CNI News
27 November 2024
Over 20 delegates from 11 political parties, six EAOs, the Center for Peace and Reconciliation, and chairman and secretary of the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) went on a trip to India to study the constitution and federalism.
The excursion was something helpful to build Myanmar, said those who were included in the trip. CNN News contacted and interviewed Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin, chairperson of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), an NCA signatory about the excursion.
CNI News ။ ။ Which parts (of the constitution and federalism) did you study in your excursion to India?
Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin ။ ။ Mainly, I studied the roles of President and Vice President and governors as well as how states have been organized. Next, I studied the Finance Commission. Besides, we studied administrative systems for village and ward. Moreover, we studied the rights of minorities.
CNI News ။ ။ Well then, which points should be taken out from India for the federalism that will be built in Myanmar?
Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin ။ ။ We should emulate how India was established. Mizoran State tried to secede and so did Nagaland. But they don't try to secede now. According to the constitution of India, any states or territories are not allowed to secede. It's the most important how they tried to become a federal union. They are over 200 races in India where 22 languages are imposed as office languages including English.
CNI News ။ ။ What is the India's administrative system? How is the division of power used?
Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin ။ ။ The authority of the President has been separately mentioned. Governors have control on the chief ministers' administrations. Controlling systems are enacted in the India's constitution.
It's necessary to think about carefully whether the position of governor should be used in Myanmar. The administration even in village and ward is very democratic. If there are authorities concerned, will it be necessary to secede? Because authorities are wanted, are battles being waged, aren't they?
In India, a very large country, the population is over 1,000 million people and there are many religions. The qualification that can rule this big country without making secession take place is very impressive.
But there was a problem in India when it gained her independence. There were arguments between Hindustanis and Muslims. Hindustanis considered it was not suitable to live with Muslims while the Muslims who wanted to build Pakistan considered to secede. There were different opinions and unrests between the two sides. In the end, Pakistan was allowed to secede.
Pakistan was divided into East Pakistan and West Pakistan. In a situation that could not be controlled while there were different ideologies and religions, because of many conflicts, Pakistan was allowed to secede, which we had to learn.
CNI News ။ ။ What do you understand India thinks of the current situation of Myanmar?
Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin ။ ။ India has designated Myanmar as a good neighboring country. It seems that India wants to see Myanmar without disintegration in a federal union like India.
CNI News ။ ။ What's the impact of the trip to India on Myanmar?
Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin ။ ။ The main thing is to amend the constitution. Successive heads of State who ruled Myanmar should have thought that Myanmar is sandwiched by the most populous countries, India and China and the two big countries can have built their countries without being seceded and making conflicts take place.
The current ruling leaders of the country seem to accept that we should study the constitution of India without fail. So, we were sent to India, I think.
When I know the administrative system of India, India has been built with patience and tolerance. In fact, there were many Maharajas in India. They wanted to rule their country as kings.
Discussions had to be held to make Maharajas live together in the same country, which could make federalism and then India emerged as a federal union. They said they emulated King Asoka.
CNI News ။ ။ As the last question, according to your experience that you studied the India's constitution and federalism, which systems should be emulated from India if a federal union is built in Myanmar?
Daw Saw Mya Raza Lin ။ ။ The main thing is the mind that will reform the country. Going on waging battles is not appropriate. All the stakeholders including in battles need to reform their mindset.
Even though not every stakeholder can take part in the union, those who can take part in need to think it over how the constitution should be amended. Building a federal union is the best so that we can liberate from the battle circle, I think.
