By STEPHEN BLOOM
The president claimed that the reason approximately 3 million Burmese people are working in other countries and Burma has about a 26 percent poverty rate is “because for over 20 years sanctions were placed on our country.” He did not allocate any responsibility for Burma’s dire economic condition to his current government or the policies and practices of the previous military regime, which exercised control over the economy for that same period of more than two decades.
He said that if Suu Kyi is elected by the people, “I am sure that the parliament will warmly welcome her. This is our plan.” But while not ruling out the possibility, and saying he would accept her if appointed, Thein Sein was non-committal about whether Suu Kyi would be given a cabinet position in his administration.
Regarding the ongoing reform process and the possibility of further reforms, Thein Sein said, “I believe that you need to know our aims, and they are to have peace and stability and economic development in our country. For the future, we need to continue to take necessary actions to achieve these goals.”
He said that in the future, his administration would “like to see transparency.” While he did not elaborate on that statement, observers will be watching to see how the budget for Burma’s next fiscal year is discussed and approved during the upcoming session of Parliament, which begins on Jan. 26.
When asked if he was willing to allow a free media in Burma, Thein Sein said: “With regards to freedom of the media, you can see that it is not like it was before. We have a daily journal published in our country and [the media] can express freely in the paper. However, we still require democratic practices.”
He then added, however, that “The media needs to take responsibility and proper actions. Media freedom will be based on the accountability they have.” This echoes a line often repeated by his information minister and other ex-regime officials, and implies that if new media laws are introduced, self-censorship by the media will be part of the new press policies.
When asked about further steps that may be required to attract foreign investment, such as a strengthening of the rule of law in Burma, the president said that changes have already been made and all that was left to do was to lift sanctions.
“We welcome foreign investors and we have made necessary amendments to our law as it relates to foreign investment. But foreign investors will only come once sanctions have been eased up on our country,” he said.
Despite the fact that most foreign companies looking to do business in Burma face a slew of obstacles, ranging from restrictive investment laws to a bifurcated currency exchange system, a corrupt governmental environment and an unreliable legal system, Thein Sein said that he didn’t think there are any difficulties for foreigners making investments in Burma. “The only difficulty they [would have] is sanctions,” he said.
The area where Thein Sein seemed most hesitant to commit to reform was with respect to the military’s involvement in the political process and the fact that it controls 25 percent of Parliament.
“We cannot leave the military behind because we require the military’s participation in our country’s development,” he said.
Thein Sein claimed that the military is no longer involved in the executive body and pointed out that the president appoints the commander-in-chief. But he did not mention the role played by the National Security and Defense Council, which includes five military-related members, is made up almost entirely of men who were generals in the previous regime, and is believed to have an unofficial veto over many important matters.
He also discussed Burma’s alleged military ties with North Korea, stating that his government has diplomatic relations with North Korea but no relations with regard to an alleged nuclear program or military cooperation. He said that Burma has always abided by the UN resolutions and is in the process of signing the additional protocol of the IAEA, which he said must be studied and submitted to Parliament for approval.
Throughout the interview, Thein Sein tapped into his newfound popularity with the Burmese public, which has escalated since his release of prominent political prisoners on Jan. 13, and referred several times to the wishes and will of the people.
“The reform measures are being undertaken based on the wishes of the people [who want] to see our country have peace and stability as well as economic development,” he said.
“People would like to see peace and stability and that is why we have had engagement with the ethnic armed groups. That’s why our reform process is based on the wishes and the will of the people.”
Near the conclusion of the interview, Thein Sein addressed a concern expressed by many observers—that the reform process is still fragile and reversible. He told The Washington Post that Burma was on the right track to democracy, and therefore “we can only move forward, and we don’t have any intention to draw back.”
Burma’s President Thein Sein gave his first interview to a member of the foreign media this week when he answered a wide range of questions from Lally Weymouth, senior associate editor for The Washington Post, which touched on most of the top issues currently being discussed about Burma.
In the interview, published in The Washington Post on Friday, Thein Sein proved to be a skillful politician, diplomat and negotiator, as he repeatedly pressed the main talking points he wanted to communicate to his international audience and deftly sidestepped issues that are problematic for his government.
Thein Sein said that peace, stability and economic development were the goals of his government’s reform measures, and used the pulpit provided by a leading US newspaper to make his case for the lifting of US and EU sanctions.
“. . . the US and the EU have had economic sanctions on our country. It has been [for] nearly 20 years now. I would like to see them ease . . . and eventually get rid of the sanctions. . . ,” he said.
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| Burma President Thein Sein. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) |
“Sanctions hurt the interest of our people,” said Thein Sein. “For that reason, there were no job opportunities in our country. If you would like to see democracy thrive in our country, you should take the necessary actions to encourage this by easing the sanctions that were placed on our country.”
Thein Sein said that Western countries have made three requirements for the lifting of sanctions: releasing political prisoners; holding a parliamentary election; and allowing Aung San Suu Kyi and others to participate in the political process.
“I believe we have accomplished these steps already,” the president said. “What is needed from the Western countries is for them to do their part.”
However, most Western governments heavily-criticized Burma’s parliamentary election held in November 2010, saying that it was neither free nor fair, and they are now looking towards how the Burmese government conducts the by-election scheduled for April.
In addition, Thein Sein did not mention that an end to conflicts in Burma’s ethnic regions, as well as an end to associated human rights abuses, is also a requirement for sanctions removal that is continually mentioned by the US, as well as by the UK and other EU members.
With respect to conflicts between the Burmese government and the country’s various ethnic groups, Thein Sein accurately stated that his administration has engaged in negotiations with all 11 ethnic armed groups and that ceasefire agreements have been reached with some. He implied that the process would be step-by-step and would take time, but that a lasting peace agreement was the goal.
“First of all, we need to build confidence between the two sides. We have reached agreements on certain things. This requires the two sides to sign an agreement and return to the legal fold without carrying arms,” Thein Sein said, adding that negotiations are continuing.
“Soon we will try to achieve an eternal peace in the country,” he said. “However, this will require time.”
In the excerpts of the interview that were published, there was no mention of the continued fighting in Kachin State, where the Burmese Army has not heeded the president’s order to stop attacking the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Talks between a peace delegation appointed by Thein Sein and the Kachin Independence Organization, the KIA’s political wing, took place this week but broke down without a ceasefire agreement being reached.
Thein Sein was also asked about opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who in the April by-election will compete for a seat in parliament along with other members of her National League of Democracy.
“It is important to have good relations with the political parties that we have in our country,” said Thein Sein. ”That is why we have had engagement with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
In my meeting with Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi, we were able to reach an understanding between the two of us.”
He said that if Suu Kyi is elected by the people, “I am sure that the parliament will warmly welcome her. This is our plan.” But while not ruling out the possibility, and saying he would accept her if appointed, Thein Sein was non-committal about whether Suu Kyi would be given a cabinet position in his administration.
Regarding the ongoing reform process and the possibility of further reforms, Thein Sein said, “I believe that you need to know our aims, and they are to have peace and stability and economic development in our country. For the future, we need to continue to take necessary actions to achieve these goals.”
He said that in the future, his administration would “like to see transparency.” While he did not elaborate on that statement, observers will be watching to see how the budget for Burma’s next fiscal year is discussed and approved during the upcoming session of Parliament, which begins on Jan. 26.
When asked if he was willing to allow a free media in Burma, Thein Sein said: “With regards to freedom of the media, you can see that it is not like it was before. We have a daily journal published in our country and [the media] can express freely in the paper. However, we still require democratic practices.”
He then added, however, that “The media needs to take responsibility and proper actions. Media freedom will be based on the accountability they have.” This echoes a line often repeated by his information minister and other ex-regime officials, and implies that if new media laws are introduced, self-censorship by the media will be part of the new press policies.
When asked about further steps that may be required to attract foreign investment, such as a strengthening of the rule of law in Burma, the president said that changes have already been made and all that was left to do was to lift sanctions.
“We welcome foreign investors and we have made necessary amendments to our law as it relates to foreign investment. But foreign investors will only come once sanctions have been eased up on our country,” he said.
Despite the fact that most foreign companies looking to do business in Burma face a slew of obstacles, ranging from restrictive investment laws to a bifurcated currency exchange system, a corrupt governmental environment and an unreliable legal system, Thein Sein said that he didn’t think there are any difficulties for foreigners making investments in Burma. “The only difficulty they [would have] is sanctions,” he said.
The area where Thein Sein seemed most hesitant to commit to reform was with respect to the military’s involvement in the political process and the fact that it controls 25 percent of Parliament.
“We cannot leave the military behind because we require the military’s participation in our country’s development,” he said.
Thein Sein claimed that the military is no longer involved in the executive body and pointed out that the president appoints the commander-in-chief. But he did not mention the role played by the National Security and Defense Council, which includes five military-related members, is made up almost entirely of men who were generals in the previous regime, and is believed to have an unofficial veto over many important matters.
He also discussed Burma’s alleged military ties with North Korea, stating that his government has diplomatic relations with North Korea but no relations with regard to an alleged nuclear program or military cooperation. He said that Burma has always abided by the UN resolutions and is in the process of signing the additional protocol of the IAEA, which he said must be studied and submitted to Parliament for approval.
Throughout the interview, Thein Sein tapped into his newfound popularity with the Burmese public, which has escalated since his release of prominent political prisoners on Jan. 13, and referred several times to the wishes and will of the people.
“The reform measures are being undertaken based on the wishes of the people [who want] to see our country have peace and stability as well as economic development,” he said.
“People would like to see peace and stability and that is why we have had engagement with the ethnic armed groups. That’s why our reform process is based on the wishes and the will of the people.”
Near the conclusion of the interview, Thein Sein addressed a concern expressed by many observers—that the reform process is still fragile and reversible. He told The Washington Post that Burma was on the right track to democracy, and therefore “we can only move forward, and we don’t have any intention to draw back.”
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