The Government is Questioned Over Using the Term “Democracy” If In Fact It Harkens More To the Old System of “Law and Order Restoration”

By Nay Win San 23 Jan 2018

U Soe Naing, the spokesperson of the CSO Representative Committee of Sitetway.

A meeting with concerned government officials, town elders and CSOs was held at the Rakhine State Government Office, concerning the Mrauk-U conflict.

During the meeting, the government was questioned by the CSO representative of Sitetway with regard to using the term “Democracy” if the government action in the Mrauk-U conflict which killed seven innocent civilians had been carried out like actions of the former system of “Law and Order Restoration,” and if it was worth sacrificing those civilians’ lives.

“It is something, not just for people living in Mrauk-U but for all Rakhines, to be suspicious of the Rakhine State government. What’s the use of using the term ‘Democracy’ if ‘Law and Order Restoration’ is still practiced as in the old former system? What have we got back from what we had long strived and people of the entire country had sacrificed? For this issue, we would like to cooperate with the government. The State-level chief minister and we all would, with sincere transparency, like to request an investigation commission from the responsible government. Who is responsible for this? Who should be held accountable? We would like to cooperate with regard to that. We request your participation. Your excellency, you are kindly requested to help us have an investigation commission which includes international experts, whom people would find acceptable,” reported U Soe Naing, the spokesperson of the CSO Representative Committee of Sitetway.

The Rakhine State Government said that it would investigate the protest activists and those involved, then would take action, and as well, that it was in the process of filing the murder case of  2/2018, with regard to the investigation of the loss of civilian lives.

Furthermore, the deputy chief of the Rakhine Police Force was carrying out a thorough  inspection to see if police officers performed their duties in line with police procedural rules.

Being within the right of the Union Government, the request of the CSO representative to form a commission - not just with government officials, but with other international experts - for the sake of more transparency towards the investigation would be submitted to the Union Government, said the chief minister of Rakhine State.

“What I would like to express is that forming an investigation commission is very much within the rights of the Union Government rather than the State Government. So what they have requested today is the correct action, and it will be submitted.

The chief minister promised that he took responsibility and accountability, and that he was doing his best to be dutiful, as any issues regarding Rakhine State are wholly upon him.

In the case of any failure to perform correct duty and in case of wrongdoings, he is set to accept the action taken, said the chief minister U Nyi Pu in the meeting.