U Tin Oo and realpolitik

Wednesday, 24 February 2010 21:17 Yan Nyein Aung (Youth)

(Commentary)

The National League for Democracy (NLD) party Vice-Chairman U Tin Oo has been freed from house arrest and has resumed his duties. But the news of U Tin Oo’s release didn’t make waves and had a ripple effect as that of student leader Min Ko Naing and Baba (Uncle) U Win Tin’s did. Similarly this news did not get much media coverage. When Min Ko Naing was released, the National Convention was still in progress and basic principles for a new constitution had not yet been laid down. So there was still hope for changing of the political mainstream. Therefore the people had high hopes on the student leaders or 88 Generation students for bringing change in Burma.

But when U Win Tin was released, the 2008 constitution had already forcibly been approved and the junta had announced the 2010 general elections. But the international community and international media were still making noises on this controversial constitution and people were still hoping they had time to stop the junta from going ahead with its plans. Since his release, Baba U Win Tin defiantly and outspokenly talked about everything that he thought should be talked about without hesitation and reluctance. Maybe the junta ignored his words as long as there were no demonstrations and uprising that worries them.

Baba U Tin Oo, like Baba U Win Tin, is a person of integrity and is outspoken. He is committed and determined. He expresses his views very simply and frankly. He led the 8888 uprising along with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. He is the person who led NLD from 1995 to 2003, for about eight years and won the trust and respect of the party members, youths and people. But we cannot hope that he can change the course of the current political process. Nevertheless regaining of leadership by Baba U Tin Oo at this time will embolden the party. He is a trusted and revered leader of the party.

He was released on the evening of February 13. As soon as he took charge as Vice-Chairman on February 15, the first case he had to tackle was the selection of nominees to regroup and reinforce the party Central Committee (CC). We are encouraged to learn that Baba U Tin Oo was quite updated about party affairs in taking decisions and deliberating with the delegates from party States and Divisions branches from February 16 to 17 and as well as at the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting as if he had not been just released from house arrest. Selecting members for CC is crucial but it is not the most important matter.

Though they are saying the time is not yet ripe for contesting the 2010 general elections by holding the Shwe Gong Daing Declaration, the time to take a decision on this matter is not far away. Not surprisingly there are heated debates among party members on this matter with different views and different approaches, and naturally, no one can stop this trend. Let me say by using the current popular term in our party, there are two schools in our party now, namely ‘realist’ and ‘idealist’. Simply said, there are two types of party members and two trends of thinking in our party. The first one is those who want to think pragmatically and those who want to adhere to the principles and no compromise on their stance. Poetically saying, it is a tug-of-war between the head and the heart.

Such dialectic is natural in both human society and the natural world so that the ideal of each member is embedded and woven in our party. Someone might be a ‘realist’ today and he might turn to an ‘idealist’ tomorrow with the stance of never compromising on his commitment and principle. Therefore the current antagonisms in our party are not leading to destruction and devastation. They are not non-negotiable matters. They are antagonisms which can be settled and negotiated peacefully.

But Baba U Tin Oo himself exposed the antagonistic contradiction in our party on February 20 at the function held in his honour by veteran politicians and ethnic parties. In his vote of thanks and acceptance speech for the prize he was awarded, like before, he exposed a secret which was unknown until on that day, very frankly on the incidents and situations just after Depayin massacre and pre-reconvening of National Convention. The main point is the dialogue that took place at that time between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the military regime (SPDC). At these meetings, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told SPDC that she forgave everything that happened at Depayin. And also an agreement had been reached between them to return to the National Convention by the NLD. At that time, according to the delegates of SPDC, its Home Minister had wholeheartedly accepted this offer. But just a day before, the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General negated everything and ‘undid’ every understanding and agreement. This is the secret he revealed on that day.

NLD party members can now see the hidden issue that should be taken into account very clearly. Our party is still holding ‘dialogue’ as the basic principle until the Shwe Gong Daing Declaration. But on the other hand, the main decision maker has not only no interest in this dialogue, but also cancelled all the results of past dialogues and he was not reluctant to dismiss the then Prime Minister, who was the key player in this dialogue. How can we resolve this contradiction?

As Baba U Win Tin has told us since his release from prison, we have only two options. The first one is, to resolve this crisis, surrender and submissive to everything by thinking pragmatically. The second option is to adhere to the principle at the cost of destruction of our party. This is the issue of existence of our party which is higher than antagonism between the heart and the head.

Baba U Tin Oo is the C-in-C turned, Defence Minister turned, legal academician turned politician. Throughout his life, he took many decisions by his discretion and pragmatic approach. At the same time, by adhering to his commitment and principle, he lived with the people, thought for the people, struggled with the people and spent nearly two decades behind bars in one or another form of confinement.

I honestly wish his vast and rich experience, firm commitment, high dignity and integrity and high morals will be useful and instrumental in crucial decision making in the party’s realpolitik programmes and future plans which are soon to be inevitably faced.