Morung Express News
Guwahati | May 11
Chairman of Myanmar’s Naga National League for Democracy (NNLD) in exile, U Saw Sa said nothing has changed in the Naga areas in Myanmar between the time he left Burma in 1968 till today. A Burmese Naga, Saw Sa belongs to Aung San Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy which won a landslide victory in the April 1 by-elections in Myanmar. He lamented that the Myanmar government has totally ignored and kept the Nagas in the dark citing underground activities killing tourists but he refuted such allegations.
A “Two-day workshop on reflections of 2012 by-elections in Burma” started at North East Diocesan Social Forum Guwahati on Friday and Sa was one of the speakers.
He said the Nagas in Burma were under suppressed condition with no voice of their own. This suppression is attributed by the military government to the presence of undergrounds, Sa added. “We demand nothing more than equality and justice. We should be given equal treatment whether educated or uneducated,” Sa said.
The NNLD chairman in exile pointed out that there were no teachers in schools, no medicines in dispensaries and roads were also constructed only for namesake.
Sa who lives in Nagaland talked about the 46-mile footpath between Layshi and Tamanthi which has been converted to motorable condition but was doing more bad than good as the road is too steep and narrow claiming scores of lives in accidents. Sa said the declaration of self administrative zones in Naga areas was a farce as the government was functioning in their own way without consultations with the Nagas. He alleged that the government continues to send intelligence from army personnel who commit rape on Naga women and resort to other crimes. Sa said such report of excesses sent to the government was in vain. “The Nagas are facing a very inhuman situation. We try to help them but with less outcome because of the military,” Sa said.
He felt that the only hope for the Nagas was genuine democracy and that the intervention of northeast India would help in accelerating the process of democratic transition. There are road projects from Nagaland side to Myanmar but no such projects from the Myanmar side, he said. The exiled NLD leader appealed the Indian government to adopt effective policies for NE and the Nagas.
Chairman of Burma Centre Delhi, Dr. Tint Swe also spoke on the condition of the ethnic groups in Myanmar and pointed out that the areas inhabited especially by Nagas were “extremely underdeveloped” and expressed full sympathy for those people. He made mention of the pathetic road conditions connecting Naga areas in Myanmar to northeast. Dr. Swe said the once flourishing Moreh trade centre has become deserted today at a time when India was talking high about connectivity with Myanmar. “It’s a big question of how much is actually connected,” he said and added that it was a good time to review the Look East Policy and how much benefit India was getting.
Dr. Swe said although there is democratic transition taking place yet democracy still hangs in balance. “It’s military versus democracy, we haven’t won yet. Nobody knows when they (junta) will go back to ground zero,” he said. In the midst of such uncertainty, he appealed for the “good friends” of Burma to help accelerate the democratic process.
Referring to India expressing its inability of prime minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh to meet Suu Kyi citing protocols which prevented him to meet the opposition party in Myanmar, Dr. Swe wondered what protocol India followed. When British prime minister David Cameroon could meet her, why India objected to such meeting with Suu Kyi, Dr. Swe queried.
Dr. Swe who is an ex-MP from Suu Kyi’s NLD party strongly advocated people-to-people contact in northeast India to drum up support for amendment of the Myanmar constitution which was drafted by the military government. One of the main objectives of Suu Kyi is to amend the constitution. For a change in Burma, he underscored the importance of the support of civil society to involve in extra parliamentary activities. In this regard, he made a strong appeal to the NE NGOs to work with friends in Burma.
Dr. Swe expected the northeast to understand Burma more than before and educate the people in Myanmar. However, he said that the system of cooperation should come from the people in Burma.
He pointed out that NE could help Burma in the field of education by accepting scholarships for students. The NE states should push their own government in Delhi for reforms in foreign policy in regard to Myanmar, he added.
Ex-MLA from Nagaland, Tangsoi Thongo spoke on the “Perspective on political reforms in Burma and role of NE state.” He said the Khiamnuingan people were politically divided into two countries; 70% in Burma and 30 % in India, but added that socially and culturally they were one. He said there were 40 Khiamnuingan villages in Nagaland while more than 100 villages were across the border in Myanmar.
Thongo said that the people were forced to do construction works and those who refused to work due to health reasons were jailed. The ex-MLA also said construction of roads were cutting through thick forests which he described it as systematic exploration of wealth of the east especially timber by the government. “So it is not construction but destruction of forest wealth,” he added.
Thongo said it was needed of the government of India to intervene for the safety of the Naga people. Stating that the developments taking place in Naga areas were all political decisions, Thongo said the political leaders of NE could be used for protection of the ethnic people in Burma.
With regard to the problem of poor education system in Burma, social activist Niketu Iralu said the rising number of educated unemployed youth in Nagaland could go to Myanmar to promote education. He expressed willingness to discuss the issue with like-minded people and organisations in Nagaland. Iralu also spoke on the possibility of vengeful politics that could emerge when a solution arrives between the government of India and the Nagas if only one Naga political group continued dialogue with Delhi.
Convenor of Burma Centre Delhi (BCD), Dr. Alana Golmei presented a paper on the “Overview of 2012 by-elections in Burma.” She said NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi gave up objections in the wording of the oath taking in Myanmar parliament because of two reasons: she respected the people’s desire who helped the party win a majority in the by-elections and who want to see the winners in the parliament and; to show respect to members of ethnic political parties that were already MPs who asked them to join parliament.
With the changing scenario in Burma, chairman of North East Social Research Council, Dr. Walter Fernandes stressed on the need for India to re-establish relationships with Burma. He said the ethnic communities in Burma were divided in India and Burma such as the Nagas and the Mizos and that the northeast has a role to play in such situation.
Nava Thakuria of Journalists’ Forum Assam spoke on the topic, “Perspective from NE media.” The issue of Nagas in Myanmar and other ethnic groups dominated the first day of daylong workshop. At the end of the workshop, the organisers BCD and North East Social Research Council would prepare the outcome and an action plan for submission to the government of India.
