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Burmese forces surround ruling party headquarters and confine MPs – report Turmoil in Burma's military-backed ruling party as leaders are deposed
(about 1 hour later)
Related: Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi confirms her party will contest November electionsRelated: Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi confirms her party will contest November elections
Burmese security forces have reportedly surrounded the headquarters of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development party in the country’s capital, Naypyidaw, while senior regime figures have been removed from their posts, as tensions mount ahead of elections in November. Burmese security forces have reportedly surrounded the headquarters of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development party in the country’s capital, Naypyidaw, and senior regime figures have been removed from their posts, as tensions mount ahead of elections in November.
Sources within the headquarters of the USDP – which is effectively a political extension of the military – said on Thursday that Shwe Mann, party chairman and speaker of the parliament, had been removed from his post and was under police guard. His closeness to opposition leader and democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi is believed to have soured his relationship with military leaders, concerned about the speed of reforms in the country. Sources within the headquarters of the USDP – which is effectively a political extension of the military – said on Thursday that Shwe Mann, party chairman and speaker of the parliament, had been deposed and was under police guard. His closeness to opposition leader and democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi is believed to have soured his relationship with military leaders in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
“Police entered the party compound last night. Since then no one was allowed in or out,” Toe Naing Mann, Shwe Mann’s son, told Agence France-Presse on Thursday morning. “So-called guards” were also outside his father’s residence in the capital, he said.“Police entered the party compound last night. Since then no one was allowed in or out,” Toe Naing Mann, Shwe Mann’s son, told Agence France-Presse on Thursday morning. “So-called guards” were also outside his father’s residence in the capital, he said.
Several trucks of soldiers and police officers arrived at the compound at around 10pm on Wednesday evening, sources said. “We have not been allowed to move around since late yesterday,” said one party member. Several trucks of soldiers and police officers arrived at the compound at around 10pm on Wednesday, sources said. “We have not been allowed to move around since late yesterday,” said one party member.
The USDP general secretary, Maung Maung Thein, has also reportedly been forced from his post. “They called me and told me I don’t need to come to the office anymore,” he told Reuters.The USDP general secretary, Maung Maung Thein, has also reportedly been forced from his post. “They called me and told me I don’t need to come to the office anymore,” he told Reuters.
#BREAKING: #Myanmar ruling party Secretary General Maung Maung Thein says has been removed from his position, @Reuters reports#BREAKING: #Myanmar ruling party Secretary General Maung Maung Thein says has been removed from his position, @Reuters reports
The moves comes amid a tussle for control of the USDP. Tension has reportedly risen between leaders of the military-backed government over the selection of candidates to run in the 8 November general elections.The moves comes amid a tussle for control of the USDP. Tension has reportedly risen between leaders of the military-backed government over the selection of candidates to run in the 8 November general elections.
The elections – which had been touted as potentially the most free in decades – are set to be contested by Aung San Suu Kyi, who was a thorn in the side of the previous junta regime with her years of campaigns for democracy.The elections – which had been touted as potentially the most free in decades – are set to be contested by Aung San Suu Kyi, who was a thorn in the side of the previous junta regime with her years of campaigns for democracy.
Toe Naing Mann, who said he was monitoring the situation through contacts from Yangon, said it was not clear what was behind the move by security personnel late on Wednesday. “It is strange that armed forces have restricted a political party in this way,” he told Agence France-Presse.
Recent months have seen growing talk of animosity between Shwe Mann and President Thein Sein, both former generals who shed their uniforms to take part in controversial 2010 polls that heralded a new quasi-civilian government, which has ushered in sweeping reforms.Recent months have seen growing talk of animosity between Shwe Mann and President Thein Sein, both former generals who shed their uniforms to take part in controversial 2010 polls that heralded a new quasi-civilian government, which has ushered in sweeping reforms.
The USDP has been the vehicle for the former junta elites to metamorphose from soldiers to MPs. Tensions began to heighten earlier this week when the USDP, currently choosing its candidates for the election, overlooked some senior military officials during a party convention. A group of 149 army officers had resigned their posts on Wednesday hoping to take part in the election but only 59 were approved as candidates.
But there is tension within the USDP over the speed of democratic reforms and the loosening of the military’s grip on power, which it has held for more than half a century. Leading local political commentator Yan Myo Thein called Shwe Mann’s removal a “purge” and warned that the party’s internal strife had the potential to disrupt progress towards democracy.
Shwe Mann has publicly welcomed the idea of working closely with Aung San Suu Kyi and has set himself up in opposition to the still powerful army on key issues including on constitutional reform debates that have centred on reducing the military’s political power. “I think primarily that is the ruling party’s internal affair, but the internal struggle of the ruling party can threaten the democratisation process of [Burma]. Because of the power struggle and incidents inside the ruling party, the upcoming general election can be postponed. If the election is postponed the process of democratisation in Myanmar will be delayed,” he said.
“People are expecting to have a new government made up of the majority opposition [the National League for Democracy] and the ethnic minority parties.”
Yan Myo Thein said it was so far unclear whether the purge was initiated by serving military officials. “Most of the leaders are retired military generals so that they may have direct or indirect relations with the serving military generals,” he said. “But I’m not sure of the role of the military in the recent purge.”
The move comes after years of rumours of a split in the ruling party between Thein Sein and Shwe Mann – the latter seen as being close to Aung San Suu Kyi. A recent petition backed by military officials sought to impeach Shwe Mann for his role in proposing amendments to the military-drafted constitution, which were anyway rejected.
U Nyan Win, a spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, said the party was not involved in events in Naypyidaw and declined to speculate on the reasons behind it.
He noted, however, the deadline for political parties to decide their candidate lists for election. “The last day is tomorrow [Friday] but we don’t know what is happening with them,” he said. “We are just finalising our own list now.”
The USDP has been the vehicle for the former junta elites to metamorphose from soldiers to MPs. But there is internal tension over the speed of democratic reforms and the loosening of the military’s grip on power, which it has held for more than half a century.
Shwe Mann has publicly welcomed the idea of working closely with Aung San Suu Kyi and has set himself up in opposition to the still powerful army on key issues – including on the constitutional reform debates that have centred on reducing the military’s political power.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – the daughter of Burma’s independence hero General Aung San, and the country’s democratic icon for a generation – led her party, the National League for Democracy, to victory in Burma’s election in 1990, but the party was never allowed to take power.Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – the daughter of Burma’s independence hero General Aung San, and the country’s democratic icon for a generation – led her party, the National League for Democracy, to victory in Burma’s election in 1990, but the party was never allowed to take power.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 of the next 21 years under house arrest. She was banned from standing in Burma’s first elections in a generation, held in 2010, and the NLD boycotted the poll.Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 of the next 21 years under house arrest. She was banned from standing in Burma’s first elections in a generation, held in 2010, and the NLD boycotted the poll.
She was still under house arrest at the time of the election – she was released a week later – and has since been elected to parliament in a byelection. She was still under house arrest at the time of the election – until released a week later – and has since been elected to parliament in a byelection.
Her participation in this year’s election is being seen, both inside Burma and out, as a major step forward in the country’s democratic reforms. She has vowed that if her party, the NLD, wins in November’s elections it will amend the constitution to weaken the military’s hold on parliament. Her participation in this year’s election is being seen, both inside Burma and out, as a major step forward in the country’s democratic reforms. She has vowed that if her party, the NLD, wins it will amend the constitution to weaken the military’s hold on parliament. But military figures are expected to remain significant political players.
But military figures will remain significant political players. On Wednesday senior USDP member Aung Ko told AFP there had been “more than a hundred” applications from recently retired military officers and cabinet ministers looking to stand in the elections for the party.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this reportReuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report