Page 380 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

378 CONTEXTS History
The landmark elections were duly held on 8 November, 2015 – the first properly
democratic (or nearly) elections in Myanmar for nearly sixty years. The NLD, as
expected, won a huge majority, taking 390 of the 498 available seats. While the result
itself was never really in doubt, lingering fears that the military would once again
renege on its promises continued to persist. In the event, the government of Thein Sein
stepped aside gracefully, allowing an orderly shift to civilian government – a stunningly
swift and peaceful transition to majority rule for a country that had only six years
earlier still been firmly in the grip of the generals.

The NLD era
Myanmar therefore became a democratic country once again – sort of – although the
military remains a powerful presence to this day, with 166 of the 664 parliamentary
seats reserved for their representatives. They also retain complete control of the
country’s armed forces, over whom the NLD government has no jurisdiction.
There was also the question of Aung San Su Kyi, who was barred by the constitution
from running for president – although The Lady herself had made it clear that she
would lead the new government irrespective of her position, or lack of. Attempts to
have the constitution amended to allow her to serve as president continued into 2016,
but were eventually abandoned; a new post was created specifically for her instead, as
so-called State Counsellor. The role, as Aung San Suu Kyi herself has put it, is “above
the president”, allowing her a free-ranging remit throughout the adminstration.
Irrespective of the political niceties, there was no real question of who was in charge.
The NLD took office on 1 April, 2016. Thirteen days later, the country was rocked
by an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 northwest of Mandalay (although fortunately
causing little damage), and in August that year a second earthquake of magnitude 6.8
rocked central Myanmar, damaging dozens of stupas in Bagan – a natural portent,
perhaps, of further upheavals to come.
Inevitably, the new NLD government was always going to struggle to manage the
sky-high expectations unleashed by its sudden rise to power. Early moves included
the release of dozens of political prisoners, while in August 2016 the landmark
Union Peace Conference – dubbed the “21st Century Panglong Conference” – staged
the first in a proposed series of regular meetings between the government, military
and most of the country’s armed ethnic groups in an attempt to secure lasting peace
for the country – even as fighting continued in three states. In October 2016, the
USA also lifted most of its remaining economic sanctions against the country.
Pre-election pledges to curb the political power of the armed forces were, however,
quietly set aside, while outbreaks of communal violence including the destruction
by mobs of two mosques in mid-2016 passed by without comment or censure from
Aung San Suu Kyi herself (who had also prevously been criticized for failing to field
even a single Muslim candidate during the 2015 elections). Hopes that the new
government would inspire nationwide peace were also thwarted. Fresh fighting in
Shan and Kachin states erupted in March 2016 and was ongoing at the time of
research, with conflicts between government forces and the Kachin Independence
Army (KIA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Kokang’s Myanmar
National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

1992 onwards 2005 2007
Than Shwe initiates modest economic The military government The Saffron Revolution sees
reforms accompanied by widespread establishes a multi-billion- further nationwide protests,
political repression and human rights dollar new capital at again brutally suppressed by
abuses Naypyitaw the military

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