Myanmar Military Leader Warns Against Hasty Democracy TransitionMyanmar top military leader Senior General Than Shwe Tuesday warned against hasty transition to the process of democracy of a number of developing nations without building necessary foundations.Than Shwe, who is commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, issued the warning at a grand parade marking the armed forces' 56th anniversary. Than Shwe, who is also chairman of the State Peace and Development Council and prime minister, said that these countries are facing all kinds of troubles and miseries for having tried to do so. Myanmar experienced chaos and instability when the multi-party democratic system was put into practice right after gaining independence before the nation had a chance to become strong, he said, adding that lessons from history teach the country to act with caution forever. Than Shwe further warned that national independence can be lost again with one ill-considered blunder. He stressed the need for a higher degree of sound preparation for a political transition in order for the economic reform to succeed, saying that without political stability, the economy cannot achieve significant growth. Than Shwe emphasized that the building of good foundation for a new democratic nation is tantamount to initiating a revolution for the transition from an old system to a new one. |
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