Myanmar I May 2017
Yangon in revolt
2016 arrived to an atmosphere of cautious optimism. Few had
expected the overwhelming victory of Aung San Suu Kyi’s Na-
tional League for Democracy (NLD) in the general elections
six weeks before.
Outgoing president U Thein Sein, and the military chiefs
behind him, stuck by their promise that the transition to the
country’s first democratically-elected government in almost 50
years would take place peacefully.
Tribal tensions
In March, to joyous scenes in parliament, it was announced
that U Htin Kyaw, a close confidant of Suu Kyi, would be the
new president and on the final day of that month, Suu Kyi’s
new government finally took control of the democratically
elected parliament.
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.isms I May 2017
Well, three-quarters democratic at least – unelected military
representatives are guaranteed 25 per cent of seats under the
existing constitution. Suu Kyi quickly played what appeared
to be a trump card. She was to be “State Counsellor” – a new
position which effectively put her, as she had vowed she would
be, “above the president”.
With constitutional change a military non-negotiable, Suu Kyi
turned her attention to her other key goal – an end to conflict.
In memory of her father, assassinated independence champi-
on Aung San’s legendary peace deal with key ethnic minority
representatives which was signed in Panglong, Shan State, in
1947, she declared there would be a “21st Century Panglong”
involving state military and ethnic armed group leaders.
While the 21st Century Panglong meeting drew foreign
dignatories as high in profile as UN secretary-general Ban
Ki-moon, the event itself did little to significantly advance the
.isms I May 2017
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