By THE IRRAWADDY
2 December 2017
CHIANG MAI, Thailand –
Myanmar Army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military as an
institution must be free of political influence, while at the same time
asserting the principle that the Tatmadaw continues its efforts in support of
“national politics.”
During an address to newly graduating officers of the
Defense Service Academy’s intake 59 in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region, on
Friday, the Army chief also singled out for praise his troops’ handling of the
Rakhine State crisis and peace-building efforts in the country.
His remarks drew criticism from observers and political
analysts, who pointed to the fact that 25 percent of seats in the legislature
are reserved for military appointees, while the Tatmadaw also retains control
of three key ministerial posts.
The Tatmadaw “must be a professional army that is
apolitical; to be out of the shadow of political influence, it must not be
involved in party politics or national politics,” said Dr. Yan Myo Thein, a
political analyst.
Only when the Tatmadaw is a professional institution will
it be able to assist in the country’s democratic transition, he said.
To achieve that, he said, the Tatmadaw “needs to end its
involvement in the government and parliament sooner rather than later.”
While the Army Chief has stressed the importance of
making the Tatmadaw a “standard” army, this is different from the professional
institution advocated by many observers.
Defining what is meant by being “free of the shadow of
political influence” is tricky, said Kheung Sai, an adviser to the Restoration
Council of Shan State. Only Sen Gen Min Aung Hlaing can really say what this
means, Kheung Sai said.
He suggested two possible meanings for the general’s
remark: that the Tatmadaw is a professional army that does not participate in
politics; or that the Tatmadaw is not influenced by a particular political
party.
Allegations of rights abuses denied
Despite accusations of human rights violations against
ethnic minority areas during the civil war over the past seven decades, most
recently in northern Rakhine State, the Army chief
insisted that his troops strictly followed orders, rules and
regulations.
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“No one is above the law,” he said, adding that the
Tatmadaw has a constitutional duty to protect citizens and the state without
harming the state’s sovereignty.
He urged the new graduates to be good officers who are
loyal to their superiors, respected by their subordinates and trusted by the
people.
Highlighting the Tatmadaw’s role in the current Rakhine
crisis, he said that while the military’s efforts have been in accordance with
the law, international institutions and some Western media misunderstood the
Rakhine crisis due to the dissemination of incorrect information and
propaganda.
Though he did not mention any specific reports, it is
likely that he was referring to those published by international human rights
organizations during the past three months.
Human Rights Watch has accused Tatmadaw troops of killing
Rohingya and committing mass rapes against Rohingya women and girls. The United
Nations and the U.S. have described the situation in Rakhine State as “ethnic cleansing”, and Amnesty International has labeled the political situation there as “apartheid”.
Some Western media have suggested the Rohingya are the victims of genocide.
Most people in Myanmar use the term “Bengali” rather than Rohingya.
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Sen Gen Min Aung Hlaing reiterated that his men “strictly
followed orders and acted in accordance with the rules of engagement [ROE]
during the recent Rakhine crisis.” He said the Muslim militant group known as
the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) – which the government regards as a
terrorist group – coordinated attacks on 30 police outposts and an Army base
and brutally killed local villagers. The general did not specify any groups of
victims by name, but they are known to have included Rakhines, Mro and Hindus.
Groups of minority Hindus were brutally killed in an ARSA
attack on Aug. 25. Their bodies were unearthed one month later, on Sept. 24.
“The Tatmadaw will provide full protection for those
minority groups in Rakhine State to protect them from ‘genocide’,” he added.
Push for NCA implementation
Regarding the peace building process, he affirmed the
Tatmadaw’s view that the six-point policy for peace should be followed by all
sides, as it was drafted based on past experiences and the current
circumstances.
He emphasized the importance of signing the Nationwide
Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the eight ethnic armed groups, adding that “NCA
principles don’t impose any restriction nor prohibition on the rights of the
people and allow them to enjoy their rights as much as possible. Thus peace can
be achieved by quick implementation of the NCA.”
The Army chief’s remarks about the NCA were welcomed by
Kheung Sai, who said the military leader’s comment would help smooth the path
for further negotiations.
Negotiations at a recent meeting of the Union Peace
Dialogue Joint Committee and a review of the NCA’s implementation involved
heated debates over each term of the NCA, he explained.
However, he said, “it should be clear that there are
still some terms on which the ethnic armed organizations [EAOs]’ leadership and
the Tatmadaw have yet to agree.”
One of these sticking points concerns the definition of
security reintegration, he said, with questions remaining over whether
reintegration refers to assimilation into society or disarmament. This still
needs further clarification, Kheung Sai said.
EAO leaders want detailed discussions of security sector
reforms (SSR). However, the Tatmadaw wants to limit discussions to disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration (DDR) under the topic of security sector
reintegration.