Burma’s NLD leadership must take a stronger stand

The current series of rarely-seen protest demonstrations in Burma against sharp fuel price rises are small in scale but have nevertheless won support and sympathy locally and internationally. The protests have mainly been led by prominent activists of the 88 Generation Students group and rank-and-file members of the opposition National League for Democracy. Sadly and ironically, however, they received no substantial support from the NLD leadership.

NLD Secretary U Lwin confirmed in a recent interview that the protests were small scale and said they were not the way to solve the country’s problems. He seems to forget how the 1988 nationwide pro-democracy uprising began—also on a small scale, initiated by scattered protests by groups of young students. U Lwin’s assessment of the current protests echoes utterances of the junta’s apologists.

There are only two sides to this issue—dissent and consent. While the junta has tried to crack down on the protests, the Burmese people and most pro-democracy groups within and outside Burma have supported the demonstrators.

It’s not at all surprising that the protesters have been brutally attacked by the military and its mob, while earning only depreciation and diminution from the junta’s apologists. But it’s odd and sad to hear negative and discouraging comments from the leadership of the NLD, which committed itself to restore democracy and work for the welfare of the people.

“We will stage demonstrations if they can solve our problems,” U Lwin told Washington-based Radio Free Asia’s Burmese service on Aug 25—but then added: “In fact, they won’t be solved just through protests.”

U Lwin also questioned the degree of support for the protest demonstrations. “How many people are protesting in Rangoon and across the country?” he asked. “There are many people who don’t take part. How can we measure if they [the protests] are an expression of the majority?”

U Lwin missed the point, failing to recognize that those small groups of protesters had taken to the streets knowing they would be brutally beaten and thrown into jail.

U Lwin’s broadcast comments uncovered within the Radio Free Asia audience deep frustration with the leadership of the NLD, contrasting with the support it has built up, both in the Burmese community and internationally, for its stand against the military dictatorship.

The NLD has been under fire since its foundation in 1988. The regime has tried to destroy its work and has harassed and imprisoned most of its leaders. Currently, the party leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Vice Chairman Tin Oo are under house arrest.

It is the junta’s job to destroy or hamper the work of the NLD and the pro-democracy movement; the military leaders are only doing what they have to. The NLD, on the other hand, has to adopt the same kind of single-mindedness in carrying on its work in the face of difficult and dangerous circumstances.

It’s the NLD’s job to make the party stronger, more organized and able to conduct party business despite the obstacles imposed by the generals. Otherwise, the party is not doing what it is supposed to do.

We have sympathy for the party’s executive leaders, many of whom face and have faced detention. Most of them are in their 70s and 80s. They have strong commitment to the movement. But to be frank, this does not qualify them to be seen as leaders of the party.

They are not doing enough politically, apart from trying to keep the party alive in the absence of their leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD’s senior leadership seems to regard itself as the “caretaker” of the party, although it has no mandate from the people.

In the 1990 election, more than 80 percent of the voters gave a huge mandate to the NLD to continue to carry out its task of tackling the economic and political problems of the country.

Now, however, it cannot be the party’s current political goal just to keep itself alive. What will the NLD leadership do as long as Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest? Nobody knows how long the junta will keep her detained. Besides, will the party carry on, and as what, if Aung San Suu Kyi is gone?

In his Radio Free Asia interview, U Lwin said the party had been working, within the limits imposed by the junta, on demands for dialogue. On Monday, the NLD issued an outspoken statement condemning the junta’s brutal attack on the protesters. But it needs to do more than that.

The current NLD leadership has the responsibility to lead the movement. Instead, it is the rank-and-file members of the party who have bravely come out in protest against the regime, without any command of their leadership.

The NLD’s critics take the line: “Without Suu Kyi, the party is nothing.” It should not, and must not, be like that. The party, its members and the public at large need reliable leadership.

The example of South Africa comes to mind. When the head of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela, was in prison, its other leaders were able to carry on the movement.

Without Aung San Suu Kyi or other leaders like her, the opposition movement in Burma must continue under a strong leadership. If the NLD leadership seriously thinks it has to change its policy with reflecting the desire of the people, it’s time for change at the top.