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ACROSS IRRAWADDY
Burma and Bhutan: A Tale of Two Top-down Democracies
What do Burma and Bhutan have in common? They are the two Asian countries that have imposed democracy from above not long ago. Both are Buddhist nations. Burma turned democratic in March 2010 with the general election that was rigged and widely condemned. However, a quick remedy—an open and verified by-election in April 2011—has helped Burma paved the way to democracy. Since then the country has embarked on dramatic political and economic reforms that took the global community by surprise. It used to be one the world’s most disreputable rogue states. Now it has turned its status around from zero to hero although some serious problems remain related to human rights and fierce fighting with key minority groups.
On the other side of India’s Assam region from Burma lies Bhutan. The kingdom, known as Shangri-La to the outside world, moved away from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one in 2008, when the first election was held to choose a new government. Before the democracy actually came, the popular monarch began numerous education programs to raise understanding and awareness of new political developments, especially the duties and responsibilities of Bhutanese citizens. Bhutan’s democratic transformation is the world’s smoothest without any of the bloodletting often witnessed in other emerging democracies around the world.
Myint Thin is a Burmese pseudonym for a veteran Thai journalist residing in Rangoon. His regular column, Across Irrawaddy, appears every Wednesday.
Burma has now become a rather exceptional case in the annals of democratic development when it comes to top-down democracy. Naypyidaw calls its political system “disciplined democracy,” with strong guidance from the state apparatus, especially the military, which comprises 25 percent of the national and regional parliaments in the country.
So far, the economic and political reforms have gone in tandem—a rare practice in this part of world. Most reforms are mainly on economic liberalization. For instance, three decades ago both Vietnam and Laos adopted market-oriented policies to improve their moribund economies. Political reforms in both countries have been sluggish. Burma, which began economic and political reforms two years ago, has made tangible progress on the civil rights issues that both Vietnam and Laos have been avoiding so far. Last year, it set up a national human right commission, freed up the media and recognized the role of civil society organizations.
In a similar vein, Bhutan has been unprecedented when it comes to top-down democracy. Now Bhutan is playing a high-profile role in promoting the idea of using Gross National Happiness (GNH) as an index to measure the well being of a country instead of wealth alone. Former King Jigme Wangchung Namgyal was the person who thought of this concept some three decades ago. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Jigme Thinley, Bhutan promoted this idea at the United Nations in 2012. The GNH has now been picked up and discussed around the world, especially among leading economists such as Jeffrey Sachs and Joseph Stiglitz.
The first five years of Bhutan’s top-down democratic experiment have gone through numerous successes and errors. A new general election has been slated for June with the new faces of young politicians. Bhutanese-style democracy began with only two parties comprised of senior and junior civil servant officials. Now three additional parties have registered and will contest in the election. All parties are now learning the dos and don’ts of political campaigning with economic and social platforms. The candidates, both veterans and rookies, are using a small but vibrant local media, especially daily and weekly newspapers, to reach urban and rural voters. Radios and TVs are popular means. But given the country’s high and mountainous terrain, the six radio stations are doing their best to add more political news. The Bhutan Public Service remains the only station to provide political aspirants with air time to express their views and engage in debates.
Consequently, both countries have continuously taken dramatic reforms to deepen their style of democracy. Foreign assistance in terms of capacity building and human resource development has played an important role in promoting and improving their democratic institutions. Both countries want international acceptance and to join in the wave of democratization throughout the world. The jury is still out on whether top-down democracy as opposed to bottom-up democracy will be able to bring about the kind of benefits and freedoms seen in liberal democracies.
GNC Gross National Happiness idea is more than 3 decades old. It is not new idea as Myint Thin describe. If you ever been reading the American Decaleration of Independence, you will find the 3 very important words in it, which are “Life”, “Liberty” and “Pursuit of Happiness”. However, can happiness be pursuit individually or as a whole society is debateable. Can happiness be achieve without meaningful freedom, equality, justice, peace, wealth and life security? The article is just giving a thought about happiness. Happiness is different based on believe of the individual too. Happiness for good people is happiness achieve by doing good things and happiness for bad people is different from good people. It will be interesting to know what is happiness from individual point of view. I have my own opinion of happiness for myself too. But, it is just for myself.
In Burma, rapist than shwe and cronies ( Zaw Zaw, Tayza, Steven Law) are happy because they have lives for everything ( helicopters, luxurious cars, gambling, football matches) , are freedom to go to Singapore to get medical check as well as shopping and have justice from their guns. Bama than shwe, Zaw Zaw and Tayza are happily proud of 4 bama warrior king statues, erected in Nay-pyi-daw for success of bamanization-one nation,one people, one language and one religion.
Bad Bama soldiers are also happy because of rape rewards from than shwe although there are restriction of freedom of movement while in War with brave Kachin fighters. Commander in chief ,Ming aung laing and President, thein sein are faked happy because they both are decorated puppets or dogs of rapist than shwe.
We, all Burmese, including monks are not happy mainly because of poor in lives ( health education), fear of guns ( 2008 nargic constitution) , lack of lip service from DASSK, lack of equal shares from all ethnics rich resources, recent Rohyingya and Rakhine clash, killing and raping Kachin and burning Monks. All ethnics are not happy except Wa people but very soon Wa will not be happy after completion of ethnic Kachin cleansing by rapist than shwe, supported by arrogant Hla swe of bama military parliament.
Most oversea Burmese are happy and few are not with their own reasons. Anyhow, GNC Gross National Happiness is more cost effective research study ( compared to American latest research) for the world poorest and low educated Burma.
Note: this above research will be conducted by cheater, USDP ( unethical sithar disorder party) very soon. DASSK needs to be silent because rapist than shwe has gun as well as Than shwe is not happy with the content of Panglong agreement-PA ( autonomy of ethnics’ right) which might be more favored to kachin by British colonialist. Rapist than shwe first blames Aung san to initiate and sign this rubbish Panglong agreement. Now, than shwe happily forgives Aung san because Than shwe can twist the history that weak and brainless Aung San was forced to sign PA by British colonialist. Than shwe will be more and more happier for becoming bama national hero after Aung san.
Top-bottom Democracy called “Dragging feet democracy” or “Unwilling to change democracy”. Calling themselves Buddhists but taking someone’s life is not a problem to both Bhutanese and Myanmarese juntas. Fake Buddhists and fake democracy.
Which country on earth has true democracy ” No Trust’??? please let me know.
Dear MYINT THIN, it is great to go through your commentary. However, your understanding over Bhutan’s movement for democracy looks minimal.
Democracy holds freedom and civil rights- while initiating this principles, more than 100,000(1/6 population ) of our fellow Bhutanese were forced to be refugee. Have you heard about the hidden story of our 1/6th population? Do you ever explore why they were kicked out of my country?
If you introduce this question to our government they will lie you, because the government is under the control of monarch. We still don’t have fair and transparent government which speaks the truth. But we are on the way to make one- which speaks the truth, speaks about the people, and speaks for the people.
So, if you look through your bird eye- your statements-
“Bhutan’s democratic transformation is the world’s smoothest without any of the bloodletting often witnessed in other emerging democracies around the world.” would hold very little credibility.
Anyway, thanks for your writes up, and we hope in future you would bring the evidences from the people not from the monarch or the controlled government.
Tashi Delek
From Bhutan
Hello Post Starter
Pls do not waste your time and our time by posting the non-sense.