Is Burma ready for civic nationalism?
Patriotism is when love of
your own people comes first;
Nationalism,
when hate for people other than your own comes first.
Charles
de Gaulle (1890-1970), French general and statesman
I
never knew the world has different terms for different nationalisms until the
19-25 November issue of The Economist recently reached my hands.
Of
course, having been in and out of Thailand for more than 45 years, I know my
cousins have their own separate terms: kinship by blood (ñati-thang-sailued) and
kinship by principles and laws (ñati-thang-dhamma) accepted within a diverse and
broad community. What the Thais call “Chart” (Nation) comprises both kinships.
According
to Michael Ignatieff, Canadian politician and academic, “Ethnic Nationalism”
and “Civic Nationalism” can be compared in the following way:
In
addition, says The Economist, civic nationalism unites the country
around common values, such as freedom and equality, to accomplish things that
people could never manage alone. “It contrasts with ethnic nationalism, which
is zero-sum, aggressive and nostalgic and which draws on race or history to set
the nation apart. In its darkest hour in the first half of the 20th
century, ethnic nationalisms led to war.”
Our
present leaders, as well as their predecessors, perhaps with the exception of
Aung San, who started out during British rule with “ethnic nationalism” seem to
think they have developed to “civic nationalism”, by dumping “Burma” which the
pre-Independence legislature had adopted, and restyling the country “Myanmar”
without bothering to ask the nation. They should find out the truth about
themselves by allowing the non-Bamars (or, non-Burmans, or non-Burmese) to rule
for a while, and re-examine their feelings about being civic nationalists under
non-Burman’s dominance.
The
truth that is going to emerge is not what our leaders may anticipate:
·
Whatever they’ve been saying about “Myanmar” being an all embracing
label for the diverse ethnicities of the country, at heart they themselves are
still “Bamar”
·
That as long as they are not giving up their own “ethnic nationalism,”
it will not be fair for them to urge the non-Burmans to get rid of their “narrow
minded racism,” like they tried to do at the 21st Century Panglong. Perhaps our leaders still need somebody to
remind them a leader only leads by example, not words
Fortunately,
our Burmese rulers are not alone. Once again, the world has returned to ethnic
nationalisms with leaders like Donald Trump, Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping,
Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the likes.
But
unfortunately, this resurgence of ethnic nationalism will not guarantee world
peace, let alone peace in Burma, but will only push the whole planet toward war
and destruction.
Tags: Opinion
