Myanmar (Burma) turning to democracy?

[a_unique_person]

Burma has long been known as a kind of minor league North Korea. Long run by an inner circle of families at the head of the military, it has been on a continual downward slide to utter poverty.

Any political dissent has been crushed, sometimes spilling a lot of blood.

Now they have held elections of a small amount of the total number of seats that have seen 44 of 45 seats up for election won by the popular democratic opposition in a landslide. There was a lot of cynicism before the election, but the results appear to reflect the popular will. Power is still firmly held with the majority of seats that were not up for election by the Generals.

The question now is, what do the inner circle of Generals do? Will they make some sort of deal that they can keep their wealth and no prosecutions for past crimes, in return the country can continue on it's path to freedom? Will they tire of the intrusions of democracy into their previous determination to grab all the wealth for themselves? Did the younger generation, presumably educated at the best Western schools, realise that the country was on a downward slide that would only end at a North Korean type disaster?

The massive growth in China's wealth must have made them at least realise that totally dominating your population is a lose/lose proposition, and some freedom is essential for everyone, even those who have unfettered power, to prosper.

At the moment, it appears, optimism is not an unreasonable position to take on the future of this country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#Elections_and_reforms_.282010.E2.80.93present.29

 

[Ryokan]

I wouldn't hold my breath quiiiiiiiiiite yet. But I do allow myself to be hopeful.

 

[Puppycow]

The recent developments are encouraging. But they obviously have a long way to go before they can truly be called "democratic." In a democracy the generals serve at the pleasure of elected civilians, not the other way around, and all elected seats come up for a vote at regular intervals.

Too soon to be sure this is real and not just smoke and mirrors, but it does indicate that they are trying to repair their image with the rest of the world, which is a good sign. It's the countries that don't care at all if they are international pariahs that are the real problem.

 

[Damien Evans]

It's a good start, but there's a long road ahead.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Myanmar (Burma) turning to democracy?

Call me in two generations.

When the lady who is the charismatic leader in the democracy movement passes away, which she will within a decade or two, we'll see what sort of sustainable base has been built.

Or hasn't.

I expect to be into in the Depenz years before it can be judged one way or the other.

 

[MG1962]

I wouldn't hold my breath quiiiiiiiiiite yet. But I do allow myself to be hopeful.

Agreed - we have seen similar progress in the past.......lead to nothing