Obama energizes Burma’s ethnic minorities

It was only during the first few years after independence from the British that Burma had a nominal president from the Shan minority group. Sao Shwe Thaik served as the first president of independent Burma from 1948 to 1952.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a union formed by different ethnic nationalities at the Panglong Agreement 1947. Although its ethnic Burman-dominated military seems to take sole ownership of the country, Burma is a nation of different nationalities.

If a black person who belongs to only 12.8% of a country’s population can be given a chance to become a leader of the free world, Burma should give an equal opportunity to potential leaders from minority groups which make about 40% of the country’s population.

It is participation and inclusiveness that make a nation strong, and Burma is not an exception. Should Burma fail to understand this reality, the socio-political conflicts will continue to persist even after the restoration of democracy.

Barack Obama’s election as the 44th president of the United States of America makes one to think that everyone has a place in American democracy. His election not only gives a new hope to millions of Americans, but also energizes the ethnic minority groups of Burma.

Nehginpao Kipgen is the General Secretary of U.S.-based Kuki International Forum (www.kukiforum.com) and a researcher on the rise of political conflicts in modern Burma (1947-2004).

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