With the Tatmadaw chief reaching retirement age this year, some speculate that a fresh face could achieve a détente with the NLD – but the appointment process itself could hold the key to better civil-military relations.
A lull in fighting in Rakhine State should not be mistaken for a free and fair election environment, but the efforts of Japanese envoy Yohei Sasakawa towards supplementary elections may deliver other benefits.
Only when the Tatmadaw is brought under civilian control can the government address Rohingya citizenship claims. Until then, international pressure tactics won’t help. By SITHU.
The popularity of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Kyi was certainly a factor in the NLD’s resounding election success, but so too was fighting corruption, progress in economic development and an ill-advised intervention by the Tatmadaw chief.
