As the International Crisis Group (ICG) has pointed out the narrow nationalist sentiments taking hold, unopposed by the democratically-elected government, it will make Myanmar more difficult “to forge an inclusive national identity, essential for such an ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse country,” I would like to touch on the subject a bit further as the following:-

Forging common national identity involves voluntary participation, equitable political settlement or social contract between the dominant ethnic group and other less dominant indigenous ethnic groups residing within the country.

Take the label “Myanmar” for example, which is chosen by the past military government without the consent of the ethnic population, including all the other people, will remain only another version of the “Bamar” label. In other words, there is no distinction between “Bamar” and “Myanmar”, so far as the non-Bamar ethnic peoples are concerned.

Apart from the problematic choice of name as a common national identity “Myanmar”, the even more important and essential point is to agree upon the political power and resources sharing and distribution, within the mold of a genuine federal union, where equality, democracy, rights of self-determination and universal human rights are guaranteed. For only after this “social contract” could we be able to come to term to forge a common national identity, which could be followed by the name of choice, preferably conducted through a nationwide referendum.

For now, it is too early to talk about a common national identity that all ethnic groups could identify with, as we are only at the stage of having differing ethnic national identities rather than the common collective national identity that all are happy and proud to be identified with. This is still a long way off and we must first pass the hurdle of political settlement, before we could try to forge a national identity that all could accept.

Link to the story: Returning to sanctions would ‘not be helpful’, think tank tells EU