Following up peace

His Filipino friends are saddened with the slated departure of Myanmarese Ambassador Thaung Tun and his charming wife Sandar. Thaung Tun, is slated to be his country’s next ambassador to Belgium. But that is how it goes with diplomatic assignments. One must always be prepared to go. Like most ambassadors who have been to Manila, he and his wife are so charmed by life here that he promises to return, who knows, maybe for good, when he retires. That is still a long way off. Thaung Tun, being a career diplomat, performs roles other than representing his country. He helps military government functionaries to understand how to be more flexible. In fluent English he tirelessly makes a case to outsiders to be patient with his government’s efforts for reform given the difficult history of his country.

I am one of the converts to his optimism that given time the military government in Myanmar will institute democratic reforms. Indeed, being an insider, he understands why reforms have to be calibrated at a pace that will not rupture the country with some ongoing 17 ethnic rebellions. Others agree with him that it is just as crucial that the country is held together if it were to move forward politically and economically into a stable nation.

Probably the most articulate of these advocates is Harvard educated Thant Myint-U, son of the illustrious former UN Secretary General U Thant. Myint’s thoughts can be read in his book, The River of Lost Footsteps. He argues that opening up of space for civil society and gradual democratization of the political system can take place only by constructively engaging with the present military regime.

Too many Western journalists forget that if blame has to be apportioned, the sanctions are equally responsible for the hardships of the people of Myanmar. Often, only the military government is accused for bringing poverty to this resource-rich country. Nothing is said about powerful Western countries that bully it with sanctions also contribute to its poverty. Indeed, sometimes these more than the incompetence or corruption of its own government, are to be blamed. Thaung Tun represents a wide group of educated and progressively minded Myanmarese who may want democratic reforms instituted for their country but at the same time understand that it will not come with sanctions or the bullying of powerful Western nations or by using Asean for the purpose.  On the contrary it is more likely that reforms will continue to be resisted if it were to be made at the instance of Western nations’ bullying or Western media’s assumptions. Indeed, tentative steps were taken last year by the military government but as it watched and waited for a positive reaction, for the pat on the back from outsiders, it only received more sanctions and insults that the reforms were not enough. I suspect that a more creative diplomatic formula might have been more effective to prod it on at the time.

Tun is heartened that his government is once again back on the reform track, though admittedly, at its own slow pace. He cites the recent move of his government that allowed Aung San Suu Kyi to meet with members of her party, the National League for Democracy. This should be noted, encouraged and made an occasion for further dialogue and debate instead of recriminations from outsiders who want to set deadlines.

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I am intrigued by one arrogant headline which said, This time, the European Union has lauded President Macapagal-Arroyo etc. etc. It added that the EU, “which had earlier condemned the Arroyo administration for its failure to put a stop to extrajudicial killings in the country, this time supported the President’s call for the prompt release of the Burmese freedom fighter and democracy icon.” Do you get the drift? If President GMA were just to follow their line she would be praised like when she calls for release of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. It sounds so patronizing and simplistic.  Most everyone agrees Aung Sang Suu Kyi should be released but that it also true of other prisoners in other parts of the world where there may be political prisoners that ought to be released but countries which harbor them are not criticized or coerced into releasing them. It is political. Unfortunately, Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s release is being used as a weapon and a symbol of their will by Western countries.  Some Myanmarese have told me that on her own, she might have been freed a long time ago but given that she has become a symbol of the West dictating upon Myanmar this has presented a dilemma.

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In town to follow up peace initiatives of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to  unite the MILF and the MNLF under the umbrella of a united front to be known as Bangsa Moro Solidarity Council is former Libyan Ambassador to Manila, Salem Adam.  Two meetings were held this week to continue hammering out differences until the two groups could agree and form a solid Muslim front.

Ambassador Adam told this column that the two have broadly agreed and signed a communiqué on the various points of agreement. References used in the discussions were the Abubakar document of 1999, Kuala Lumpur Document of 2001 and Makati Document of 2007 called by Saif al-Islam.

Among the points agreed upon were:

That the MNLF and MILF will continue to exist as distinct and separate organizations;

That the two groups organize a united front to be known as Bangsamoro Solidarity Council (BSC) Its composition will be jointly determined later.

The BSC shall serve as the highest governing body whose power and authority include among others the supervision and control over the issue on territory; resources, security and governance. The details of which, however shall be determined later].

That it will be recognized by the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the international communities as the sole and legitimate partners in governance of the proposed Bangsamoro homeland.

Both groups also recognized the role that the Libyan leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi effort’s to find lasting peace in Muslim Mindanao. It is well known that it was Gaddafi who made possible the signing of the Tripoli Agreement as far back December 23 1976. They also acknowledged the efforts of his son and presumed heir, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi who was here in December bent on uniting the two groups in pursuit of his father’s legacy. Ambassador Adam, whose efforts as a point man in bringing the two groups together was also recognized. With the broad agreement between the two, the next step is to work out the tripartite agreement between the Bangsamoro Council, the Philippine Government and the Council of Eight OIC countries in a conference that will probably take place in Tripoli.