Burmese ties: More the enemy within than the enemy without (Part I)
source : The Nation
With a history of enmity and the problems of the present, Thailand and Burma need new avenues for restoring a friendly relationship, writes Vorapun Srivoranart in the first of a two-part series.
There is no love lost between Thailand and Burma, certainly not in the historical context in which the theme has been more of successive wars than friendship.
This history and lack of genuine understanding poses a major constraint on how Thailand should best approach relations with its neighbour.
The image of Burmese as "the enemy" is not great surprise as it has been implanted, systematically and deliberately, through school textbooks, literature and movies to serve socio-political objectives at varying times.In these works, fact and fantasy are intermingled to the extent that sometimes truth is blurred to make the historical aspects "more real than real".
According to an expert on Thai-Burmese relations, Sunait Chutintaranond of Chulalongkorn University, the reason why the history of the two countries' relationship is so full of conflict is because that in the past the only historical reference available was the Phraratchaphongsawadan, or royal chronicle, which collated the activities of successive kings.
"It happened that most of the kings' relations with Burma involved military conflicts, while other aspects which had nothing to do with the kings were not mentioned," he said.
This situation was later given more emphasis when it came time to foster a sense of nationalism to create a uniting force essential to the building of a modern nation. Nationalism, as history suggests, is easiest to mobilise in the face of a common external enemy.
For this purpose, the Burmese fitted well as a worthwhile enemy. Hence, the "demonised" Burmese became an invariable ingredient in modern Thai history and the word "Burma" now entails negative connotations and prejudice. Examples abound in local newspaper headlines whenever violence involving Burmese breaks out on Thai soil.
"Even though you do not think of it, whenever such incidents occur this kind of feeling [toward the Burmese] will instantly pop up. It is in our sub-consciousness," Sunait explained, pointing to the latest hostage-taking at Samut Sakhon prison by a gang of Burmese convicts.
While the collective perception remains largely unchanged, Thai-Burmese relations have, however, evolved into a more complex dynamism that has less to do with this historical enmity. Within this new condition has emerged "new symptoms" like drugs, refugees, illegal immigrants and health hazards, all of which are rooted in Burma's domestic conflict which has spilled over into Thailand after the dismantling of a "buffer" along the border.
In this regard, the Samut Sakhon incident is only the tip of the iceberg. What is dangerous here is that frequent repetition of these "symptoms" could arouse dormant historical enmity and hamper other potential aspects for peaceful co-existence. One only needed to talk to any Thai during the hostage drama to understand the degree of accumulated frustration.
It is worrying that the authorities have no ideas or mechanisms to effectively address these new challenges, resorting instead to ad hoc blanket retaliation rather than getting to the root cause. "The question is whether we know we have a cancer and if we have any idea at what stage the cancer is at. Then, do we know how to treat this cancer, " Sunait said.
As long as we don't know each other nor recognise the gravity of the problems, there will certainly be more unusual things to come, Sunait said, citing the serious exploitation of a million Burmese illegal immigrants by Thais as a potential time-bomb.
The authorities must realise that Thailand and Burma have different ways of thinking and priorities about the concept of security. While Thailand has evolved in the wake of the Cold War from "hard security" involving military and defence into "soft security" that focuses on the economy and people, Burma is still in the old world of hard security. "It's like we go to them with a bag full of money and they come out with a rifle," Sunait said.
In the past, ordinary Burmese did not care much about Thailand due to their country's self-imposed isolation, which limited direct contact with other people. As a result, their understanding of Thailand is that it is not the enemy but a country endowed with a beautiful culture. But things are gradually changing for the worse. Increased direct interaction and mistreatment by Thais has for the first time created a sense of animosity deep within Burmese society.
"The graph of optimism about Thailand, in cultural aspects has dropped as a result of exploitation. Don't think the good impression will last forever. It depends on our behaviour," Sunait said.
Thai-Burmese ties are not simple to define. There are many aspects that could contribute to a better understanding, such as culture and academia, for example. Thailand and Burma share many cultural similarities dating back centuries. Capitalising on this would constitute a kind of subtle engagement.
"We know a lot about European and American history but very little of each other," U Khin Muang Tint, a rector at Yangon (Rangoon) University's Education Institute, said. "[Thai-Burmese history] is not just a history of wars but also people-to-people contact".
It is time that both peoples appreciated history from "real sources", not from third parties, urged Myo Thant Tyn, chairman of the Khattiya Institute of Technical Services and director of the famous Burmese period film "Never Shall We Be Enslaved", which deals with the end of the Burmese monarchy and British colonialism. The film was shown last week during a rare seminar on the history of Thai-Burmese relations. "Thai people are not our enemy," stressed Thant Tyn.
Sunait, who organised the seminar, said the meeting was an attempt to keep open a "small window of opportunity" and bring Burmese scholars and artists into contact with the world. "It was like a drop of water in the desert. It could eventually evaporate if left unattended," he said. "Our understanding about our neighbours is very limited."
"It does no harm. The more we know the more we don't know," said Robert H Taylor, a renowned Burma expert from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He said such intellectual exchanges will help loosen up intellectual society in Burma.
Indeed, in the face of serious strains in present relations, policy-makers cannot afford to overlook this opening. It must not be viewed as a political compromise since at this critical period no single stone must be left unturned.
All in all, governmental conflict aside, any "drop of water" to foster a better understanding and bring the people of both sides together must be supported. People are not "the enemy" or strangers, just victims. Authorities come and go, but Thais and Burmese will always be close neighbours. Therefore, it is essential to learn the lessons of the past if we are to move forward peacefully. Otherwise, Burma will always be the nemesis of Thailand and Thailand will remain a thorn in the side of Burma.
Related Story : Burmese Ties: Burma strategy must be reconsidered (part II)