THE Myanmar military that staged a coup early this month and ousted popular leader Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, is busy finding newer ways to hold her in prison as long as possible. It has slapped new charges on the leader and almost ensured that it can keep her behind bars for indefinite period. This is how military often behaves when it dabbles into politics -- which is a universal experience. The charges that had been slapped against Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi earlier, too, were frivolous, to say the least. The new charge also comes in the same category -- frivolous and negatively motivated. But then, the military has to have a legal handle to beat down Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. The charges that may never be proved in the courts of law in a fair trial, however, lend the military certain legitimacy. Myanmar has been unfortunate to have remained under the military scare for decades. Occasional forays into democracy made little difference to the polity. Thankfully, however, now the common people are resisting the military junta. Myanmar’s hope now lies in a sustained popular uprising in democracy’s favour.

 

THE visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after successful completion of District Development Council elections there will give the foreign diplomats a good idea of what the Government has achieved by abrogating the Special Status to the erstwhile State. In fact, such visits become necessary so that the international community realises what is happening in J&K. There is a political angle to such visits -- because some elements often try to internationalise the Kashmir issue, it becomes necessary for the Government to resort to such methods to counter false charges vested interests slap on the country on account of human rights violations or even abrogation of civil liberties. In the past some years, the Centre has resorted to this tactic of inviting international diplomats to see for themselves what is actually happening in Kashmir. This ploy has helped. For, the world now knows that things are improving in Kashmir, and that it is India’s internal issue which the Government is handling capably. The international community also has understood by now that the Kashmir situation was made complicated because of the involvement of forces across the border.