of judgment (YouTube video:
[7]Nuremburg Trails Explained; Nazi Judicial System)
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for their Crimes Against Humanity? This kind of criminality is to be made accountable by the perpetrators and there are international courts like The Hague to take care of such traitors.
Any unwanted reporting against the military or the NLD can and will be severely punished in Myanmar. Media people are cowering after a few of their co-workers were given stiff ten years or more prison sentences for such violations. Articles like this here do not have a prayer of a chance to be presented by the media to the public. Freedom of media is far less than when Thein Sein was President. In fact, President Thein Sein government in the broadest sense was more democratic than ASSK led repressive NLD. ASSK absolutely failed to perform any reforms needed for democratic governance and it merely operates using the leftover policies of President Thein Sein.
ASSK had several "peace talks" with the Taing Yin Tars. No serious success was ever accomplished; the resultant failures came up again and again. There are two essential issues that is absolutely imperative to be codified into any Constitution of Myanmar before any further peace talks. Firstly, the Central Government must be for democracy and human rights, never just in words, but must be in deeds. Secondly, all the different ethnics of the Nation must have equal rights. ([8]YouTube video: Burma Independence Day 1048) That means the country must be a secular state. Anyone who do not understand these requirements lacks the spirit to be a Myanmar and to be of the same spirit as Bogyoke Aung San; having the National Will and the Spirit Requisite for the Growth of Civilization.
ASSK seemed to accept the Rohingyas as indigenous Myanmars. That is treason, but she might be qualify to plead for insanity. Any person who agree with ASSK, are traitors. They are enemies of the state.
The 25% military representative in the Parliament rule is to safeguard against a rogue civilian government among other reasons. The NLD practice of the Rule of Law is so bad, we need to be grateful to the 25% rule for protecting the Myanmars from the likes of despotic ASSK and her minion. That rule need to stay around until a descent democratic government can evolve. General Than Shwe's Constitution of sandbagging all weapon possessing forces to be under the Military branch also turned out to be a necessity, because with a person like ASSK with no understanding of the Rule of Law, it would be like giving an underage unthinking child a loaded automatic gun for shooting away indiscriminately.
This article is written for those who still considered themselves to be Myanmars. It is to provide a basic common sense understanding regarding the Constitution that would be suitable for Myanmar. Constitution can successfully exist only if the political leadership and the people (including the military) believe in the ideals for justice, for unity, and that they will defend it as needed. That also means the people must have the capability to defend the Constitution. If the majority of the people are below the poverty line, and also poorly educated, democracy will be a wishful thinking for them. The Constitution cannot defend itself, or cannot be defended by ignorant people without means.
Myanmar since independence, has very poor political leaders who are incapable of effecting real progress. Using analogy, a capable leader would be in terms of flying a plane; not in terms of driving a bullock cart which may be OK for bygone era. In terms of being able to evolve like other successful countries; not in terms of being stuck under Bamar Mins of two centuries ago. Many countries in Asia like Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, etc., are world leaders in technology and with solid economies. Their education programs are second to none compare to America or to Europe. The steps they took to be advance nations are well documented. That is, the knowledge needed to gain modernity is an open book. YouTube video:
[9]How did China Succeed?
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Myanmars just need the Will (The SAMADHI; Read my article “Living a Life with Values, Part 2”) to become enlightened and to be successful. Do not let any idiot or defeatist tell any Myanmar that he/she does not have the Will to effect a successful civilization. It will take about 25 years of diligent effort to get on the highway to success. For a start, we must get rid of patently useless current political leaders at the upcoming elections of 2020 and start working together for a greater future.
Many amendments for the Constitution are needed for upgrading all branches of the government. We need to fix the current political and governmental systems and correctly integrate them with meaningful Constitutional laws. In order to proactively and correctly implement these objectives, Myanmars need a Central Think Tank, staffed by the best and most able people to guide the nation. This kind of organization had been around in the past but using other names, but bad and corrupt political leaders usually pretend organization like that does not exist. It existence makes them appear less omniscience and less important. Furthermore, it got in their way to sign off approving bad projects and to put money into own pockets. Read my article “Living a Life with Values, Part 3”.
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Time to summarize and to conclude. Myanmar after about 20 years of Independence (1948) got brutally trashed by U Nu the then prime minister, followed by General Ne Win who doubly trashed the nation. By the time the SLORC was in charge (1989) of the country, it was already in very deep garbage in every imaginable manner. They being of military background and enjoying ill-gotten gains, their willingness to understand the Rule of Law was limited, especially when the Constitution came in DoA (Dead on Arrival). Economic recovery policy was frontier style. The gang with the most hired gun hands were having very good businesses in the drug running and smuggling trades, etc. The military of course was the King of the Hill. As the generals and drug lords got wealthy, they started to think in terms of their family and children to live and study in much more progressive and safe countries abroad like USA, Australia, etc. Only then the international community figure out how they can put pressure on the Myanmar military; that unless they change their ways and be concerned of the general welfare of the people and respect the Rule of Law, they will be black listed and their foreign investments will be placed under sanctions, and outcast.
General Than Shwe the military's undisputed leader came up with his fabricated Constitution (about 2008) to set up with a "democratic" election for 2010. To make sure that ASSK could not compete in that election, he extended her house arrest by 18 months. General Thein Sein became President Thein Sein for five years. Come 2015 election, it was goodbye time to President Thein Sein. ASSK's NLD party had a landslide 2015 election victory. ASSK herself cannot be President because General Than Shwe's Constitution forbid those who marry foreigner from becoming President of Myanmar. However, ASSK managed to be above the NLD elected President without Constitutional legitimacy. NLD after more than 4 years in power accomplished nothing. Nothing regarding education or economy. Nothing regarding the Rule of Law. Everything meaningful less than President Thein Sein.
ASSK for herself and NLD's un-accomplishments direct blame to the zombie like Constitution of General Than Shwe, that prevent her team to be successful of anything meaningful. Those who have read the article "Common Sense Understanding for Constitutional Law and how it impacts, or otherwise, Myanmar Political Realities since 1948", know that is simply pure lies. There are many positive endeavors that can be accomplished even if the Constitution is barely breathing and alive. The real reasons are that ASSK herself, in her personal life was totally unaccomplished. She had never functioned at a professional level in her entire life before she stumbled into Myanmar politics. She was mainly a house wife. Occasionally children school teacher. ASSK's foreign backers before NLD won the 2015 elections bestowed upon her many accolades, awards and prizes, including Nobel Peace Prize (see Web). Just about all the awards except the Nobel Peace Prize have been revoked when they finally realized the kind of limited person ASSK is. There were even serious talks of revoking the Nobel Peace Prize also, but that would generate much more problem and damage to the Peace Prize givers for not knowing who they were really dealing with.
The World is evolving faster and faster. Whatever progress we have experienced in the last three decades is going to be tiny compared with what is going to happen in the coming thirty years. Constitutional laws will be needing amendments often because of fast social, economic, technology, etc., evolutions. The Constitution needs to be very good in order to be reasonably Future Proof as well. There is going to be large scale demographic changes within Myanmar. Myanmar people are not racialists. By year 2050, with improved roadways and communications, in big cities, the Mestizos (original usage, Spanish mix with South American Indian, but modern usage mean mixture of many mix races) population is likely to increase greatly and usually become the dominant political force. Negative aspects of tribalism will rapidly go out of fashion. What may be considered now as very important issues or almost intractable problems, in the face of an advance future, can change to be only of minor importance within a decade. Those trouble makers who think they can profit now by exploiting needless social belligerencies, will soon be ignored by thoughtful people. Because of evolution of highly advance methodologies of doing business, the way of running the government will most likely be using massive amount of cyber technologies. Good education opportunities and improved economics are to be the most sought after.
By year 2030, only ten years from now, Myanmar's next door neighbor China is targeted to have the highest GDP in the world, (YouTube video:
[10]Einar Tangen, China Emerging as Global Power;
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[11]China Plan to Moon, Mars.)
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and reaching out to the moon to establish human colonies. China, the fastest developing nation on this planet has many of its executives with double degrees, and one of those degree is to be in some kind of engineering. All of them have to have significant project management experiences before being elevated to high governmental positions. YouTube video:
[12]Road and Belt.
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The mindset and concomitant culture of Myanmar's military and civilian political leadership has not much progressive since after various despotic regimes and are stagnant in many ways. ASSK's top NLD team has very few qualified people who have any leadership experience for managing large scale projects prior to their current high governmental role positions. The only thing they seemed to possess is never ending amount of polemics.
The biggest question now is can the Myanmars proactively embrace (not after hard lessons) the coming future, starting now. The military and the NLD governments were not progressive enough and simply were\are nothing more than being dominators. That left the Myanmars with voting for the untested coalition of smaller political parties. Voting in terms of party lines does not sound like a good idea for the current political circumferences.
At the coming 2020 November election, the best course for the people are to diligently vote for the best and most capable candidates with integrity regardless of what party their affiliations are. The idea is to deny overwhelming victories to any party that had previously gained state power and demonstrated no sufficient integrity. If the outcome of the election favored the smaller parties enough to form a meaningful coalition, even if they cannot form the Nation's government on their own, they may still be able to negotiate with those in power and implement needed legislative reforms. If the new class of 2020 Members of Parliament (MPs) are more correctly motivated MPs, they will be able to serve their country and look after own kind better. They should have a clear agenda of what they will do for their constituencies in terms of cultural, education and economic advancements. If their own twisted party leaders started to disrespect the Rule of Law, these traitors should soon be feeling confronted with insurrection problems.
The present Constitution is made to be respected by force -- meaning, the military reserve the right to grab back power whenever it feels like and without providing any reason, and that is written into the Constitution itself. It is not being willingly respected. There is no way that a Constitution which is unwillingly and forcefully trusted upon the people, which include the rank and file of the military, can the people truly be expected to respect and to abide by the oath of allegiance to the Constitution.
Bogyoke Aung San would want all Myanmars to be happy and to be living a fulfill life in a progressive country, and would want to end once and for all, his and our beloved country being trashed again and again. ☼