Why is it very difficult and so delayed to shape and form “democracy” for the Union of Burma? Why is it that every activist and every organization, including the SPDC (current Burmese dictatorship regime), that are concerned and take responsible steps to develop democracy have claimed that their aims and agendas are campaigns for democracy for the Union of Burma? Why is it that every one of these groups love to name and brand their agendas and implementations are “for democracy”? Because the democratic system is the most popular system that the majority of populations in the world feel as the most civilized behavior and the most suitable system for every human community society in this current age of this human world.

But when the people of the Union of Burma had persisted in the struggle for democracy by their own ways; by their believing, by their confidence, by their faith and by their existing corner, for very long time come to nearly two decades since 1988 until today, why is it that democracy for Union of Burma is still delayed? Even now, we cannot yet see any whit but only democracy’s shadow. This experience has created many responsible democracy organizations and countries and international democracy lovers to feel really frustrated and get a head-ache with unimaginable confusions. Everywhere still has to shout and give pressure for democracy in the Union of Burma. “Where it is going and where is it hiding, oh! beloved democracy?”

Let us think about what kinds of things make up democracy and what kinds of things are destroying democracy? Is there any government that could be called western democracy or eastern democracy? Is there any reason that government should be called Burmese democracy or other nationalities democracy? However, whatever Burma’s problem is, she is famous as “big democracy problem” to the world of those who know about Union of Burma and take an interest on Burma issues. All want to gain, wish to see, willing to hear about when democracy will resolve in Burma. But in practicality and naturally, the important fact is how to realize democracy in the actual condition and situation in Union of Burma. All great powerful organizations like ASEAN, EU, UN etc… have also only given their word and paper pressures on Burmese dictatorship regime to reform the country’s democracy that has not gone forward anywhere for a long time. They seem to be unaware and are considering what are the core facts that are delaying and blocking the way for genuine democracy of Union of Burma.

But the SPDC knows well the core facts and planning to prepare it. But sadly, these core facts have only become and are still becoming the unimportant issues for Burma problem issues and rarely seen as an important discussion issue when we who are aware and compare with democracy problem issues that are spreading out among the outside world community. These core facts only existed as the title of “human right violation” issues and can not be passed over it to the issues of the important matter to reform for democracy for Union of Burma citizens. These core facts are called “ethnic problems”, the problems between the Burmese dictatorship regime and non-Burmese nationalities in the country. Many people are not aware of it because there haven’t been events such as suicide bombings in the country like in other places to show witness to the ethnic problems.

But many ethnic nationality leaders and political activist groups have been abolished, detained and jailed unjustly as the regime likes, as they have since their earliest times in 1962 and is still continuing. Later, the targets were not only to ethnic nationality leaders, political activists and ethnic nationality armed groups, but also targeting at non-Burmese nationalities’ religions, cultures, literatures, languages and populations by every possible way. So, in this condition and situation, the Burmese dictatorship regime SPDC for their part, the core facts that are delaying and blocking reforms for democracy for the country promptly is “ethnic nationality problems”. They (the SPDC) must have to solve this problem first before really undertaking reforms for democracy for the country. But they solved this problem in the old way and the wrong way – the same as they have done since independence. Force and ensnare people to accept peace under their power and their agendas and to close the eyes and obey their doctrine. So then they can rigidly hold up the article of “non intervention” to avoid anyone seeing through their plans that could disturb them. And on the other hand they insist on holding the unending, un-finish-able National Convention to show their face and prolong their time in power.

Let us see what happened to non-Burmese nationalities and what the Burmese dictatorship regime have done during the so-called National Convention from 1993 to now, and how they will intend to end it in some years. There are a lot more destructions now than during the time of Ne Win, the events before 1990. Actually, the well known campaign for democracy for Burma only started in 1988 when countrywide demonstrations rose up. Only after that time did the world communities start to become aware and take an interest in Burma and tried to help the campaign for democracy for the Union of Burma. But the so called central government of Union of Burma had neglected the ethnic problems right from the start in the early period of the newly independent Union of Burma. These happenings we could have found when we learnt the histories and the facts of non-Burmese nationalities revolution histories in Union of Burma.

These conflicts which the international community knew little of, and the neglect of seeking the right answers by the responsible government and some top Burmese governors by democratic means and the neglect due to lack of international awareness because of the focus on the Cold War, created and helped the Ne Win dictatorship seize the power of semi-democratic government on 2nd March 1962 by a military coup. (for minor coup Ne Win acted as caretaker government in 1958 to solve the ethnic problems). And the consequences, as the nature of dictatorship regime, Ne Win dictatorship regime brought the whole Burma along to become the most undeveloped and poorest nation in the world. And as for the SPDC, Than Shwe today, the beloved heir of Ne Win, is a lot more clever and cunning helmsman who can manage the whole plans and cover himself from multi-side attacks in modern media age.

Now all things are changing with the new world. The unchanged, deep-seated ‘tap-roots’ of the problems of the Union of Burma still do not have a high degree of international awareness. The world is only aware of the more beautiful one, the more famous one, the sweeter sound and being intoxicated. But there are some who may be aware and understand about the tap-roots. The British government should not pretend ignorance any more because they were the witnesses of the problems of Union of Burma. They were the nursing parents of the Union of Burma. So, “ethnic problems” with dictatorship regime SPDC is the core facts that is blocking the way for genuine democracy in Union of Burma. Ethnic problem in Union of Burma should be added and brought to the discussions in the international arena for resolution if all want to find the clue of how to bring democracy to Burma. There is no true word to discuss in triple dialogue for the dictatorship regime and they will never do.

Even at the National Convention, it did not bring convention meaning, it is just a one-sided show. Almost all proposals from ethnic nationalities were rejected. All groups are for democracy but the democracy that they wanted is different. Non-Burmese nationality groups wanted democracy with fundamental human rights based on 1947 constitution for forming the new union. But they have different view points to approve democracy. Some believed and hoped that only after the problems between the ethnic nationalities and the current Burmese dictatorship regime have been solved, will the genuine democracy for all nationalities be practiced. Some believed and hoped that only once a reformed democracy system is practiced in the country, will the ethnic problems with the Burmese government be solved. For ethnic armed groups, some believed in making peace and hoped that this can solve the problems with the regime. Some believed that only after they solved the problems and received reliable guarantee then they could abandon their weapons and make peace with the Burmese regime.

For Burmese opposition groups they wanted formal democracy as soon as possible for all over the union with modern methods. And as for the SPDC regime, they wanted to bargain democracy and start to create semi-democracy as soon as possible as they can, and oppress and cleanse all obstacles that block and disturb their agendas. They know that one day they can not avoid it and democracy must be established in the country regarding the changing of the world politics. So, they try to create the one kind of aspect that they wanted so obstinately. So they need the time. They need the time to do the things that we have seen from 1993 to this day. How they treated non-Burmese nationalities and their leaders, their organization, their cultures, literatures, religions, populations? They want to change the condition and the situation in non Burmese nationality states to become the aspect as that they could satisfy first before calling for democracy.

SPDC planned to abolish and cleanse out the ethnic nationality leaders and political groups, armed groups that they were unable to manipulate and change the ones which they can manipulate and take more profits for Burmese regime for long term playing of the political game. There are all kinds of abuses of human rights and injustice which are only the foods for all kind of dictatorship regimes to survive. SPDC committed human right violations with intention. So they will not care for any other accusation and paper pressures. But they could find the way to solve this accusation as long as they can survive and avoid any great impact. In the SPDC plans for democracy and to maintain the Union, all citizens have to be sacrificed as the victims and buffers against the international community. But who can say that this plan could be a successful one or not? Could their past and present great loss of investment cover the benefit in future? 

However, all responsible persons and organizations that are concerned and interested in the problem of Union of Burma urgently should consider and give respect on the core facts that are blocking the way forward to democracy for all peoples of Union of Burma. Without international governments or one powerful organization intervening and judging as a third party to learn the reality of the problem, the multi-problem now in Union of Burma will never end. For a dictatorship regime, one leader goes and one leader comes with the old stubborn policy and for ethnic nationalities also one leader goes and one leader comes with full belief and explicit confidence. When the Burmese dictatorship regime had the right to tyrannize, the non-Burmese nationalities also should have the right to defend for themselves. All people are born with human nature and all are with the same emotion. Only love and fairness can bind people together peacefully. Bind people together with hatred and force will surely put all to hell.