Burma: Suu Kyi Speaks In Lower House To Protect Ethnic Minorities’ Rights – OpEd
By Zin Linn
The 14th day regular session of the Burma’s Lower House continued at People’s Parliament Hall of Parliament Complex in Nay-Pyi-Taw at 10 am Wednesday, attended by Speaker of Lower House Parliament Thura Shwe Mann and 406 Lower House representatives, The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said today.
Addressing Burma’s parliament for the first time on Wednesday, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi of Kawhmu Constituency talked about the rights of ethnic minorities that the current charter does not particularly define the word ‘national races’. The deliberations concentrated on rights of national races categorized by the geographical locations. In Burma, ethnic states are suffering from much poverty.
Granting her support for a proposition made by Ti Khun Myat, a lawmaker of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), to take care of ethnic minority rights, Aung San Suu Kyi said broader guarantees for ethnic equality were vital to the country’s changeover to democratic system.
“I would like to recommend our members of parliament to thrash out the protection of ethnic minorities’ rights by presenting and amending laws as necessary. Additionally, I hereby support U Ti Khun Myat’s proposal,” she said during the 14th day regular session of the Lower House.
According the state-paper, Suu Kyi said that “it is obvious that development of states is not satisfactory and also total ceasefire cannot be seen in the internal strife till today.” Consequently, she said that safeguard of the rights of national races is wider and deeper than preservation of languages and culture.
Accordingly, Suu Kyi urged all the Lower House representatives to take part in discussions for materialization of a indisputable democratic state based on equality and mutual respects and trusts indivisible from Pang-long Spirit and to make improvements and endorse the laws for protection of the rights of ethnic nationalities.
Ohn Kyaing, an MP of Maha-aung-mye Constituency and an executive member of Suu Kyi’s party, played a part in discussions. He said that the people of Burma stick to heroism and it is original characteristic of the national races. General Aung San had emerged as the national leader during the anti-colonial era for more than 100 years. Aung San had the potential to bring together the entire nation, and people of the whole nation firmly believe that he was a great leader.
After many years, a leader who can be reinstated in the place of General Aung San appeared. The person is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The nation should make use of her in peace process and development of the country. At this favorable time, the President and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are to join hands in harmoniously establishing the new era for emergence of a genuine democratic nation, he suggested.
It was remarkable that in response to the discussions, Lower House Speaker Thura Shwe Mann said that all the MPs are bear subsection (f) of Section 130 of People’s Parliament Rules in mind before discussing a specific proposal.
Parliament representatives must abide by Section 130 (c) of the rule that states discussion should not include characteristics and behaviors of a person in general and the sub section (e) states that discussions about a proposal must be related with proposals under debate at the parliament. The behaviors mentioned sub-section (e) of Section 130 of Pyithu Hluttaw indicate either good or bad ones. The Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker then urged the Representatives to strictly abide by parliamentary laws and rules in discussing matters in the future, according to the state-run newspaper.
The Speaker said he had presented a proposal for enforcement People’s Parliament Law and Rules and reiterated it to makes sure there was no ambiguity. The Speaker said he had to listen carefully to discussion of Ohn Kyaing and scrutinize whether it is in line with law or rules before putting forward to Parliament.
President Thein Sein’s military-backed government has achieved cease-fires with a number of ethnic rebel groups. However, warfare has continued with Kachin Independence Army that menaces the current change and peace process.
To address the interconnected ethnic problems, the current government must review the mistakes of past rulings and the political aspirations of the ethnic communities. The root cause of the nation’s ethnic political mayhem is the consecutive governments’ antagonism to a democratic federal union.
Without addressing and honoring the ethnic people’s demand for self-determination, the latest parliament-based government seems unable to stop political and civil strife throughout ethnic areas. In reality, ethnic people’s demand of equal rights is not a new one but already mentioned in the 1947-Panglong agreement. The Panglong Agreement was signed on Feb. 12, 1947, between General Aung San and leaders of the Chin, Kachin and Shan ethnic groups guaranteeing to establish a genuine federal union of Burma
How stupid can SuuKyi get? What does she mean by ethnic right? She is effectively promoting the disintegration of Burma. She has never learnt Burmese history and the terrible consequences of colonialism.
WHAT MATTERS IS THE RIGHT OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL REGARDLESS OF ETHNICITY. No one above anyone else in the eye of the law. that is equality.
Burma was a unitary kingdom where people were totally free to go anywhere in the kingdom, buying and selling things. Burma was a beautiful klediscope of many tribes, not ethnicities. they are all indigenous Burmese. There never was any persecution of any minority for there never was such a notion in the monarchical days. The kings’ levies came from all groups. The differences were – and still are- only variations. Just look at the cltohes Myanmars or Burmese people wear.
SuuKyi is being stupid thinking that she would get power by pleasing the unelected so-called ethnic leaders, who are just armed rebels.
Is she so stupid that no sovereign state can allow armed rebellion.
She is totally ignorant of history. That is the problem with her as well as the author Zin Linn and the likes of holier-than-thou Bamars who support NLD.
There never any demarcation lines between different so-called ethnic groups. the lines or boundaries were drawn by the coloniser English; rather like the carving lines on a dead cow or pig.
At first Clement Attlee proposed to AungSan that the Burma proper ( so-called, and termed by the coloniser for the purpose of divide-and-rule) can get independence but the rest would remain English (so-called British) colonies. Thankfully, aungSan and our other brethrens rejected and demanded independence of all Burma.
So Attlee got up to most vilest and evil trick: 10 years after independence the so-called ethnic gorups could succeed – that was the legacy of Panglong.
The Burmese political activists demanded that Panglong be fulfilled, wiothout understanding that it is tentamount to treason. In any case, why must Burma obey the dictate of the outgoing coloniser.
the ignorance of SuuKyi as well as of the democracy activists is astounding. they are totally confused. Burmese fought for independence, that was and is their natural right. Colonier cannot impose any condition of independence of Burma. Not their business.
Even in Britain, current Parliament cannot bind the future parliament; very logical and common sense.
It is none of the business of the modern generations of students to decide on what type of constitution Burma has. In any case, their fantasy of being Burma’s leaders is laughable and illogical. the student generation that fought for Burma’s indpenednece already became the Tatmataw- strictly speaking Royal Army:a contradiction in term, without monarchy.
SuuKyi must be exposed for her stupidity and dangers she poses to Burma.
Scotland was an independent kingdom that Engl;and had gone to war with several times in history. Scotland is fighting for independence, deservedly. No armed rebellion.If Scotland took up arms against England, it would be justified.
UK is is union.
Burma is not! To call it a union is wrong.Burma is not a union of independent states, like the 13 colonies of the USA.
it is depressing that SuuKyi, NLD, and the students completely fail to understand the dangers Burma is facing now. In the face of the threat from the Taliban and attempted islamisation of Yakhien by the Rohingya, to suggeest or promote separatism in Burma,where there nevere were separate state, is tantamount to treason. All indigenous Myanamrs must unite, or face enslavement.
Yes she is refering what kind union is essential for future Burma. If you want true nation of union, you must care right,justice,eaquality fro all ethinic by respect each of one side by side living peace. The world or the nation is not for single ethinic or people. It is our world and our nation. All human being have right to live with peace. Any discrimination policy regarding base on race and religiuos is not workable for long times. DAw Suu must clear all minority who are living there and also she should care who are living outside country but their are origin of Burma. I am sorry to say Daw Suu that she did not mentioned clear all ethinics where can represent all nation without discrimations.