Months after the November election, the ruling military junta in Myanmar facilitated a smooth transition, with the country now becoming a multi-party democracy. At the time, questions remained — if NLD chief Aung San Suu Kyi would occupy the office of the President, given a constitutional bar, which prohibits Myanmarese with foreign nationals for spouse from the highest office. As the Foreign Minister, Suu Kyi is the public face of Myanmar overseas.
Being a pro-democracy leader, Suu Kyi holds responsibility for all acts of omission and commission on the part of the government. However, with her dominant role over government and party decisions, critics question Suu Kyi’s methods and policies.
This discussion will focus on the future of democracy in Myanmar, how far the NLD government and Suu Kyi leadership will be able to deliver on the decades-old promises and public aspirations.
Col R. Hariharan (retd) will lead the discussion. Col Hariharan was the head of the Military Intelligence (MI) wing of the Indian Army, and has been closely following events and developments in India's immediate neighbourhood, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. He has written extensively on these subjects.
