Leading reformer gives first insider's glimpse into Thein
Sein administration
GWEN ROBINSON, Chief Editor (Nikkei)
SINGAPORE -- Myanmar's opening to the world in 2011 left
lingering questions about the impetus for its dramatic shift. Why did a harsh
and secretive military regime spawn a quasi-civilian government, led by a
mild-mannered retired general called Thein Sein? And why did it then lay the
groundwork for the rise of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, a past target for
vilification by the same generals who released her in late 2010 from years of
house arrest.
In late 2015, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
trounced Myanmar's military-backed ruling party in the first free and fair
polls in decades. True to his promises, President Thein Sein handed power to
the NLD government in early 2016.
Since then, the former president and his inner circle
have stayed silent, turning down interview requests and shunning publicity. But
seven years after the elections that brought Thein Sein to power, a key figure
in his administration, former navy chief and economic "super
minister" Soe Thane has broken the silence.
In a new book, "Myanmar's Transformation & U
Thein Sein: An Insider's Account," Soe Thane gives an unprecedented
glimpse into the inner workings of the Thein Sein administration, and sheds
light on its moves to open up Myanmar, battle reactionary forces and adopt
international norms.
In chapters tackling subjects as diverse as foreign
policy and the shift from China to the West, economic liberalization, political
upheavals, the roots of the Rakhine crisis and the fight against corruption, he
discusses key decisions including the release of political prisoners, the move
to suspend China's multi-billion-dollar Myitsone Dam project, economic
liberalization initiatives and the peace process with ethnic armed groups.
The self-published book features long quotes from Thein
Sein's speeches, lists of personnel and government finances, and descriptions
of official meetings. But it also exposes dissent within the ruling party and
cabinet, and external pressures applied by governments and multinational
companies. There are stark descriptions of internal efforts to unseat the
president and his battles with protectionist and ultra nationalist forces.
"I wrote the book because I felt sad that a genuine
reformer and a brave leader would go into obscurity. I wanted to give credit
where it was due -- and I believe the history of events serves as a useful tool
in learning lessons for the future," Soe Thane told the Nikkei Asian
Review in an interview.
In recent months, a mass exodus of Rohingya Muslim
refugees to Bangladesh amid international accusations of ethnic cleansing has
shattered Western perceptions of Suu Kyi's reformist credentials, of the
military's willingness to reform, and of the country as a whole.
In the eyes of Soe Thane -- and outsiders who welcomed
the government's democratization efforts -- the fact remains that vital
reforms, ranging from free elections to prisoner releases and economic
liberalization, flowed from the regime change of 2011. Yet, mystery still
surrounds the shift.
