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The
General's Speech
The NewsDesk crew in Mae Sot was able to monitor the speech of the chairman
of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Senior General Than
Shwe, delivered on Defense Services Day, 27 March. The speech could be
described as significant not just in terms of what was said but also because
of what wasn't.
Sr Gen Than Shwe, in an apparent reference to resolving political problems
in the country, said, "When tackling problems that exist between
us, a confrontational approach can only worsen the dispute and make it
more difficult to resolve. That is why we are adopting the principle of
harmony in such matters. I have to emphasize that we are all travelers
in the same boat and therefore all of us must participate in the constructive
tasks of the nation with a spirit of amity and cooperation."
The phrase, "Tha Ha Zar Ta Pyit Ye Mu," in Burmese was translated
in the official press release as the "principle of harmony."
The phrase could also be interpreted as a "principle to bring about
an end result that would meet everybody's interests."
Another significant development is Sr Gen Than Shwe refraining from mentioning
the phrase, "To eliminate all dangers threatening the State together
with the people," which was one of the declared "political objectives"
of the Defense Services Day.
All major events in Burma are celebrated by the military with "political
objectives" and leaders speaking on such occasions always highlight
these objectives in their speeches, except for this time.
The late Lt Gen Tin Oo, described by observers as a hardliner, chaired
the "leading committee" for Defense Services Day celebrations,
which laid down the "political objectives" for the occasion.
His passing away on 19 February may have helped change the atmosphere.
Sr Gen Than Shwe also saw "democracy" in a positive light when
he said, "If you look at the countries which have practiced democracy
for a long time you will see that they are modern, developed, and industrialized.
They have high per capita income, highly skilled and developed human resources,
and are able to work together for national development regardless of differences
in party policies." But he also said, "In the world today you
will see that some developing nations have lost their peace and stability
and are facing many difficulties because they prematurely transformed
to a democracy without having firm foundations."
In other words, don't expect democracy overnight.
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