Excerpts from this essay appeared in The Independent on 12 September 1988 under the title ‘Belief in Burma’s Future’. Published here in full for the first time, it was written in the crucial period between the outbreak of spontaneous demonstrations throughout Burma on 8 August and the imposition of direct military rule on 18 September.
There are moments of tragedy, horror, anger and sheer disbelief. Surpassing all is the conviction that a movement which has risen so spontaneously from the people’s irresistible desire for the full enjoyment of human rights must surely prevail. For twenty-six years the talents of the people of Burma have been suppressed by a regime which allowed no freedom of thought or initiative of any kind. Yet the last few weeks have revealed that the people can respond to a situation which requires quick thinking as well as decisive action. Since the wheels of government have stopped turning and the police can no longer guarantee security, local vigilante groups chiefly composed of Buddhist monks and students have sprung up throughout the country. Myriad unions and groups, all resolved upon democracy, have established links to enable them to work together with a unity of purpose amazing in a nation where freedom of association, albeit illegal, has only become possible within the last month. With the breakdown of government administration, difficulties in transport and communications have led to high prices and scarcity of foodstuffs. In this matter as well as in matters of medical supplies the people are taking matters into their own hands to organize relief. The latest manifestation of the growing discipline and solidarity of the people is the way in which the mass demonstrations of today (8 September), comprising perhaps a million or more participants, were successfully concluded without mishap.
Much publicity has been given to looting, arson and other acts of vandalism. It has been evident that the worst incidents have been and are still being instigated by a faction of the government. It is a strange and horrifying situation where the people are trying to preserve order and unity while a faction of the government tries its utmost to promote anarchy. It is very much to the credit of the popular movement for democracy that things are no worse than they are. Some members of the present regime are obviously determined, for reasons beyond the understanding of any responsible person, to resist the manifest will of the people. Their actions seem to be directed solely towards creating chaos and maximum suffering for the people who have rejected them with a unanimity seldom seen in the course of a nation’s history. It is obvious that not all members of the government are involved in the crude and often barbaric plots directed against the people’s movement for democracy. Such plots are almost without exception aborted at an early stage and one is forced to the conclusion that a few desperate and inept hardliners are making a last-ditch attempt to save their positions at all costs.
It might be asked who indeed are ‘the people’ working for democracy. They are the vast majority of the Burmese public who have suffered civil, political and economic privations under the rule of the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP). It could be said that the party by its wanton oppression and lack of sensible economic policies has become the unwitting instrument for unification. It is almost beyond doubt that the only remaining adherents of the BSPP are those who fear that not only their positions but perhaps their safety is at stake. This illustrates yet again the large gap between the BSPP leadership and the people. For while it is undeniable that there are those who might wish to take full revenge on the regime, the majority of the people are more likely to pursue a line of justice tempered by mercy.
The role of the army in Burma is crucial. It was created by my father, General Aung San, who gave many warnings against the army turning into a tyrannical force of oppression. It is the belief of the majority of the people of Burma that the army is being manipulated and misused by a handful of corrupt fanatics whose powers and privileges are dependent on the survival of the present system. It is also becoming increasingly obvious that many members of the armed forces themselves strongly object to the way in which their honour has been tainted by the role forced upon them by the policies of the present regime. All right-thinking citizens of Burma fear that the army might split into irreconcilable factions, and they desire an early and peaceful transition to the kind of political system acceptable to the people wherein the army can return to their barracks with grace and honour.
Many people ask me how I came to be involved in this nationwide movement for democracy. As the daughter of the man regarded as the father of modern Burma it was inevitable that I should have been closely attuned to political currents in the country. From childhood I was deeply interested in the history of the independence movement and in the social and political development of the Union of Burma. Since my father died when I was only two years old it cannot really be said that I knew him. I was taught to think of him as a loving and indulgent father, and as an upright and honourable man who put the welfare of his country above his own interests. It was only when I grew older and started collecting material on his life and achievements that I began to learn what he had really been like and how much he had managed to achieve in his thirty-two years. Not only did I then conceive an admiration for him as a patriot and statesman but I developed a strong sense of empathy as I discovered many similarities in our attitudes. It is perhaps because of this strong bond that I came to feel such a deep sense of responsibility for the welfare of my country.
The present regime came into power in 1962 while I was a student in India, where my mother was serving as the Burmese ambassador. My relationship with this regime has been an uneasy one. There have always been individual members of the government who entertained such strong sentiments of love and loyalty towards my father that they regard his family with warm affection and respect. On the other hand there are those who, while using my father’s name for their own purposes, have never practised the principles that he laid down as essential for the good of the nation. Among such people are a number who harbour strong feelings of jealousy towards our family and who see us as a threat. In 1974 during one of my visits home it was put to me informally that the authorities were anxious to know if I intended to get involved in anti-government activities. I replied that I would never do anything from abroad and that if I were to engage in any political movement I would do so from within the country.
My years abroad provided me with the opportunity to assess Burma’s problems from the broad perspective of the international scene, while my frequent visits home kept me in touch with developments within the country. It was not difficult to recognize that the nation was inexorably deteriorating under the governance of the BSPP. But I could not see any signs of a popular opposition movement which I could support whole-heartedly until I came to Burma last April. Then I found that the mood of the people had changed and that the time for a popular anti-government movement was fast approaching. The massacre of peaceful demonstrators last August precipitated such a movement and decided me to come out in support of the people’s aspirations. This decision was prompted partly by the belief that as my father’s daughter I have a responsibility towards my country.
There have been speculations that some politicians might be influencing my actions. Those who wish to discredit me and a few who entertain genuine fears have also implied that I am surrounded by communists. While it is true that a number of veteran politicians of varying political colour are giving me practical assistance, I have only accepted their help on the clear understanding that they are working for the democratic cause without expectation of future political advantage or personal gain. I myself am strongly opposed to those who put their political creed, party or ideology before the welfare of the nation. Every country and people must search for a political and economic system tailored to their unique situation. At the moment I am working in close association with non-political groups including many students whose only aim is to achieve the kind of democratic system under which the people of Burma can enjoy human rights to the full. This is a time to strive for national unity, not a time in which to build up power bases for future party politics. When asked if I intend to form a political party my reply is that it is not a prospect which I find at all attractive. However, I am prepared to engage in the very kind of party politics I wish to avoid if I am convinced that it would be necessary to uphold the democratic system for which we are all striving at this moment.
Another question I am frequently asked is how long I intend to stay in Burma. It has always been my intention to come back and live in my country some day in order to set up a chain of public libraries and to organize scholarship schemes for students. Whether or not I continue to engage in political activities after a transition to a democratic system of government I would hope to fulfil these aims.
A third question that is often put to me is whether I believe that the people’s movement for democracy will succeed. The answer is an unequivocable YES. Contrary to the predictions of those who are totally out of touch with the mood of Burma today, I believe that not only will the people achieve democracy but that once it is achieved they will be able to make it work for the greater good of the nation.
At this point I cannot resist mentioning the inspiring role played by students in this national movement. I have found the great majority of them not only brave and resourceful but also broad-minded and receptive to new ideas. Their organization and dedication have been amazing and moving. It is most heartening to think that these are the young people who will in the course of time come to shoulder the responsibilities of our country. I cannot help but feel that the future of Burma is assured.