Myanmar celebrated its national day with a reception in Islamabad a few days ago. The chief guest was Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, the minister for religious affairs and interfaith dialogue. The country’s actual Independence Day is the 4th of January and the Union Day is the 12th of February. Good compromise then to celebrate it all on a day in-between.

“Compromise may be something that Myanmar, or Burma, needs more of than most countries,” said a diplomat at the reception. “Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi has shown that after her release from 15 years of house arrest under the military rulers, she has now become an elected member of the country’s parliament.

The autocratic political culture is not yet quite over, but she is still hopeful, appreciating that some reforms towards real democracy have taken place from 2010.”

During the colonial time, Burma was a province of the British India from 1886 to 1937 when it became a separate colony. The independence movement started in the 1920s. During the Second World War, Japan ruled for some years, but British rule was restored until the country gained independence in 1948. That was after the assassination of Aung San, the remarkable independence leader and father of Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

U Tant from Burma was the United Nations secretary-general from 1961-1971, and was praised by all major powers for his good work.

Myanmar is a poor country with a population of 52 million. The Pakistan-Myanmar trade volume is modest, about $70 million annually.

Published in Dawn January 26th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play