Developments in the Union of Myanmar

Developments in the Union of Myanmar

The Union of Myanmar, presently is a country in a state of
change and transformation. Fundamental changes have taken place
in the country. The single party system and the centrally planned
economic system have been abandoned in favor of multi-party
system with a market-oriented economy. As a result of over a
decade of strenuous efforts in nation building and national
reconstruction, Myanmar is now enjoying unprecedented peace and
stability and is poised to achieve great progress and
development.

National Reconciliation

As Myanmar is a Union composed of 135 different national
races, the fundamental problem of the country is the preservation
of unity among its national races to prevent disintegration.

Because of the century-long divide and rule policy of the
colonial power, Myanmar had to face the problem of numerous
insurgencies immediately after its independence. After assumption
of state responsibilities, the present Government has placed
national reconsolidation as one of its top priorities as it
believes that unity is the very lifeblood of the nation.

By demonstrating sincerity, goodwill and patience, the
Government was able to gain the confidence of the armed groups
and 17 out of 18 armed groups have already returned to the legal
fold and have joined hands with the Government in the development
of their respective regions. In other words, the Government is
able to achieve successfully what the previous Governments were
never able to do in its history since regaining of the
independence in 1948. The Government is still extending an olive
branch to the remaining armed group.

Thus for the first time in more than 50 years, internal
insurgency, which had plagued the country since independence, has
now practically come to an end. The guns of insurgency have now
fallen virtually silent. Peace and stability prevail in almost
every corner of the nation, giving development a chance.

This constitutes a truly unprecedented political achievement
and a great leap forward in the consolidation of national unity.
Towards a Multi-party Democratic State

Myanmar's national goal is to become a peaceful, prosperous,
modern and developed State. Towards this end, Myanmar is striving
to establish a multi-party democratic political system with a
market-oriented economic foundation and a harmonious society
where people enjoy material as well as spiritual and moral well-
being.

A steady course has been charted towards the cherished goal of
a peaceful democratic society that is in keeping with the
conditions of the country. The world is full of examples where a
hasty transition from one system to another has resulted in
chaos, disruptions and violence. The Government therefore
believes that the transition to a new system cannot be done in
haste or in a haphazard manner. Although the armed groups had
returned to the legal fold, they are still holding on to their
arms. Thus, great care is being taken to ensure that the
country's transition is peaceful, smooth and effective.

In fact, the Government is laying down the firm foundation for
a democratic system best suited to the country so that successive
Governments, which will emerge under the new constitution, will
not have difficulty in overcoming future challenges. With the
recent developments in Myanmar, the political climate in the
country is moving towards the direction that is conducive to
national reconciliation.

Efforts for Eradication of Narcotic Drugs

In Myanmar the problem of narcotic drugs is a legacy of its
colonial past. It was the colonialists that introduced opium into
the country. As history vividly shows, forces beyond the
Government's control contributed to this state of affairs. The
Government, however, regards the suppression of narcotic drugs as
a national task and a top priority and is fully committed to
combating the scourge of narcotic drugs. The sacrifice of
hundreds of its security personnel in anti-narcotics operations
demonstrates the genuine seriousness of the Government in
combating the drugs menace.

The present Government has made considerable headway in the
suppression of narcotic drugs and reduction of opium production.
To achieve this it has tackled the problem in a holistic manner
including strengthening of legislation and enhancement of law
enforcement capacity. These measures have been taken together
with a development program to provide alternative livelihood to
the people in the far-flung areas.

Myanmar has been implementing a 15-year Master Plan covering
the period from 1999 to 2014 for total eradication of poppy
cultivation in cooperation with those national groups, which have
signed peace accords with the government. The Plan is now
operating and in full swing in 51 townships in the Shan, Chin,
Kachin and Kayah States. As the drugs problem is a transnational
issue, Myanmar has signed memoranda of understanding for
cooperation in narcotics suppression with all its neighbors.

The Government's efforts are bearing fruits as former opium
cultivators are now co-operating with the government in its anti-
narcotics measures. Several areas have been declared opium-free
zones and poppy cultivators have turned to alternative crops.

Stepped-up law enforcement measures have resulted in increased
seizure of narcotic drugs and drastic decline in poppy
cultivation and production, which was recently recognized by the
United Nations.

Yet, Myanmar's serious efforts in fighting this global menace
are unnecessarily hampered by lack of international cooperation.
With enhanced international cooperation, Myanmar's goal to
declare the country drug-free by the year 2015 will be achieved
more expeditiously.

Cooperation with the United Nations

Myanmar firmly believes in the purposes and principles of the
United Nations. As such cooperation with the United Nations is
and has always been one of the cornerstones of Myanmar's foreign
policy.

Myanmar has made every effort to cooperate with the UN in all
fields, especially in the field of promoting human rights.
Myanmar continues its positive dialogue with the United Nations
through his Special Envoy Mr. Razali Ismail, who has paid his
ninth visit to the country in November 2002. The Special
Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights Paulo Sergio
Pinheiro was also accorded full and unhindered cooperation during
his visits to Myanmar. The Government has also been cooperating
with ICRC by allowing access to prisons through out the country
to observe at first-hand the situation in the prisons.

The Government has also accepted the appointment of an ILO
liaison officer in Myanmar as agreed between Myanmar and ILO. A
high level technical cooperation mission from ILO has been
invited to visit Myanmar in the near future. These developments
demonstrate the Government's seriousness in cooperation with the
ILO to address the issue of forced labor.

Moreover, the Government embarked on a human rights initiative
after forming a National Human Rights Committee in April 2000.
The Committee has been organizing a series of workshops and
seminars with the cooperation of the Australian Government to
disseminate information on human rights standards for public
officials as well as a wide range of citizens.

Regardless of these positive developments, Myanmar continues
to be a target of various allegations, which are entirely based
on information coming from insurgent groups and expatriates with
a hidden political agenda. Where human rights are concerned, the
Government does not condone any human rights violations. The
Government has been striving hard to promote economic and social
progress and better standards of its people and, in this process,
made considerable progress in fulfilling the people's fundamental
rights to adequate food, shelter and clothing.
Developments on Economic Front

Having restored national reconsolidation, peace and stability,
the Government is in a position to devote its time and resources
more on building the economic groundwork for all-round
development of the nation. When the Government took over the
reign of the State in 1988, the country was in total chaos and on
the verge of disintegration, the economy had broken down
completely and the foreign reserves virtually exhausted. However,
with the adoption of a series of bold economic reform measures,
the Government has successfully managed to turn around the
situation, with little or no external assistance. Central to
those measures include decentralizing central control,
liberalization of trade, encouraging private sector and foreign
direct investment and integration into the region. This has
resulted in remarkable improvement in the national economy. A
comparison of the GDP constant prices of 1988/89 with that of
2000/01 will show that it have achieved an average annual growth
rate of 6.5 percent during the 12-year period. Thus the
Government has achieved, among other things, the significant
economic progress and improvement of the living standards of the
people.

The Government has also been vigorously undertaking
infrastructure building on unprecedented scales throughout the
country over the last decade. These include bridges over its main
rivers, new roads and rail-links, airports to improve
transportation and communication as well as hydropower plants,
dams and networks of canals to boost industry, agriculture and
rural development. The Government is relying entirely on its own
resources for these nation-building endeavors, which have
resulted in massive improvement in infrastructure.

Land of Opportunities

With its abundant natural resources, low operating costs and
over 50 million of potential consumers, Myanmar is in an
advantageous position to offer unlimited opportunities for
foreign investments. Since the promulgation of Foreign Investment
Law over a decade ago, Myanmar has opened its door of economic
opportunities to the outside world and is inviting foreign
investments in virtually all areas including agriculture,
livestock and fisheries, mining, energy, forestry and last but
not least tourism.

The prevailing peace and tranquility, the warmth of its
friendly people, the richness in natural beauty and historic
cultural sites have made the country an attractive tourist
destination, which is yet known only to those who visited the
country. With the Government's enhanced encouragement to
promotion of tourism, potential of this dynamic sector is poised
to gain further momentum in near future. As everyone who visits
Myanmar can witness peace, tranquility, law and order prevail in
the country where people can feel safe and secure and enjoy
normal daily life in contentment.