I said that since they held the power, they had to implement the change. I was asked whether I would return to explain how and help with a transition. I agreed but nothing came of the arrangement. The final green light from the top did not come. So the fact that I was allowed in this time does indicate that things are really changing.
Q: During your visit, you met with leaders from the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), which ran in last year's election, and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), which boycotted the election. Did these two parties differ in their view of developments since last year, when the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by Thein Sein, became the ruling party?
A: The SNDP person I spoke with said that unlike the situation in the past, the USDP recruited community leaders in Shan State to represent the party. The state government is also a coalition government including the SNDP and other parties. Therefore, the state government is more cohesive and is better able to represent the interests of Shan State. The SNLD people I met were in Rangoon and included the wife of Chairman Hkun Htun Oo and the wife of General Secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin, [both of whom are in prison]. We discussed the prospects for their release and the current political situation. Although the SNLD and the SNDP are different parties, they come from the same roots and have similar aspirations.
Q: There is still fighting some parts of Shan State, between government forces and the Shan State Army. Did anyone you met in Shan State express any concern about this, or were they more focused on what was going on in Naypyidaw?
A: People were of course concerned, but they do not feel that they can influence either the Tatmadaw or the Shan State Army. They, therefore, tend to focus on the area in which they feel they can have an impact. The people I met were quite satisfied with the way the new Shan State government was conducting itself. Naypyidaw was a secondary issue to them.
Q: The basic message that you came away with seems to be that recent reforms are real but fragile, and that the opposition and exiles should therefore try to encourage further change. What kind of support do you think should be given?
A: We should encourage building up and improving the capacity of democratic institutions. The president says he is accountable to the Constitution. We should encourage him to really discharge his duties according to the Constitution. It is the practice of the rule of law which is very different from the often arbitrary rule of a military dictator. We should also encourage the elected representatives to be accountable to the people who elected them by introducing laws that will benefit their electorate. If we want a sustainable democracy, political parties need to be democratic in both their structure and policies. We should help them improve their capacity to develop policies, draft legislation and present their vision to the general populace. Civil servants also need to be trained to become more professional in discharging their duties in serving the public, instead of bending to the whims of an autocratic leader. In other words, instead of waiting for the system to become democratic, we should make use of whatever opportunities present themselves to promote democratic ideals and practices within the government so that they become institutionalized.
Q: Why were you unable to meet Aung San Suu Kyi during your visit? If you had been able to meet, what would you have liked to say to her?
A: My first full day in Rangoon was a Friday, which I spent sightseeing and reorienting myself. It was suggested to me that day that I should meet Aung San Suu Kyi. I agreed and asked that a meeting be set up. I was later informed that Aung San Suu Kyi did not meet anyone except family and close friends on the weekend but that she would meet me on Wednesday or Thursday when I came back from Shan State. It did not work out on Wednesday, as that was when Derek Mitchell, the US envoy, was visiting. Then on Thursday, I had already arranged meetings with the other parties and Aung San Suu Kyi also had an internal meeting with the NLD. I left on Friday morning. I would have liked to exchange views with her on the current situation and how she thought democracy could be promoted.
Q: We heard that some activists inside Burma did not want to meet with you.