The Enduring Leader

Democracy and unfettered market capitalism have transformed international politics. With the strengthening of international institutions facilitating norms in the global political system, each state, no matter its political ideology, is susceptible to domestic political pressures. Citizens of nations are asserting their right to fair governance, freedom, and survival. While democracy is still an experimental project, it proves to be the most utilitarian option this world has to offer.

Myanmar is the latest example of a nation’s people rising together to fight governmental tyranny and oppression. September’s display of protests, led by thousands of Buddhist monks, are strong signs of revolutionary tendencies to overthrow the military junta that has controlled this nation-state for over four decades.

The pro-democracy movement has been alive in Burma for quite some time. The only problem is the military’s ruthless suppression of its own people and the spread of ideas has limited the influence of democratic principles. But, if we have learned anything from the far-reaching social revolutions in both Latin America and Eastern Europe, it is that ideals not only matter, but are crucial. With strong centralized leadership able to mobilize grassroots sectors toward popular rebellion, the political apparatus can be systematically dismantled and replaced with a newfound republic that serve the interests of its citizens while maintaining social order.

In the early 1990’s it looked as if Myanmar achieved the hopes of its people. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Aung San, the revolutionary hero during Burma’s break from colonialism and imperialism with Britain, won the democratic parliamentary elections to become Prime Minister, a true watershed moment for this impoverished Southeast Asian nation. But, almost as swift as the victory for the democratic movement came the nullification of its ruling mandate and the re-institutionalization of the military coup.

A dramatic turn of events occurred this past August. A decision by the military government to sharply raise fuel prices led to rounds of street protests in the capital, Yangon. The situation turned very serious when large number’s of the countries monks, who are widely revered, joined in.

Some of the monks have chanted “Release Suu Kyi” as they have demonstrated in the streets. On Sept. 23d over 100,000 joined in processions led by monks, according to an estimate by The Associated Press. About 500 of the monks marched to the gate of Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi’s home where she greeted them -- the first time she had been seen in public for four years. The government responded the next day by warning senior Buddhist clerics of a crackdown if the monks were not reined in.

Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, has been under house arrest for most of the time since then. Nevertheless she remains a martyr and rallying symbol for the population. It is precisely this aspect that fuels and strengthens the possibility for a successful popular uprising. Even in detention, with her words virtually silenced, she is still the symbol for consciousness, egalitarianism, and nonviolent resistance. Like Gandhi and Mandela before her, she has suffered greatly, but her calls for democracy have not gone unheard. In one of her landmark speeches entitled “Freedom from Fear”, she notes, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”

The intellectual underpinnings of her adapted philosophy of nonviolent resistance have garnered international attention and acclaim. Following her acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, she donated the $1.3 million award to developing her nation’s ability to educate and provide adequate health care services for its people. In sharp contrast to the military junta, who see the subversion of the Burmese people as necessary and sufficient for maintaining its grip on power, Suu Kyi sees the empowerment of all social groups in a participatory democratic process as integral to her nation’s survival.

The international outcry for her release in recent years has been nothing short of spectacular. Democratic leaders, intellectuals, and institutions from every part of the globe have voiced their dismay and pursued initiatives to secure her release, but to little avail. This is why the recent domestic events may be the best opportunity for Burma to secure its peaceful future.

The string of milestones in Pakistan is a testament to the power of a social revolution from the inside, and we may very well see similar events in Myanmar. In Pakistan, massive protests and civilian riots in the major cities such as Karachi have forced the military government to loosen its grip on the nation.

According to Josef Silverstein, an expert on Myanmar at Rutgers University, "She has become the only leader that the Burmese people have acknowledged since the death of her father in 1947. I would add that she has in every way possible emulated what her father stood for, which was for the right of the people to govern themselves and to have a free and democratic country."

In order for the Burmese revolution to maintain its levels of citizen mobilization and survive, it is critical to facilitate the release of Suu Kyi. To overthrow the military government, the revolutionary actors must be potent and strategically well organized. Vertical integration may prove to be a key factor. In this situation, all sectors of society work together in an attempt to co-opt the nation and eventually cause the demise of the illegitimate leadership. Suu Kyi serves as the symbolic glue, binding her deprived peoples together with an overarching purpose: to achieve freedom for themselves and posterity.

Pressure from the domestic arena can only go so far. The United States, the European Union and other nations have responded to repression in Myanmar with economic penalties that have done little to affect its leadership. Myanmar's giant neighbors, China and India, with several other Asian nations, offer it an economic lifeline. President Bush’s significant speech denouncing the military junta at the UN General Assembly last week is a significant step in the right direction. Convincing other Asian leaders on the importance to allow the Burmese people assert their right to self-determination will effectively weaken the brutal and chaotic rule of the military dictatorship.

More and more, the democratic opposition to military rule in Myanmar is personified by one isolated and determined woman. This woman will not bend and will not break.