The Asian politics thread

Dec 20, 2014
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Looks like there's a coup afoot in Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi reaping what she sowed after providing a fig leaf of legitimacy to the the military. In her defence, I guess you could argue she simply never had the power to press them on anything.


Normally, this is where the US would weigh in and urge the military to respect the result of a free and fair election. So that's some awkward timing.

I guess this thread can be a receptacle for all discussion about Asian politics, whether that's Thailand's protests, Malaysia's game of thrones or next year's race to replace Duterte in the Philippines.
 
Looks like there's a coup afoot in Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi reaping what she sowed after providing a fig leaf of legitimacy to the the military. In her defence, I guess you could argue she simply never had the power to press them on anything.


Normally, this is where the US would weigh in and urge the military to respect the result of a free and fair election. So that's some awkward timing.

I guess this thread can be a receptacle for all discussion about Asian politics, whether that's Thailand's protests, Malaysia's game of thrones or next year's race to replace Duterte in the Philippines.

Myanmar will get ugly now. I loathe how she managed it, but crazy as it sounds ASSY held back some of the extremes of the military and the murder that was being waged.

This could go anywhere.
 
Or she provided a fig leaf of legitimacy that led to the relaxing of sanctions.

not forgiving her - she has bought herself a ticket to the Hague. The military will be off the hook now though
 

Johnny Bananas

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In the end, Aung San Suu Kyi is Burmese and from a Burmese society. While I've never lived there, what I've read regarding the subjugation of many non-Burmese groups and attempts to assimilate them makes Myanmar sound like a pretty ethnically chauvinistic society, which might explain why so many minority groups have been engaged in armed rebellion against the state. So I'm not surprised she became a proponent of ethnic chauvinism too, if that's just the nature of contemporary Burmese society. Still, it was fun to see democracy there last for about five minutes, even if it didn't prevent the ethnic cleansing.
 

Northalives

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The f****ng dog is in detention again hey? Oh well, there go the cocktail parties and the international soirées!

Individual freedoms were less under Aung San Suu Kyi than the military and she has made sure that she cannot be held directly responsible for Myanmar’s intelligence apparatus, the thing that gave the Military control and still does what it always did.

Amnesty International stripped Aung San Suu Kyi of a human rights award. Myanmar remained as repressive as ever under her, jailing journalists and government critics who dare to speak out against genocide and ethnic cleansing.
 

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In the end, Aung San Suu Kyi is Burmese and from a Burmese society. While I've never lived there, what I've read regarding the subjugation of many non-Burmese groups and attempts to assimilate them makes Myanmar sound like a pretty ethnically chauvinistic society, which might explain why so many minority groups have been engaged in armed rebellion against the state. So I'm not surprised she became a proponent of ethnic chauvinism too, if that's just the nature of contemporary Burmese society. Still, it was fun to see democracy there last for about five minutes, even if it didn't prevent the ethnic cleansing.
Aung San Suu Kyi sees herself as some sort of Royalty, hellbent on continuing what she believes is her dynastic right as head of Myanmar because daddy is known as the father of modern-day Myanmar.
 

Johnny Bananas

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Aung San Suu Kyi sees herself as some sort of Royalty, hellbent on continuing what she believes is her dynastic right as head of Myanmar because daddy is known as the father of modern-day Myanmar.
Has she described this worldview anywhere? Because if not, it may be inaccurate to blame all problems on her as an individual, if Myanmar's whole society has ****ed up views on ethnicity, religion and what counts as progress. Given the military weren't any better when they governed openly, I'm willing to bet this is the case.
 

Northalives

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Has she described this worldview anywhere? Because if not, it may be inaccurate to blame all problems on her as an individual, if Myanmar's whole society has f’ed up views on ethnicity, religion and what counts as progress. Given the military weren't any better when they governed openly, I'm willing to bet this is the case.
Her performance in the Hague when she stood before the International Court of Justice and defended her country's genocide against the Rohingya was disgraceful. When she was imprisoned, she kept on maintaining that she was a Politician and in that regard, she had been working towards becoming Myanmar’s president. Her's has been a personal crusade to take her place as leader of Myanmar.

You are correct in my opinion that "Myanmar's whole society has f’ed up views on ethnicity, religion and what counts as progress", but for mine, her whole raison d'être was to become leader - she played politics to get world sympathy to climb to the top of her country's political ladder by passing her self off as being "progressive".

Her father, Bogyote Aung San, was a revolutionary who wanted to make Burma/Myanmar's government truly representative of all the ethnicities belonging to that land although the Karens wanted a seperate state from the off and didn't want to be part of the original agreements. Bogyote Aung San was instrumental in ending British rule but he was assassinated 6 months before the Independence handover by a member of the land owning classes, the same people that have ruled Myanmar with an iron fist through the military and "allegedly", armed and assisted by the British (who would have thought?)

Oxford educated Aung San Suu Kyi, has completely betrayed her father's Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League by being the head of a fascist regime herself which she defended at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. She has shown that all she is interested in, was to ascend to her "rightful" place as head of Myanmar - she's always been a politician and like all politicians, she was ambitious but for her, she was "special" and wanted to carry on her father's legacy; pity she is so far removed from his ideals.

She studied philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford by the way.
 
Dec 20, 2014
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Has she described this worldview anywhere? Because if not, it may be inaccurate to blame all problems on her as an individual, if Myanmar's whole society has f’ed up views on ethnicity, religion and what counts as progress. Given the military weren't any better when they governed openly, I'm willing to bet this is the case.
I don't think you'd have to look too hard to find evidence of an elitist bent.
 

Johnny Bananas

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I don't think you'd have to look too hard to find evidence of an elitist bent.
It shouldn't be too hard to find, yes. My point was more that most people growing up in an ethnic supremacist system will be ethnic supremacist themselves. And even more so if they want to join the establishment and need to win the support of people who are ethnic supremacists.
 

LeakyValve

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In the end, Aung San Suu Kyi is Burmese and from a Burmese society. While I've never lived there, what I've read regarding the subjugation of many non-Burmese groups and attempts to assimilate them makes Myanmar sound like a pretty ethnically chauvinistic society, which might explain why so many minority groups have been engaged in armed rebellion against the state. So I'm not surprised she became a proponent of ethnic chauvinism too, if that's just the nature of contemporary Burmese society. Still, it was fun to see democracy there last for about five minutes, even if it didn't prevent the ethnic cleansing.
I understand you cannot draw conclusions from dealing with one individual, but some years back I worked with a with a Burmese lady. Her parents were strict Roman Catholic refugees from Burma who lobbed in Perth in the 1960's.
She was dismissive (almost contemptuous) of most ethnic groups. I recall a bunch of Burmese folk (Karens from memory) were engaging in a quiet protest in Forrest Place one day and she intimated that nobody in Myanmar GAF about them.
She herself was not particularly religious, so I don't think it was a secular issue. Just a straight out exercise in learnt chauvinism as you point out.
 
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Can we talk about the CCP? Or is this dangerous territory, considering they're watching my posting?

Hang on, someone at the door, coupla big blokes with guns wearing khaki uniforms with little red stars with gold edging.

Wonder who they could be?
 

Northalives

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Can we talk about the CCP? Or is this dangerous territory, considering they're watching my posting?

Hang on, someone at the door, coupla big blokes with guns wearing khaki uniforms with little red stars with gold edging.

Wonder who they could be?
Dutton's goons in disguise.
 
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Dutton's goons in disguise.

Nah they wear suits acquired from Lowes, with Asio badges and aviator sunnies (also from Lowes) with whatever issue firearm in their holster under the breasts of their Lowes suit jacket.

They haven't visited - yet, if they do I imagine it will be for protection.

Hang on mate, there's someone at the door................... oh s**t.
 

Northalives

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Nah they wear suits acquired from Lowes, with Asio badges and aviator sunnies (also from Lowes) with whatever issue firearm in their holster under the breasts of their Lowes suit jacket.

They haven't visited - yet, if they do I imagine it will be for protection.

Hang on mate, there's someone at the door................... oh sh*t.
Good one hahahahaha :thumbsu:
 
Dec 20, 2014
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No official casualties yet, but apparently a woman has a bullet lodged in her head and is brain dead. So it's already turned deadly.
It will be difficult for the international community - specifically Western poowers such as the US - to lean on the junta and deter them from cracking down further. As long as China has the junta's back, they can thumb their noses at the West.

This is the danger of US isolationism - specifically, withdrawing from Asia-Pacific. China becomes the only game in town and that's basically a green light to authoritarian regimes.
 

Johnny Bananas

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This is the danger of US isolationism - specifically, withdrawing from Asia-Pacific. China becomes the only game in town and that's basically a green light to authoritarian regimes.
Iran is also a good example of this. Trump killing the nuclear deal simply led Iran to offer a huge supply of cheap oil to China, and in return China will no doubt be backing them the same way they're backing Myanmar.

There's a middle ground for the US between interventionism and isolationism, perhaps. Having a presence in Asia but trusting their allies to take the lead and quietly backing them to the hilt may be more effective than their repeated follies in the Middle East. If they can unite India, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia into an alliance, that will be a pretty powerful (and mostly democratic) bulwark against China.
 
Dec 20, 2014
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There's a middle ground for the US between interventionism and isolationism, perhaps. Having a presence in Asia but trusting their allies to take the lead and quietly backing them to the hilt may be more effective than their repeated follies in the Middle East.
It's less about military intervention than offering an alternative to Chinese investment and kickbacks. Without US leadership in the region, China just opens its cheque book and dominates smaller countries bilaterally. And that in turn creates a licence for authoritarian regimes because they know China isn't going to object to repression or silencing dissent. All China wants in return is for those governments to nod along with its pet projects. Beijing isn't going to pester them about "values".

If they can unite India, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia into an alliance, that will be a pretty powerful (and mostly democratic) bulwark against China.
Almost like some kind of trans-pacific trade partnership?
 
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