Yes the bill needs to be signed by the President but his assent is no more than a mere formality. But what is significant is that its adoption has exactly in the same week the junta had crushed protests by monks of what has come to be described as ‘saffron revolution’
Many of the hundreds of monks hauled up at that time are still in jail. Early this month, a small group of monks were allowed to stage a two-day protest calling for the prisoners’ release as well as freedom of speech for monks and an end to conflicts between the army and ethnic minority groups. It is to be expected that they would be freed along with the large number of political activists still languishing in jails.
Under the new law, demonstrators will be allowed to hold protests with flags and party symbols. But they will have to inform the authorities five days in advance, which inter alia means adhering to the dos and don’ts if imposed. One don’t is already spelt out. No protest demos near government buildings, schools, hospitals and embassies. Viewed dispassionately, this is not big don’t as in most countries across the world, demonstrators are advised normally to avoid hospital belt and schools areas. Addition of embassies to the taboo areas list is apparently an attempt to avoid attracting attention of the foreign mission. But it cannot be denied that these days across the world, the open spaces opposite embassies have become a sort of Hyde Park to ventilate various grievances since we are living in a one big global village.
Only in October, Thein Sein government enacted a new labour law under which workers are entitled to stage protests and set up labour unions, both of which were banned under the junta’s iron fist for twenty-years.
Another development as significant as lifting of restrictions on protests is the peace talks at the weekend the government had with ethnic minority rebel groups who have been waging a violent insurgency for greater rights and autonomy for decades.
Both these developments augur well and in fact set the stage for a fruitful dialogue between the junta and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who would be visiting Yangon and Naypyidaw over the next week or so. She will be the first secretary of state to visit Myanmar in 50 years. Her sojourn through Myanmar may not signal end to sanctions, which the UN has imposed at the US behest. Such expectation is premature to say the least. But there is no denying that the dialogue would pave the way for a better appreciation of the plans and planks of Myanmar government for a smooth march forward.
Japan said on Thursday it would send officials to Myanmar to discuss resuming development aid, suspended in 2003 over democracy icon Suu Kyi’s detention. For President Sein, resumption of aid will open up alternatives to tapping help for development. The Japanese delegation, according to reports, will discuss the possibility of resuming construction work on a hydropower plant- another welcome step in growing international involvement with Myanmar.
