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Regular New Mandala readers know that over the past few years I have been spending a lot of time in Naypyitaw. It’s a place that I have now written about on a few occasions, including in pieces like this one and this one. I have also given talks on the topic here and there.
Today I have another essay on the city, this time published by Nikkei Asian Review. It begins by noting:
Too often, people visiting Myanmar get caught up in the stereotypes used to describe the city: a Potemkin dictatorial paradise with no hint of culture or life. Its scale and novelty tend to stump first-time visitors, unable to conceive that there is serious method in the apparent madness.
Even today many appraisals of Naypyitaw miss the fact that, against all odds, it is becoming an unexpectedly vibrant and varied place — a new urban model for Myanmar. The model draws its inspiration from a cluttered history in which royalist, anti-colonialist and socialist elements jockey alongside today’s crony-capitalist and federalist additions.
The architecture and infrastructure usually receive the most attention, but what is truly exciting about the new city is its people. The Naypyitawites of 2015 are a diverse group, but what they demonstrate is just how far Myanmar has already come.
The full article is available here.
“What is truly exciting about the new city is its people”. Here’s a new Facebook page which documents people in Myanmar’s new capital: “Humans of Naypyidaw”.
https://www.facebook.com/humansofnaypyidaw/timeline
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As Dr. Michael Aung-Thwin once said, it’s natural that Myanmar capital goes back to their heartlands. And despite criticisms, it’s fast becoming a “natural” capital. Some of my friends at University of Medicine are increasingly choosing Naypyitaw for their house surgeon year, to gain contacts in Civil Service. Soon, it will be a land of opportunities for those choosing a career in Civil Service.
So what should be next for Naypyitaw? It will be great to see all MPs, including the military, settling down in Naypyitaw with their families at least for their terms. We will need great schools, recreational parks, cultural connections and job opportunities for their family members. This will pay off definitely. If the children of opposite parties’ MPs are in the same school, playing on the same football team, if they meet each other at pagodas and parks every weekend, and strike up a honest conversation between them, and if they can learn those on the “other side” are humans too, who are, just like them, want to work for the country, many of Myanmar’s problems will disappear, or at least, be easier to solve.
There was no connection between them when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was leading pro-democracy protests on the streets, while General Saw Maung and Khin Nyunt were knocking at Ne Win’s doors to get advice on how to restore orders, amid reports from their spies about beheading, arson and looting. There was no connection between them when NLD MPs threatened Nuremberg trials, walked out of National Convention and asked for sanctions, while SPDC declared NLD illegal organization and began arresting their members and political dissents. Without human connections, distortion, simplification, and polarization take roots. Our MPs should work to understand the “other side” (with possible exception of crony-backed or crony MPs who want to keep their wealth) has good faith too.
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We’ve seen ample evidence of the resilience of the Burmese in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. They are bound to make the place wherever.
This one of course works by compulsion be it govt servants, businessmen or diplomats. Besides all supplicants must kowtow before the great presence “under the royal golden feet”.
In an ideal world we’d all be sitting round a table contemplating, co-operating and collaborating happily for the greater good. Would that it should come true in the real world. We wouldn’t even have such a thing called politics.
Sr Gen Min Aung Hlaing has said in the BBC interview much the same vein as Gen Saw Maung said in English in 1990 (@ 2:22 in the video clip).
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It is surprising that he said “5 or 10 years”. I was expecting about 20 years, given uncompromising attitude of the opposition.
I am not arguing for a utopia commonly featured on communist posters. But in the past twenty years, how far would Myanmar have progressed if the opposition (and the world) understood, and had sympathy for, the views and arguments of those in the military. We don’t see any attempt by Burmese opposition to ease military fears of civilian politics. Every time we hear the same tales about kicking the military out. Much of the 2008 constitution was already completed in 1995, but opposition MPs walked out, threatened Nuremberg-style trials, and asked for sanctions. In the 17-years standoff, cronies grew wealth and deeply entrenched in the economy, Pagan was haphazardly restored, dissents were sent to prisons and people became poorer. Yet NLD ended up accepting the same constitution in 2012.
“All means were used to mass parliamentary following. Ministerial positions were promised, money was lavishly used to buy up the MPs, autonomous States were bargained, and “special” concessions such as formation of racial battalions in the army, and removal of immigration and customs checks in smuggling areas, were promised. In short, both factions tried to sell the country to serve their purposes; and only the price differed, one selling at a cheaper bargain than the other.” –Guardian Sein Lwin writing about the split of AFPFL, The Split Story, The Guardian, 1959
The events of 1958, and threats of Shan states to secede from the Union, forever shocked the military. DASSK was in India, and then in Europe, and did not experience how close the country her father gave life for was to secession. We can see from speeches that her way of thinking, which is a reflection of her Oxford PPE degree, is more suited to Roman Republic style power struggles than Myanmar politics. Many ethnic politicians, ex-commanders who retired from politics, and academics like Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing and Michael Aung-Thwin, who worked with her, also made the same observation: “She was too Westernized”. The generals are no saints. Some like the late U Aung Thaung may be excessively greedy. But many are also sincere. In fact, 1/3 of NLD senior members like U Tin Oo are ex-military commanders. We shouldn’t buy the narratives that those who came out military become saints but those who are in are devils.
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I think Michael Aung-Thwin is a lot more “Westernised” than Suu Kyi. Anyway, “Sinicisation” and not “Westernisation” is what’s causing problems in Burma, but the West did misjudge Suu Kyi’s true character. She is a very ambitious woman with a huge ego and is definitely not a Mother Theresa type (notwithstanding all the accolades she received from the West)
By the way, half of my ancestors were born within a 20 mile radius of Pyinmana (Nypyitaw didn’t exist in those days).
A historical factoid: before the British granted independence, they actually thought about restoring the monarchy in Burma by anointing the Prince of Pyinmana to be the new King ( instead of negotiating Burma’s independence with Aung San, Suu Kyi’s dad)
Well Burma would have “grown up” very differently (more like Thailand?)
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MAH couldn’t have expected a better mouthpiece than you, SWH. The Lady doth protest too much when she should’ve been putty in the hands of the generals, well, in the event to all intents and purposes.
No, you can’t trust these civilians, can you? Politics is too important to leave it to politicians. It’s the stuff the military is born to do, and how wonderfully well they’ve done over these decades,and of course they should remain at the helm. What do these civilians know? They can’t just change their longyis into trousers. At least the generals can simply change into longyis as they’ve been doing it at home and in govt all the time.
And no to all the killjoys and spoilsports. Logically the big cudgel must remain firmly in the hands of the generals too. Definitely no N word from the NLD or the F word from the minorities either. They should all know their places after all these years. What’s wrong with power wielded by the military for half a century? They deserve a second chance for a second time. Above all they know best what’s in the best interests of the country.
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