Posts Tagged "India"
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 possible to bring changes in attitudes of military junta and accelerating the country towards democracy. ASEAN is getting fail on the issue of security in this region. ASEAN appears unable to achieve its goal of conflict management. Right from the beginning ASEAN was a mechanism of confidence building and conflict management, a mechanism of regional security. ASEAN`s Security community strongly emphasizes on democracy, development, human rights and fundamental freedom. But they should take hard step(in lieu of verbal criticism) against Military government for human rights violation and violation of fundamental freedom of Burmese people.
Civil society is emerging as major might to remove or change undemocratic forces all over the world. . But in Myanmar when military junta took the power since then it clamped down and suppressed the civil society . September protest by monks was one of the brutal way of suppressing civil society. Rarely any free media institution exist in Myanmar now and days. ASEAN member with the help of United Nations can cooperate in promotion of civil societies in the country.
America has imposed sanction on Myanmar. Sanction can only boosting moral of Burmese people. In fact, economic sanction is making weak to Burmese people to fight against authoritarian reign of military junta. They (Burmese) have to do struggle for a square meal, in this situation how is it possible for them fighting to restore democracy.
If we look into Chinese engagement with Myanmar, it seems that China is not much interested in restoration of democracy in Myanmar. The resolution brought by US in UNSC against military government of Myanmar was opposed by China and Russia. It (China) seems reluctant toward saving Burmese people `s fundamental right, and restoration of democracy. Actually China`s involvement with military government is only exploiting oil and gas of Myanmar and selling arms to military government.
That is why one women of Myanmar stated “China is good friend of Burmese government, not its people. They are like brother and brother in law.” It shows that China backing Myanmar only it’s economic benefiting.
India is also regional power like china. So India, too, is important for change in Myanmar.
India enjoyed good relation with Myanmar during 1948 to 1962 . But after taking over power of Myanmar by undemocratic military government in 1962 , relation with India became sour . This sort of relation, more and less , remained continue till Rajiv Gandhi regime. But during Narshimaha Rao`s tenure India have to be soft towards Myanmar’s military government due to three important reason- first, containing china, second controlling insurgency in India’s nearth – east region and third, India’s look east policy because Myanmar is center player of ASEAN .
But Pranab Mukherjee`s visit was not good indication for democratization of Myanmar and its people. It means to give morally support to military junta.
India and China are major regional power of this region. If both power do work to gether, with the full support of ASEAN, Surely, at one point of time , Burmese people will breath in democratic environment.
VIKASH ANANd (Journalist and Scholar of Internatinal politics),Delhi, India
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Democracy in India and in Pakistan
Democracy in India and in Pakistan.
Dalip Singh Wasan, Advocate.
The people of India adopted democracy in 1952-53 and they are proud of the fact that they are carrying on his democracy during he last six decades when their neighbour Pakistan couldnot maintain democracy and the people of Pakistan have to face military rule time and again The people of India could declare that they are the largest democracy in the world, when their counterpart Pakistan could no boast like this. Therefore, we the people of India can declare that we are better placed in democracy and the democracy established in Pakistan remains at stake and as and when some elected people rule the country, they too function under the military pressures. They are not independent and as and when there is some weakness, the military takes over the charge without any permission from the civil authorities.
In 1947 when Pakistan was being established so many Muslims living in India were not agreeing for the establishment of Pakistan because they were of the view that this small country would not progress. The people who were demanding Pakistan were not so competent people who could run the administration of a country. But the British who were leaving Hindustan thought it better to partition this Hindustan so that these two countries could never establish peace. The creation of Pakistan was a conspiracy and that conspiracy turned out successful because since this partition, both these countries could not live in peace and they are at war, sometime in direct war and sometime they are busy in indirect war. It is on record that they are fighting and out of these fights one other country Bangladesh came into being. There is a Kashmir problems and that problems could not be solved and this Kashmir had been divided into two parts, one is held by Pakistan and the other is with the government of India. What shall be the future of this Kashmir, none on earth can give a suitable reply and making this Kashmir as a base, he terrorists from Pakistan side are spreading throughout in the whole of India.
In spite of all these ill efforts from Pakistan side, the people of Pakistan could not shake the Indian democracy. The people of India are still carrying out with democracy and the people of Pakistan are not in a position to establish democracy in Pakistan. The military authorities are always having an eye on the civil administration and as and when they get an opportunity, they come forward and occupy all seats of power. Military rule is no equal to democracy, but here we see the people who did not opt for Pakistan in 1947 were feeling better and they are proud of the fact that they had been living in a democracy throughout since the partition. What is the future of Pakistan, none could answer this question. They got a military ruler once again and whether he would be allowing them to function as a civilian government, this is a question, which is not to be answered at this stage. The people of Pakistan could not establish a permanent constitution and they are at liberty to change this time and again. This is not a good process, but the military rulers would not like that the civil governments should function without their supervision, therefore, they have framed the constitution as per their own choice.
The people of India is a democracy and they shall be establishing governments of their own choice with people from amongst themselves. Presently some groups are on the throne, but a time is coming when the people of India shall be nominating their own people who shall be committed to work for their welfare and this country India shall become one of the most developed country in the world because it has got all the potentials which could take this country ahead.
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Interpret the World – Democracy
A TVC by The Economist, India
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