Can Burma’s President Endeavor To Start Good Governance? – OpEd

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By Zin Linn

President Thein Sein of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) made a speech at the work coordination meeting to carry out the national and regional development tasks held at the President Office on Friday, the New Light of Myanmar said today.

Vice- President Dr Sai Mauk Kham, Deputy Speaker of Pyithu Hluttaw Nanda Kyaw Swa, Union ministers, region and state chief ministers, chairmen of self-administered zones, and officials were also attended the meeting.

Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo, who is said to be resigned from his position for health reasons, did not appear at the meeting. Other absentees were Upper House Speaker Khin Aung Myint, Deputy Speaker Mya Nyein, Lower House Speaker Thura Shwe Mann who are on oversea trip to Japan and Europe respectively.

In his speech, President said that the new government has been undertaking a series of reforms covering national solidarity, prevalence of peace and stability, ensuring security of the people, enhancing the international cooperation and introduction of clean government and good governance in order to promote multiparty democratic system. In addition, he explained the importance of implementing the country-wise tasks that need reforms for improving the socio-economic status of the people as second-step strategic change.

Thein Sein also suggested the government officials to make use of the international financial aids in poverty reduction, human resource development and other development tasks in respective areas. The foreign supports have to put under the proper management of the central committee, the work committee and region/state governments, he noted.

In order to fulfill those tasks, the Myanmar Socio-Economy Advisory Council has to be created, he said. As a result, social organizations and private sectors can help each other and submit proposals to the government. And social and economic organizations plus private sectors have to challenge ensuring the active participation of the people in the reform course, the President said.

After the investments, human resource development plays an important role in reform process, he said. Thus, the country needs to have skilled works at different levels in banking, hotel and tourism industry and other investment sectors. With this objective, Burma’s president has urged the millions of Burmese exiles who have been abroad for various reasons to come back home. He advised the exiles who were abroad include technicians, experts, businessmen and other careers to return.

In conclusion, the President said while carrying out reforms, the respective local-wise administrators must be polished to avoid corruption, bribery and unfriendly relations with the public.

The President made his conclusion by saying: “When it comes to the efforts for national economic development, it is needed to do business and make investment in line with the laws, rules and procedures without irregularities and to mobilize public cooperation without putting reliance on a handful of people alone. Only then, will the country be able to do good practices on a par with the international community,” the New Light of Myanmar reported.

According to some analysts, the President’s policy of good governance is still on the paper and grassroots people could not enjoy as yet. The privileged authorities and the cronies are as always above the law while workers and farmers have less benefit of equal rights in front of the law. For instance, the government fails to take action on its cronies and the military those confiscate lands and properties of workers and farmers without following the existing laws.

U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre highlights the corruption in Burma (Myanmar) as follow: “After more than four decades of military rule, political violence and systematic repression of democratic opposition, the country’s political and economic environment has continued to deteriorate in recent years. Myanmar faces major challenges of endemic corruption, consistently ranking at the bottom of TI’S Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Little is known on the specific forms and patterns of corruption in the country, but the scale of the informal and illicit economy suggests strong links between the ruling elite and organised crime activities, such as drugs and human trafficking, and illegal logging. In the absence of sound democratic institutions and an effective system of checks and balances, the legal and institutional frameworks against corruption appear rudimentary and likely to be misused by the junta for political reasons.”

The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, released annually by Transparency International, shows Burma (Myanmar) tied with Afghanistan as the world’s second-most corrupt nation.  

So, President Thein Sein has to work harder to materialize his speech especially on fighting against the corruption and abuses of power. Without fighting corruption and abuses of power, it will be a castle in the wind to introduce clean government and good governance with the intention of upholding multiparty democratic system.

Asian Correspondent

Asian Correspondent is an English-language liberal news, blogs and commentary online newspaper serving all of the Asia-Pacific region. The website covers asian business, politics, technology, the environment, education, new media and Asia society issues.

3 thoughts on “Can Burma’s President Endeavor To Start Good Governance? – OpEd

  • May 12, 2012 at 10:07 pm
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    The farmers evicted from their ancestor owned lands by Yazana and the girls/women- some pregnant raped in Kachin by Thein Sein’s army founded by Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, will be delighted to hear the speech before they die miserably.

    Simple note: none of Thein Sein’s weird high schools essays written by paid spin maestros and obediently lauded by all exile supposedly dissident media has any meaning at all in the past. Like “Laptops for the school children” They cannot even got to their usual village school for the fear of being killed by HIS military!!!!

    Yet there is a large ambitious ready audience of rotten-morality- Burmese inside and outside the country.

    When is the “Free Media” going to stop spreading the words of lies? “Sky-full of Lies” Not worth the bits-and-bytes used to put it on the web.

    Reply
  • May 13, 2012 at 1:05 am
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    Ohn’s comments are always the same; critical but not at all consructive. Yes, a lot of what he said is true – and obvious.
    Burmese army was founded by AungSanOo’s father Bogyoke (General)Aung San, who is an uncle of Burma’s Crown Prince Schwebomin living in Europe. The Crown Prince Schwebomin (or Shwebomin) was the youngest ever and vry first dissident against the the military usurper ShuMaung, with the nom de guerre of NeWin.On March 2, 1962 -by then the teenager blood royal had been in England for just over 7 months. For defying shuMaung his family had to pay a very very high price.
    He discussed with his cousin AungSanOo about how to overthrow the BSPP regime of ShuMaung. Hopeless. In 1971,Schwebomin already had gained his first master’s degree in Thermodynamcis from Birmingham University -in 1968, whilst his older cousin was still doing his MSc in electrical Engineering at Imperial college of London University.

    In 1988, Schwebomin supported the democracy activists but later changed his mind as the latter did not have a proper understanding of the nature of Burmese politics.Then they started conspiring against him. The truth will come out in due course.
    Ne win was the architect of Burma’s ruination.During the BSPP era, Burma accumulated foreign debt of 8 billion dollars.

    At a high society ball I had the honour of meeting His Majesty Schwebomin and sharing his in-depth knowledge of Burmese history and politics.

    The Crown Prince whould be very pleased with President TheinSein as HM is only interested in the wellbeing of his people.

    It is wrong to evict the farmers, said the Crown Prince. Where there is compulsory purchase, fair market price must be offered to the farmers. Even then,eviction must be authorised by an independent judiciary -but that does not exist yet.

    President Thein Sein means well but as for efficacy, doubtful. I believe Schwebomin agrees with President about development.

    Burmese army is not under control of President.Fact. The collateral damage – civilians caught in crossfire- is very regrettable. Whose fault? The rebels’.It is the duty of the government, in this case, army, to abolish them preferably peacefully, if not by use of force.The rebels have no legitimacy: they are just bandits controlling their own little empires to exploit the resources that belong to the nation of Myanmars as a whole. They must be defeated.
    True,good government cannot come about without check and balances and independent judiciary. why not restore monarchy?
    Just the thought.
    Give me a prize for freedom of thought. Thanks.Merci.
    DeVille,
    France

    Reply
  • May 13, 2012 at 8:08 am
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    “….a lot of what he said is true…”

    Thank you. Truth hurts. Unless one deals with it, it smoulders.

    Reply

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