With the intention, as many speculated, to show President Obama prior to his last month visit to Burma, that the peace process is not back-sliding but still kicking and alive, Thein Sein called a 14-member round table meeting aimed at easing the accusation of a stalled reform process. Recently, the  Union Parliament passed proposal for a six-partite meeting about constitutional reform, which  would include President Thein Sein, speakers Shwe Mann and Khin Aung Myint, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and an ethnic representative still not yet named. However, it has not yet been accepted by parties proposed by the Parliament.


Hkun Htun Oo, chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the second largest winning party in 1990 nationwide election, in a yesterday interview with the BBC said that he is skeptic if the proposed meeting will be fruitful and that ethnic representatives from states and regions have to dance to the tune of the USDP-dominated parliament. He is for a tripartite meeting that includes the government, democratic forces headed by Aung San Suu Kyi and non-Burman ethnic representatives.


Suu Kyi, chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party welcomed the idea of high-level discussions. She is said to consider the proposal to be an improvement from the part of the parliament and not oppose to the high-level six-partite meeting. She has asked for a four-member meeting, which should involve the President, House speaker, Commander-in-Chief and herself to discuss about constitutional amendment.

Min Ko Naing, a well known 88 generation student leader, also endorsed the proposed meeting saying that it should be substantive and insightful, leading to amendment of the constitution, according to the yesterday report of BBC.

While expectations are high that the stalled reform process, marred by Burma Army heightening of the armed conflict in Kachin State, when a recent bombardment of KIA Laiza base killed 23 cadet trainees and wounded some 20, plus the on and off shelling of the IDPs within KIA controlled areas, many are also skeptic if this would be another unfruitful ad hoc meeting, with no real political will to compromise.

Meanwhile, Commander-in Chief Min Aung Hlaing recent interview with the VOA outlined his hard-line position as non-compromising in the amendment of the military-drafted constitution, stating that the army will defend it with its lives, if necessary. No one doubt that without his endorsement or agreement, constitutional amendment will be possible, given the appointed 25 percent military seats within the parliament, which has a veto in any motion made, due to the more than 75 percent set ceiling for any proposal to first sail through the parliament.

Apart from that the non-Burman ethnic groups see the proposed meeting to be not inclusive and proportionate. They look at it as a five to one ratio, which means there will be five Burmese or Bama representatives, while only one ethnic member will be sitting at the meeting. In other words, the whole non-Burman ethnic spectrum is starkly under represented.

True, Aung San Suu Kyi, in her latest VOA interview tried to portray her NLD party as a national one, cross-cutting across ethnic line, representing also the non-Burmans. But a few representatives running under NLD flag in elections don't make it an all-embracing union party for the ethnic nationalities. This is at least how it is seen by the people it claims to represent. And the same goes for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and National Unity Party (NUP), which are seen as Bama-military-oriented parties.

And thus, the ethnic groups consider the up-coming meeting, if it ever happens, to be largely a talk among the Burmese or Bama, mapping out on how to divide the cake among themselves, and the ethnic grievances of federal union, equality and rights of self-determination aspirations will be sidelined. This is understandable, for as Hkun Htun Oo pointed out correctly and boldly, even an ethnic representative that would participate will be under the sway of USDP, the ruling government party, which is a Bama-military-dominated one.

The entire have to do away with its big brother mentality or syndrome and start to adjust itself on an equal basis with the ethnic groups, in mapping out or discussion of a country's political future, if earnest solution of peaceful co-existence and living together in harmony is to be achieved.

Last but not least, the SNLD Chairman position of tripartite dialogue is the way to go, in order to be proportionally fair and appropriate. Otherwise, even adjusting the participation ratio will be a challenge and hindrance to start a level-playing field type of meeting, much less discussing the substance and problematic issues. Besides, the UN has for years endorsed a tripartite meeting, but only become mute lately for reasons only its decision-makers know. But nevertheless, the proportional ratio of tripartite is the one, which the non-Burman ethnic nationalities see as a fair and just set up.

 The contributor is ex-General Secretary of the dormant Shan Democratic Union (SDU) — Editor