ROHINGYA CRISIS : Part Three : From Burma to Myanmar

Author's Note:

My book?ROHINGYA RONGO?(Rohingya Crisis) was published in 2019 with a view to encompass the genesis and chronicle of the Rohingya Crisis. The book was written and published in Bengali. However, the English translation is here for international readers. Happy reading!

In 1989, the ever-familiar Burma was renamed Myanmar. Rangoon's name also became 'Yangon'. Of course, in Burmese, the name 'Myanmar' (Myanma or Mranma Pra?) was already prevalent in Burma. The country was called 'Myanmar' for various ceremonial and official written works, and Burma is a degenerate or spoken/ongoing form of the word 'Myanmar'. Many believe that the junta government is interested in using the name Myanmar instead of Burma in order to gain the support of all, given the similarity of the name 'Bamar' with the name 'Burma' and the presence of 135 recognized ethnic groups across Burma. According to many, they want to get out of the British colonial history of the country by changing the names of different cities including the name of the country. The relocation of the capital from Rangoon (now Yangon) began in 2005. The new capital of Myanmar was established first in Pyinmana and later in 2006 in Naypyidaw.

However, there are three common narratives about Burma. One, Burma became isolated from the rest of the world as it became a "closed country" because of the military junta. Second, since Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for years, she will do whatever it takes to bring democracy back to Burma. Three, these minor ethnic conflicts may be on the way from long-standing militarism to democracy. The problem is that all three narratives are wrong. However, we will discuss this later. Before that, let's get to know the situation in modern Burma.

The 1990 elections and Aung Suchi's Nobel Prize-Winning

The junta government was already under international pressure because of the mass uprising of 1988. The rise of Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly caught the attention of the international media. Therefore, for the first time since 1960, a multi-party election was held on May 27, 1990. With the 1990 general election in mind, they renamed the ruling Burma Socialist Program Party as the National Unity Party in 1988. At the same time, the National League for Democracy (NLD) was born under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. Although Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD won the election, it helped little. Because the purpose of this election was not to 'restore parliamentary democracy' but to form a committee to draft a new constitution! So the military junta ignored this result and kept Suu Kyi under house arrest and started running the country through the State Peace and Development Council.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the founder of modern Burma, was born on June 19, 1945, in a small village called Hamwe Saung in Rangoon (now Yangon). Suu Kyi's mother, Khin Chi, was an important political figure in the newly formed Burmese state. Suu Kyi served for three years at the United Nations after graduating from Dili University in 1964 and Oxford University in 1968. She married Michael Aries in 1972 and had two sons. During the 1988 mass movement, Suu Kyi caught everyone's attention and became general secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD). Amid this chaos, Aung Sang Suki received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991!

Saffron Revolution

With the drafting of a new constitution in mind, the junta government formed a parliament in 1993, keeping the military's influence in politics intact. But that attempt was thwarted when the NLD 'walked out' in 1995. However, since the early nineties, various Burmese insurgents, including Kakang, Wa, Kachin, and Karen, have kept the military junta at bay. Although many of them calmed down at General Khin's attempt, the Karen rebels did not agree to any compromise. Therefore, in 1995, Tatmadaw fought and captured the Karen base. Thus the oppression of the junta government continued throughout Burma.

Seeing the reluctance of the Burmese junta government towards democracy, the United Nations imposed an economic embargo on Burma in 1997 and the European Union did the same in 2000. Aung San Suu Kyi was again placed under house arrest in 2000 and released in 2002. In 2003, miscreants attacked her car. Meanwhile, the junta government attacked Suu Kyi's NLD party again. In August 2003, the junta government announced a seven-step "Roadmap to Democracy", although there was no word on when the roadmap would be implemented.

In 2005, the junta government once again tried to amend the constitution, with some smaller parties excluding the NLD and other major political parties. At the same time, preparation to move the capital from Rangoon started. Finally, on March 26, 2006, Naipedw became the new capital of Burma. In November 2008, the ILO announced that it was going to file a complaint against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice. According to the ILO, the junta government is forcing eight million Burmese citizens to work for their own interests.

Protests erupted again in 2006 when the junta government lifted subsidies on oil prices. When Buddhist monks also joined it, it became known in history as the 'Saffron Revolution'. The junta government, as usual, tried to suppress the protests by killing militarily and failed. The referendum was announced in February 2008 and is to be held in 2010.

Nargis and State Councilor Suu Kyi

On May 3, 2006, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma. This catastrophic cyclone devastated the whole of Burma. About 130,000 people lost their lives and assets of tens of billions of dollars were lost. But the junta government refused to allow any kind of international relief inside the country, which the United Nations called "unprecedented." After that, the junta government lost international sympathy. Under pressure in 2010, they were forced to release Aung San Suu Kyi and negotiate with her. Hillary Clinton visited Burma on December 1, 2011, to give encouragement. A year later, US President Barack Obama came.

When the junta government amended the law, Suu Kyi's NLD party contested the 2012 by-elections and won a large majority. And in the general election of 07 November 2015, the NLD formed the government with a single majority. But according to the constitution, Suu Kyi had no chance of becoming president because of her British husband and two children and her lack of military service experience. But in order to keep Suu Kyi's power intact in the newly formed government, they created the post of State Councilor of Myanmar for her. The first session of the new parliament was held on 01 February 2018. Htin Kyaw became the ninth president of Myanmar, who is also the first civilian president of Myanmar.

Cleansing operation

Meanwhile, the latest Rohingya eviction drive began in late 2016. The Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) and police took part in the operation, known as 'Operation Cleansing'. The brutal campaign, carried out in collaboration with Burmese Buddhist extremists in northwestern Rakhine, was the final step in a series of blueprints to eradicate the Rohingyas since 1947. Despite worldwide condemnation of the inhumane treatment, the Myanmar government routinely denied the allegations as "exaggerated". The role of Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader Aung San Suu Kyi in preventing Tatmadaw's atrocities was also questioned around the world.

Since August 25, 2017, the intensity of this campaign increased tremendously. They slaughtered about ten thousand Rohingyas and the rest fled in panic. Tatmadaw and the police, along with Buddhist extremists, began widespread looting and gang rape. 392 Rohingya villages were destroyed by fire. Two Reuters journalists were jailed and sentenced to seven years in prison for trying to cover the incident. All human rights organizations and the media around the world, including the United Nations, have condemned it as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Because of this brutal campaign, about seven lakh Rohingyas were forced to flee to Bangladesh for fear of their lives. The silence of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi at such a difficult time for the Rohingyas once again raised a storm of condemnation around the world.

In November 2017, the Myanmar government assured the Bangladesh government that the Rohingyas would be repatriated to Rakhine within two months. However, in March 2018, President Thein Sein was ousted and Aung San Suu Kyi's puppet, Win Mint, was appointed as president. In August 2018, the UN Commission on Human Rights demanded the trial of the Tatmadaw generals on charges of genocide against the Rohingya.

In September 2018 the Canadian government revoked Aung San Suu Kyi's honorary Canadian citizenship because of her role in the Rohingya genocide. The Myanmar government has been working day and night to remove all traces of the Rohingya genocide. On June 21, 2019, the Myanmar government ordered the disconnection of internet connections throughout Rakhine.

Modern Burma

We will know in the next chapter what Aung San Suu Kyi's government is trying to hide and why. Before that let's know about modern Myanmar.

Myanmar's official name is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The capital is Naypyidaw, the official language is Burmese, and the currency is Kiat. The country has a military-backed democratic government system. Current (2019) President Thein Qiao and Vice President Sai Mauk Kham. But all power is in the hands of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the post is equivalent to that of the Prime Minister. The country is the 171st in corruption among 176 countries, according to a 2012 Transparency International report.

To the west of this Southeast Asian country are the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal provinces of India and Chittagong divisions of Bangladesh. Thailand and Laos are in the east, and China is in the north and north. Myanmar has a 1200-mile coast along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The total area of the country is 676,574 sq. kilometers, and the population is about 54 million (according to the 2017 census). Although not a Commonwealth country, the country has been a member of ASEAN since 1997.?

Land

Myanmar looks like a kite with a tail in the charm of the Irrawaddy and Sitong rivers. Myanmar is about 2,050 km from the north and 930 km in width. The village head can divide this country into five regions. The northern mountainous region where Mount Hakabo, in Kachin State, is the highest peak in the country, the western hilly region, the eastern valley region, the basin, and the lower part of the country's middle, and the coastal plains. More than half of the country's area is filled with forest forests. The Hengduan Mountains in the north separate Burma from China. Irrawaddy is Burma's longest river (2,170 km long).?Based on ethnic groups, Myanmar is administratively divided into seven provinces or divisions (Chin, Kachin, Qian or Karen, Qayah, Mana, Rakhine or Arakan, and Shan).?

Climate

Although the monsoon winds blow over Myanmar, the northern highlands receive two months of snow a year. The seasons are basically three: winter from late October to mid-February, summer from mid-February to mid-May, and the rest of the rainy season.

?People

There are 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar. The Burmese are the majority. Karens make up one-tenth of the total population. Besides, there are groups like Kaya, Shan, Mana, Naga, Chin, Kachin, etc. However, the existence of Rohingyas is denied because they are Muslims. The statistics of the various ethnic groups in Burma are:

Myanmar has 68% Bamar, 10% Shan, 7% Cain, and 4% Rakhine. There are other minority groups including Mann, Kachin, Karen, Chin, Rohingya, Anglo-Indian, Gurkha, Nepali, and Anglo-Burmese. The military junta is gradually trying to deprive the minorities of their identity by following the policy of Burmanization. Exiled by the junta, many Burmese are living in inhumane conditions in refugee camps in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. Historically, the education rate in Myanmar has been quite high. There are over 100 universities. However, in 1965, the literacy rate was 19% instead of 69% for UN recognition as a least developed country. Although there is no such thing as a state religion, over 75% of the country's population is Buddhist. There are also Muslims, Hindus, and Christians, but there are rare examples of them getting a chance in government service.

Economy

Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in South Asia because of its isolation from the international community and internal mismanagement. The country is also lagging because of underdeveloped infrastructure and communication systems. Until 2012, economic sanctions were in place in the Western world. However, India and China have recently started investing heavily in Myanmar. Myanmar is a rice exporting country with an agrarian economy. It is also the second-largest producer of Gaza and heroin in the world. 90% of the world's ruby stones are found here. With sapphire, jade, and pearls. Pigeon blood red ruby and blue sapphire stones are found in the Magak area north of Mandalay. They also exported wood and cane furniture. There is unrestricted control of senior military officers in all areas of the economy; probably a factor why they're doing so poorly. There is a desire to buy billions of rupees in the name of modernization of the military to suppress the rebels!

Tatmadaw

Myanmar's armed forces are called Tatmadaw. Tatmadaw comprises the army, navy, and air force and is an associate of police, People Militia Unit, and Nasaka border guarding force. Tatmadaw is the 31st most powerful military force in the world according to the Global Fire Power Index 2017.

Tatmadaw has about 516,000 soldiers, including 110,000 reserve troops. They equipped the Army with 592 tanks, 1358 armored fighting vehicles, 108 self-propelled artillery, 884 cannons, and 108 rocket launchers. The Navy has 5 frigates, 3 corvets, 40 petrol crafts, and a mine combat ship. 56 fighter aircraft, 77 attack aircraft, 97 transport aircraft, 58 training aircraft, and 86 helicopters equipped with Tatmadaw Air Force.?

Once upon a time, they bought children for $40 equivalent kyats and a sack of rice or a can of petrol and admitted them to Tatmadaw as soldiers.?Although there is no clear idea about Tatmadaw's budget, it is estimated that Myanmar's military budget in 2017 was 2.4 billion US Dollars. Tatmadaw is being strengthened by purchasing large quantities of arms every year from Russia, Ukraine, China, India, and Pakistan. The country is building a nuclear reactor with Russian help near Pyin Oo Lwin. Also, according to information from WikiLeaks in 2010, they are thought to be building a surface-to-air missile plant with the help of North Korea.

The military has been active in Burmese politics since World War II, and since the capture of power by General Ne Win in 1962, the Burmese military's influence in Myanmar's state system has grown. Tatmadaw has always played a leading role in resolving internal quarrels and suppressing opponents. The Tatmadaw generals decorate the important positions of the state apparatus. Tatmadaw, skilled in counter-insurgency operations, has shown great expertise in inventing and applying a variety of inhumane methods, including rape and extermination of the Rohingyas, and several Tatmadaw generals are currently internationally charged with ethnic cleansing.

The army makes Myanmar's constitution. According to the constitution, they reserved 25 percent of the seats in parliament for the army. If you want to change the constitution of Myanmar, you need the support of 85% of the members of parliament. Therefore, it is very difficult to get the support of 75% of the MPs without the consent of the 25% reserved seats for the army. That is why even if Suu Kyi's government is elected by the people, it is beyond its power to control the army. Police, security services, prisons, border affairs, and most government jobs are under the control of the army. The country's home minister is also a serving general elected by the army chief. Therefore, the influence of the army chief in the Myanmar government system is prominent and inevitable. Currently (2019), Myanmar's army chief is Senior General (five stars) Min Aung Hlaing.

Besides politics, the military has a significant influence and involvement in Myanmar's major business and trade. One of the world's largest precious ruby mines and precious metal businesses are controlled by the families of three generals, including a former army chief. So it is futile to hope that Myanmar's military will suddenly withdraw from politics.

Bibliography:

●???Myanmar’s Enemy Within: Buddhist Violence and the Making of a Muslim 'Other’ (Asian Arguments)–Francis Wade

●???Myanmar: Democratisation, Foreign Policy and Elections – Amrita Dey

●???The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar?s Hidden Genocide – Azeem Ibrahim

● History of Rohingya Nation - Mohiuddin Jahangir

● History of the Rohingya Genocide in Burma - Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain (Retd.)

● National and international newspapers and magazines.

● Internet.

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