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[THREAD: THE GANDHIAN TYRANT]
0/29
This isn't a new story; wrote this some time last year but for Facebook. So still a first here. It's about a journey. Of a nation from despair to more despair, and of a leader from virtue to perversion.
Read on...
0/29
This isn't a new story; wrote this some time last year but for Facebook. So still a first here. It's about a journey. Of a nation from despair to more despair, and of a leader from virtue to perversion.
Read on...
1/29
When Burma went independent in 1948, much of it was a dystopian wasteland with little going for it other than the signature Third-World adrenaline-rush of self-rule. Dystopia that owed less to colonialism and more to the region's unfortunate geography.
When Burma went independent in 1948, much of it was a dystopian wasteland with little going for it other than the signature Third-World adrenaline-rush of self-rule. Dystopia that owed less to colonialism and more to the region's unfortunate geography.
2/29
Flanking the eastern frontiers of the British Empire's jugular, India, this region became a reluctant sitting duck right in the Japanese line of fire in the later years of WW2. And being at the center of one of the most active theaters of a planetwide conflict has a cost.
Flanking the eastern frontiers of the British Empire's jugular, India, this region became a reluctant sitting duck right in the Japanese line of fire in the later years of WW2. And being at the center of one of the most active theaters of a planetwide conflict has a cost.
3/29
Sure, the war ended, as did the colonial rule. But Burma was practically back to the drawing board. Sao Shwe Thaik became the first President, U Nu the first PM. These names are important. As is that of Aung San, Burma's Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi rolled into one.
Sure, the war ended, as did the colonial rule. But Burma was practically back to the drawing board. Sao Shwe Thaik became the first President, U Nu the first PM. These names are important. As is that of Aung San, Burma's Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi rolled into one.
4/29
As the chief architect of his nation's independence, Aung San is revered as the Father of Burma. Aung San also negotiated the famous Panglong Agreement with Burma's myriad ethnic outliers in an exercise to score their allegiance to the new Union.
As the chief architect of his nation's independence, Aung San is revered as the Father of Burma. Aung San also negotiated the famous Panglong Agreement with Burma's myriad ethnic outliers in an exercise to score their allegiance to the new Union.
5/29
The agreement offered them more autonomy than the Buddhist majority would be comfortable with.
Aung San never got to breathe in a free Burma as he got assassinated in 1947 for less-than-inconspicuous reasons.
Anyway, independence did come, albeit at a price. As always.
The agreement offered them more autonomy than the Buddhist majority would be comfortable with.
Aung San never got to breathe in a free Burma as he got assassinated in 1947 for less-than-inconspicuous reasons.
Anyway, independence did come, albeit at a price. As always.
6/29
The price was economic doom and unprecedented anarchy. With the remote provinces held by the Chinese Kuomintang forces and the rest seeking American help rebuilding itself, the nation practically went through a personality disorder.
The price was economic doom and unprecedented anarchy. With the remote provinces held by the Chinese Kuomintang forces and the rest seeking American help rebuilding itself, the nation practically went through a personality disorder.
7/29
So here's what Burma looks like in the years following independence: Impoverished, confused, and very unstable. Rushing to recognize both, a very American Israel and a very Red PRC, didn't help much. And so, in a final act of desperation, U Nu invited the Army to take over.
So here's what Burma looks like in the years following independence: Impoverished, confused, and very unstable. Rushing to recognize both, a very American Israel and a very Red PRC, didn't help much. And so, in a final act of desperation, U Nu invited the Army to take over.
8/29
Enter Chief of Staff General Ne Win.
The brief was clear: Fix the anarchy, stabilize the country, and hand it over to the people. A B-O-T arrangement of sorts. Ne Win started off right away and about 400 arrests and 2 years later, the brief had been delivered. Successfully.
Enter Chief of Staff General Ne Win.
The brief was clear: Fix the anarchy, stabilize the country, and hand it over to the people. A B-O-T arrangement of sorts. Ne Win started off right away and about 400 arrests and 2 years later, the brief had been delivered. Successfully.
9/29
People celebrated the Army for its iron fist and no-nonsense policies. So when Ne Win, of his own accord, announced general elections in 1960, he only served to further galvanize this image of altruism. Think India Gandhi after Emergency but with the opposite outcome.
People celebrated the Army for its iron fist and no-nonsense policies. So when Ne Win, of his own accord, announced general elections in 1960, he only served to further galvanize this image of altruism. Think India Gandhi after Emergency but with the opposite outcome.
10/29
Elections happened, people voted, and Communist U Nu, the pre-military Prime Minister returned with a decent mandate. All seemed well but Sao Shwe Thaik, the first President, started making all the wrong noises.
Elections happened, people voted, and Communist U Nu, the pre-military Prime Minister returned with a decent mandate. All seemed well but Sao Shwe Thaik, the first President, started making all the wrong noises.
11/29
Thaik continued to campaign for "enhanced federalism," greater autonomy for the frontier tribes. Now if you know anything about the Communists, you know that aren't terribly fond of human rights. Or autonomy.
Nor is the military.
Thaik continued to campaign for "enhanced federalism," greater autonomy for the frontier tribes. Now if you know anything about the Communists, you know that aren't terribly fond of human rights. Or autonomy.
Nor is the military.
12/29
So Thaik's advocacy came to be seen as sedition.
PM U Nu didn't like him.
General Ne Win didn't like him.
Burmese majority didn't like it.
By 1962, the climate was ripe for another military takeover. And that's exactly what happened. In a "bloodless" coup d'état.
So Thaik's advocacy came to be seen as sedition.
PM U Nu didn't like him.
General Ne Win didn't like him.
Burmese majority didn't like it.
By 1962, the climate was ripe for another military takeover. And that's exactly what happened. In a "bloodless" coup d'état.
13/29
This ended the chapters of both Thaik and U Nu.
And of Burma as a democracy.
Officially a Socialist (euphemism for Communist) dictatorship, Burma was now ruled by a Union Revolutionary Council comprised of senior military officials.
This ended the chapters of both Thaik and U Nu.
And of Burma as a democracy.
Officially a Socialist (euphemism for Communist) dictatorship, Burma was now ruled by a Union Revolutionary Council comprised of senior military officials.
14/29
Just a reminder, this was massively celebrated by the Burmese proletariat. Almost as a second independence.
Ironic.
This regime would continue in absolute unbridled power for the next 28 years.
Just a reminder, this was massively celebrated by the Burmese proletariat. Almost as a second independence.
Ironic.
This regime would continue in absolute unbridled power for the next 28 years.
15/29
Just as Rangoon was busy coming to terms with the new state of affairs, a young Burmese girl was busy earning a degree 2,300 miles away in Delhi.
Remember Aung San that I mentioned above, the Father of Burma? His daughter.
Aung San Suu Kyi.
Just as Rangoon was busy coming to terms with the new state of affairs, a young Burmese girl was busy earning a degree 2,300 miles away in Delhi.
Remember Aung San that I mentioned above, the Father of Burma? His daughter.
Aung San Suu Kyi.
16/29
Over the years, the military continued to up the ante, crushing every voice of dissent with cold brutality. One act of savagery at a time. People realized what they got themselves into but it was too late as always.
Over the years, the military continued to up the ante, crushing every voice of dissent with cold brutality. One act of savagery at a time. People realized what they got themselves into but it was too late as always.
17/29
All this came to a head on August 8, 1988 in what's known as the 8888 Uprising. This is where Suu Kyu rose to national prominence. With help from a bunch of Army retirees, she'd only recently put together a political outfit — the National League for Democracy.
All this came to a head on August 8, 1988 in what's known as the 8888 Uprising. This is where Suu Kyu rose to national prominence. With help from a bunch of Army retirees, she'd only recently put together a political outfit — the National League for Democracy.
18/29
As her party's leader, she took her demand for democracy to the streets. This was no mean feat if you know anything about how a Third-World Army reacts to rebellions.
But Suu Kyi's passion wouldn't relent. Her 1988 speech in favor of democracy was heard across the globe.
As her party's leader, she took her demand for democracy to the streets. This was no mean feat if you know anything about how a Third-World Army reacts to rebellions.
But Suu Kyi's passion wouldn't relent. Her 1988 speech in favor of democracy was heard across the globe.
19/29
Inspired by none other than Gandhi and Buddha, she continued to champion nonviolence and non-cooperation.
Her campaign earned her a landslide 81% mandate in 1991, in the first general election announced by the military junta. Alas, it also earned her a disqualification.
Inspired by none other than Gandhi and Buddha, she continued to champion nonviolence and non-cooperation.
Her campaign earned her a landslide 81% mandate in 1991, in the first general election announced by the military junta. Alas, it also earned her a disqualification.
20/29
And a house arrest. Lasting a total of 15 years with sporadic breaks on rare occasions.
Her story reverberated throughout the world and generated enough interest to earn her the 1991 Nobel Peace for her nonviolent reprisals against the Communist-military dictatorship.
And a house arrest. Lasting a total of 15 years with sporadic breaks on rare occasions.
Her story reverberated throughout the world and generated enough interest to earn her the 1991 Nobel Peace for her nonviolent reprisals against the Communist-military dictatorship.
21/29
Those 15 years of detention were hard. And eventful. She spent her days playing the piano, writing memoirs, meeting filtered visitors under scrutiny, and evading assassination attempts. All of this under constant surveillance of the junta.
Those 15 years of detention were hard. And eventful. She spent her days playing the piano, writing memoirs, meeting filtered visitors under scrutiny, and evading assassination attempts. All of this under constant surveillance of the junta.
22/29
During a brief interlude in 2007, Suu Kyi expressed solidarity with a group of Buddhist monks who were marching for human rights. Two months later, the US Congress voted unanimously to confer upon her the Congressional Gold Medal.
During a brief interlude in 2007, Suu Kyi expressed solidarity with a group of Buddhist monks who were marching for human rights. Two months later, the US Congress voted unanimously to confer upon her the Congressional Gold Medal.
23/29
Suu Kyi's detention finally came to an end in 2010 after the military junta agreed to hold another election AND hand over the keys to the winner. This, however, wasn't such a great bargain for Burma yet because the winning party was itself one backed by the junta.
Suu Kyi's detention finally came to an end in 2010 after the military junta agreed to hold another election AND hand over the keys to the winner. This, however, wasn't such a great bargain for Burma yet because the winning party was itself one backed by the junta.
24/29
By the time of her release, Suu Kyi had already become the undisputed international champion of three things: Democracy, feminism, and nonviolence. From George Bush to Barack Obama and from Desmond Tutu to Gordon Brown, her fanbase cut through ideological lines.
By the time of her release, Suu Kyi had already become the undisputed international champion of three things: Democracy, feminism, and nonviolence. From George Bush to Barack Obama and from Desmond Tutu to Gordon Brown, her fanbase cut through ideological lines.
25/29
In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi finally rose to the top of Burma's political totem pole, an event celebrated worldwide as the troubled nation turning a new corner. One more despotic rule coming to an end, one more Cold War dystopia consigned to the trashcan of history.
In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi finally rose to the top of Burma's political totem pole, an event celebrated worldwide as the troubled nation turning a new corner. One more despotic rule coming to an end, one more Cold War dystopia consigned to the trashcan of history.
26/29
A fervid Buddha-Gandhi follower with a Nobel Peace under her belt, a posterchild of nonviolence, freedom, and democracy at the helm of affairs — what wasn't to celebrate?
Burma would find out soon.
A fervid Buddha-Gandhi follower with a Nobel Peace under her belt, a posterchild of nonviolence, freedom, and democracy at the helm of affairs — what wasn't to celebrate?
Burma would find out soon.
27/29
Just 4 short years later in December 2019, this woman sat in the International Court of Justice to defend herself. Charges?
Disenfranchisement, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of an ethnic minority.
Just 4 short years later in December 2019, this woman sat in the International Court of Justice to defend herself. Charges?
Disenfranchisement, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of an ethnic minority.
28/29
Same minority that once, along with others, had signed a deal with her father, Burma's Father. Deal that immunized them from persecution and enshrined their rights — including the right to secede — in the very Constitution. Her partners-in-crime?
Buddhist monks.
Same minority that once, along with others, had signed a deal with her father, Burma's Father. Deal that immunized them from persecution and enshrined their rights — including the right to secede — in the very Constitution. Her partners-in-crime?
Buddhist monks.
29/29
Some time back I'd written about how the oppressed seek vengeance rather than emancipation. About how human civilization is just a never-ending saga of the two sides switching roles alternately.
Well, with Myanmar I rest my case.
Some time back I'd written about how the oppressed seek vengeance rather than emancipation. About how human civilization is just a never-ending saga of the two sides switching roles alternately.
Well, with Myanmar I rest my case.
