Response to Udai Bhanu Singh’s Essay, Do the Changes in Myanmar Signify a Real Transition?

1. In general terms, it is my impression that the author is far too optimistic about what recent changes in Myanmar can lead to. Power is still in the hands of the military and there is precious little a small group of National League for Democracy (NLD) assemblymen and women (seven per cent of the total) can accomplish. Besides, the November 2010 election was blatantly rigged, and there is no guarantee that the next election, in 2015, will not also be tampered with. If Myanmar has embarked on some kind of transition, it still has a long way to go, and the main problem remains the undemocratic 2008 constitution (adopted after a fraudulent ‘referendum’).