'The world will welcome Burma if it reforms'

THE Burmese (Myanmar) government, which includes a few civilian faces now, has been sending signals to the international community that it is preparing to introduce changes and move the country towards what many would like to see democracy and reconciliation.

The media spotlight has been trained on Burma since President Thein Sein invited Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to the new capital Naypyidaw to meet him and participate in many high-profile events including a workshop on economic reform last month.

This meeting was anything but normal, since it sent many strong signals that changes had finally been set in motion in a country that has been ruled by a military regime for a long time, diplomats said.

The government, which replaced the junta in March, obviously has some good intentions now that it has officially released a picture of Thein Sein and Suu Kyi standing next to each other with a portrait of the Nobel laureate's father, General Aung San, in the background.

National hero

The picture indicated that the national hero and his daughter were now being recognised by the Burmese society. "We hope to see the portrait of General Aung San replace General Than Shwe's photograph at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok," a diplomat said.

Yet, though the junta's paramount leader Senior General Than Shwe has moved out of the administrative ranks, many observers still wonder about his real role. Some say that the recent selection of Than Shwe's personal assistant Maj-General Soe Shein as the military intelligence chief was a clear reflection of junta leader's true power.

Yet, many believe that Burmese President Thein Sein, who previously served as prime minister in Than Shwe's administration, is independent enough to carry out "reforms".

Human rights committee

A European diplomat said that Thein Sein has made it very clear that he advocated reform and wanted to engage with the international community.

The Burmese government has started implementing measures to tackle economic difficulties due to the appreciation of the kyat currency. In addition, it has reportedly set up a national human rights committee.

Over and above that, Burma welcomed many envoys from the West, including United States Senator John McCain in June and United Nations special rapporteur on human rights Tomas Quintana in August. Kristalina Georgieva, European commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response was in Burma last week, while US special envoy and policy coordinator Derek Mitchell is there this week. All of these envoys have met President Thein Sein, senior government officials and, of course, Suu Kyi to discuss their concerns, including political development and reconciliation.

While saying they are not justifying the legitimacy of a government that might still be backed by military leaders, many countries in the West are hoping that the new set of leaders will bring about some changes. They have set a few benchmarks for "positive developments", including the release of political prisoners, a political role for Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy and an end to conflicts with ethnic minorities before Burma can be rewarded with the lifting of sanctions, development assistance and normal relations.

Easing restriction

The European Union already seems to be easing restrictions and in April it decided to lift the ban on visas and unfroze the assets of civilian members of the new Burmese government, including the foreign minister. Now, senior officials from the EU can also visit Burma.

It's true, nobody has ever wanted to isolate Burma. Countries across the world have always been ready to engage with Burma, provided it shows that it is fully committed to reform, democracy, national reconciliation and respects the rights of humans.The Nation (Bangkok)/ANN