Myanmar: Too much haste by "first responders?"

In the rush to see Burma, or more correctly Myanmar, return to democracy, some governments have been almost falling over themselves to accord the country some concessions now that it conducted an election and San Suu Kyi secured a seat in the new Parliament.

The rush to be a "first responder", as a piece in IHT Rendezvous calls those countries which took a shine to Myanmar so quickly, might have been premature.

"The first public confrontation between the democrats led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government began to play out on Monday as newly elected members of Parliament refused to take the official oath of office.

The new lawmakers want to tweak the wording of the oath, but the nominally civilian government has refused to blink, which suggests that more conservative elements in the country could be putting the reformist tendencies of President Thein Sein in jeopardy.

The democrats, after having created the standoff, played down its severity on Monday, saying they expect some sort of resolution soon.

But the issue might well give pause to Britain, the United States and other “first responders” that have already begun relaxing their political and economic sanctions against the former Burma. Japan, for example, agreed last weekend to forgive $3.7 billion in overdue loans while holding out the possibility of new assistance.

The most nagging question now seems to be: Have foreign governments perhaps rushed to judgment on Myanmar, rolling back their sanctions too quickly? And this: Have the former generals and other hard-liners who have burrowed into the government finally had enough of reforms, democracy and the star power of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi?"

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