Collective Effort of Asean and Major Regional Power (india and China) Can Restore Democracy in Myanmar
Collective Effort of Asean and Major Regional Power (india and China) Can Restore Democracy in Myanmar
Collective effort of ASEAN and Major regional Power (India and China) can restore democracy in Myanmar
By Vikash Anand ( scholar of International Politics, Delhi, India)
Some days ago, ASEAN has expressed “deep disappointment” over Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi`s detention in a meet of bloc`s 10 foreign ministers. The statement issued by ASEAN is one of its strongest statements yet on the issue. Only verbal swipe will not bring change in the attitude of junta and can make Burmese people free from world’s most closed and repressive military government.
Multiparty election in 1990 gave the NLD a decisive victory, but the military junta refused to relinquish power to democratically elected party NLD (National league for democracy) and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi`s. Aung San Suu Kyi`s has remained in government custody since May 2003. Since 1990 Myanmar is being pressurized for bring democracy and release of Aung Suu Kyi and other political leaders.
The people of Myanmar desperately want to get rid of authoritarian regime of military junta. Because their condition is becoming worse and worse. Myanmar is inviting China and other countries for quenching their thirst of oil and gas. But irony is that Burmese people receive only two hours of electricity in town from military government. Paraffin and wood are major sources of light and heat. In September 2007 a largest protest was launched by Monks against unreasonable fuel hikes by military junta. This protest was violently crushed by military government. Above 3000 people were killed by government forces and 2100 were detained. Whatever government, whether military or civilian, is in reign , they(Governments) use the power. Without power, a government would be useless as a car without a engine. The main thing is that how to use the power and for which purpose power is being used. American sociologist Talcott Parsons (1967) has mentioned ‘power to’ approach. It emphasizes on power to rather than power over-on the capacity to achieve goals, rather than to exercise control over other countries or people. He interpreted power as the capacity of a government to draw on the obligation of its citizen so as to achieve collective purposes such as law and order ,protection of the rights of citizen and environment. Generally power to approach is perceived as common phenomena in Democratic government. Burmese military government is applying Power over approach to run the country. Military government in Myanmar is using power to exercise control over their people not for achieving collective purposes (requirement of citizen). In Myanmar only return of democratic leader in power can change deteriorating condition of its citizens.
Without pressure and cooperation of ASEAN member and regional power China and India, it doesn’t seems
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