Gro Harlem Brundtland and Martti Ahtisaari :
Myanmar’s election has captivated and inspired the world. The people have spoken and their desire for change has been heard. On behalf of The Elders we wish to congratulate them for exercising their democratic rights in such an enthusiastic way and in such inspiring numbers. We offer our sincere congratulations to the National League for Democracy and its chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the party’s stunning victory at the polls. We would also like to recognise the willingness of Myanmar’s current governing party and the country’s military to acknowledge the results of the vote, as well as the Union Election Commission for its efforts in managing such a challenging undertaking.
This election was an important step forward in Myanmar’s democratisation process and, although it was not without flaws, it has produced a clear mandate. It is essential that Myanmar’s key political figures now begin to cooperate to ensure a smooth transition of power. We applaud Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for reaching out to initiate this process and President U Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for accepting her invitation to meet. The people of Myanmar deserve a government that can deliver genuine national reconciliation and reflects diverse perspectives in a spirit of magnanimity and inclusion.
No one is under any illusions regarding how difficult national reconciliation will be in a country that has been riven by civil conflict since before its independence. The responsibility for leadership guided by sedana (goodwill) now passes to the NLD and we hope to see the party lead first and foremost by listening to those populations whose concerns have been excluded from the national political conversation for too long. This includes the many ethnic parties that did not win seats in parliament but represent populations that deserve to have their concerns heard.
It also includes religious minorities, who will have minimal or non-existent representation in the halls of the legislature and government, including those who call themselves Rohingya.
The long-awaited national political dialogue will be the most important vehicle for both reconciliation and tangible political reform. To be effective, this should be inclusive, manageable and time-bound. Ultimately, its outcome will need to be ratified and the end goal needs to be clear to all participants at the outset.
At the same time, this national dialogue needs to be complemented by other state-led processes that can provide a voice for the many who remain voiceless inside and outside of Myanmar.
This includes people displaced by conflict, farmers who have had their land stolen without redress, refugees in Thailand and elsewhere facing an uncertain future, and those who have had their most basic democratic rights stripped from them.
The peace process initiated by the U Thein Sein government cannot be neglected, as it must be the basis for meaningful political dialogue as well as for tangible changes in the lives of people who have suffered from repression, violence, fear and uncertainty.
While acknowledging their national duty to defend the country’s borders, The Elders urge the leadership of the Tatmadaw to ensure that military actions on the ground reflect the desires they have expressed for peace.
The building of peace requires making the space for peace. And we ask those ethnic armed groups that have not yet signed the national ceasefire to re-engage earnestly in the negotiation process with the military and the incoming government.
The people of Myanmar deserve a peace that is more than simply the absence of fighting. They deserve a peace that will provide meaningful autonomy for ethnic communities under a truly federal arrangement, fair sharing of the benefits from Myanmar’s resources and, most importantly, the voice in political decision-making that has been denied to them for decades.
In our visits to Myanmar since 2013, with fellow members of The Elders, we have always met representatives of the government, the military, the political opposition, ethnic armed groups, religious faiths and civil society. One of the most consistent things we have heard is a common recognition that people in the country had suffered for many years and that it was imperative for the country to find a path to peace and national reconciliation.
We sincerely believe that all sectors of society can find a way to work together selflessly to achieve this goal. As independent former leaders, unbeholden to any political agenda and determined to advance the cause of peace and human rights the world over, The Elders are committed to remaining engaged with and supportive of Myanmar’s political transition. Myanmar’s landmark election and the encouraging response heard so far from its current rulers gives us hope that after so many years, the country really is on the path toward true democracy.
(Gro Harlem Brundtland is the first woman prime minister of Norway and deputy chair of The Elders. Martti Ahtisaari is a former president of Finland and a Nobel peace laureate.)
