Women military depressives at the peace conefercne in Naypaytaw on August 19.

 AN. Sittway. August 20, 2020 

Disagreement and wider gap of different ideology between two key leaders of Myanmar in peace conference demonstrate publically the future peace negotiation process with the ethnic armed organizations is still stall, but prediction is that more armed conflicts are looming in post election era. 

 

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander in Chief Snr Gen. Min Aung Hlaing gave speeches during the peace conference in Naypaytaw yesterday in different ideologies that observers witness disunity between the two key leaders as worrisome. 

 

Aung San Suu Kyi Stand 

Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairman of Union Peace Commission, said during her opening speech in the conference, ‘the aim to achieve peace is to completely cut off the political culture of resorting with armed force to strive one’s goal and seek for greater status in society by use of arms.’ 

 

An Arakanese analyst attempts to interpret from her speech in linkage of history background and connection with the current peace negotiation process. 

He said, “Tatmadaw has been resorting armed solution against ethnic armed forces but won by no one and only prolonging the civil war since 1962. Again, Tatmadaw is not fully cooperating under the leadership of elected government but stands on its own.” 

“Thus, the conflict in Rakhine State is getting bigger because Tatmadaw is resorting grater force to attack Arakan Army. Now, Tatmadaw is eyeing on Wa to attack,” he said. 

 

He said Aung San Suu Kyi may think this armed solution need to be stop first. 

 

Min Aung Hlaing Bullying 

Senior Genetal Min Aung Hlaing also gave opening speech in the conference and said ‘some political parties and government illustrated the government is a referee between Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations. In fact, Tatmadaw is protector of the government. The rebellions are always against the government. Therefore, the Tamadaw has to fight in order to protect the government.”

 

The general went on, “One gets to be honest when achieving peace, but (some) are dishonest and linking the peace process with other forms of interest.”

 

The analyst explains two ideas what the commander in chief is trying to say. 

He said, “The first idea is that the government is idiot that opens doors for the ethnic people for armed attacks. The Tatmadaw is coming in the middle and protecting the government.”

“The second idea is that the general does not like the idea of both government and ethnic leaders linking the peace process to change 2008 constitution based on the agreements they produce via peace negotiations,” the analyst said. 

 

He assumes the general wants to keep the current constitution unchanged because it protects and gives more favor to the military. 

 

“The military is always on its own and initiates the attacks on the ethnic forces based on their own calculations before it gets approval from the NLD government. In the past, it was Ok because the same military junta was governing the state affairs. The general needs to change his attitude now,. Otherwise he is making his own trouble by playing dangerous political game. Of course, he is just a military service man with limited role in politics. He does not have much leverages in administration as an elected politician," he said. 

 

Concern of Ethnic Leaders 

Sai Nyunt Lwin, representative of political party group to the conference, said in his speech ‘peace conference should not be used as a forum to override historic and important treaty of Panlong Agreement.’ 

 

Sai Nyaw Nyunt of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) told the media the Panglong peace conference becomes a stage for political campaign to sell different ideas between the leaders of military and government. 

 

Naing Han Thar, Chairman of New Mon State Party (NMSP) and attending the conference in Naypaytaw, told the local media General Min Aung Hlaing wrongfully perceived all ethnic have been granted equal treatment by the constitution. He said the ethnic have been struggling for equal rights by generations after generations and that prove the ethnic do not get equal rights. 

 

Post Election Peace Process

Lawmakers and analysts do not see there will be many changes in peace process after they observed the disunity between NLD and Tatmadaw leaders in the last session of peace conference and before the election in November. 

The public dismay General Min Aung Hlaing has been bullying against the government and the ethic armed forces during the conference by his offending speeches. 

 

The general gave four speeches in different peace conferences. His first speech blamed the ethnic forces for civil war conflicts. Second speech blamed the government and accused for waging wars first. The third speech of his forced the ethnic forces to agree on ‘non-secession from union.’ Now, he is bullying against both the ethnic and government. 

“The general is obsessing in the controversal constitution. What he wants the ethnic forces to do is surrender their arms and follow the constitution as he said during one of his speeches: ‘If you want to govern, form a political party and contest in election; if you want to hold the arm, you should join in Tatmadaw; and if you want to do business, form a company,’ an Arakanese analyst said.

He said the general is out of reality and lack of political knowledge that makes huge problem of the country and hindering the peace process. 

 

He said the post election peace negotiation process under the bully military leadership and lack of his political experience is key factor for deadlock that will even lead to full swing of widespread civil war in north, south, and west of Myanmar.