All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Burmese)

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 9:

Those who have the kindness of benefit for others

For the sake of living beings, do not relax their powers.

Though these holy beings bear a heavy burden,

They never put it down and dwell in discouragement.

*the Great Chariot Sutra*

Burma is known as a golden land made of several ranges (or ‘Yoma’ in Burmese) where thousands of tribal memories, wisdoms, religions, cultures and beauties of plants and animals dwell. The rivers, all of them are indeed important to the people and other existences, snake through these beautiful mountainous regions and flow from the north to the south where Indian Ocean is. The peoples, Burma has 103 ethnics, all of them used to be really generous and all they knew was to give.

Since the modern day’s dictators have systematically destroyed, now the golden land is famous for its narcotic trades, refugees, migrant workers and various atrocities and sufferings.

One day, we’ll be free again and the land will be again famous for its beauty.

Spacious, Smooth, Swift Reforms?

I knew there was a condition/style of check&balance in the Myanmar parliament - no accidental. Generally there must be a group made of different individuals with different views; hence, whoever supporting the reformists can be extremists too. What I mean is any of the groups at all in the military must naturally have different individuals - unlike how it is in the parliament one side extremists (or the conservatives) and another moderate (or the reformists). That's the style of  the Myanmar parliamentary formations (grouping) as I see.

I suspected such deliberate set-up was made for a purpose - we know what it is.

As the need of reforming all sectors of the country, I rather assume both sides (conservatives and reformists) will go for that - as we see how popular the reformists have become and how they have improved the image of the military. But the conservatives are supposed to drag the legs of the reformists - like the metal shackles used in Burma prisons. You all know what the shackles do to the prisoners. The shackles formed with the metal bars and metal chains are very famous because of their role in Burma.

With above view, I expect the reform will go on but with slow pace and even often U-turns. We have not yet seen any U-turn in recent politics but in the way the military treat the ethnic minorities and the agreements it had with them.

The same ideology, divide and rule, is applied to the ethnics and the military is trying to take advantage of the agreements and ceasefire it has had or will have with some of the ethnic armed groups.

As long as such different conditions applied on politics and the ethnic minorities, the mode of the military might not be committed 100% wholeheartedly to its promised reforms - simply the spacious, smooth, swift reforms cannot be expected yet. But time will tell. Sooner than later the true image of the military, the government and the parliament will be revealed - cannot be hidden for long.

What should be expected is the swift reforms for economy and education. They are crucial for the people of Burma/Myanmar. They should be done as soon as possible. All sides should emphasize on these issues as deal with them - as the platform or meeting place for all sides so that they can also keep dealing with other issues: political reform, the reforms for the rights of ethnic minorities.

The way that should be settled is through negotiation of course. If negotiation is the best way to settle the differences, it should be applied in every dispute ...


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