The NLD: The dangers of compromise
When Han Htoo Khant Paing was pursuing degrees at the University of Economics in Yangon and Oxford University in England, he never imagined that one day he would be fleeing for his life to the jungles of Karen State. In my wide-ranging interview with him, he revisited his analysis on whether anything could have been done to stop the coup.
“In a sense, even though I feel shitty to say this, but in a sense I feel happy that the coup happened, because it proves that these compromising ways didn’t work.”
Host: Would you say that you were surprised by the coup happening?
Han Htoo Khant Paing: I would say so. We talked about that potential and the possibilities. My friends abroad and my friends in Myanmar asked me and we discussed about this looming threat of a coup. I have to admit that my answer was that in short, a coup was unlikely. I thought the relations shift between the NLD in the civilian government and the military just deteriorated by the election results. And the election fraud regarding the elections process and the constitutional amendment process that the NLD initiated in 2019, well, I just thought that they were having a downtime in terms of their relationship. I didn't think it was a rational move for the military to stage a coup. It was a surprise. On the last night of January, I didn't actually think about anything related to the coup.
Host: Looking back in the previous decade, you referenced that you yourself had some concerns about greater liberalization that wasn't taking place. Now, if certain things had happened a different way in the last decade, or if certain concerns that you had expressed were taken care of, is it possible that we wouldn't have gotten to this situation? Another way to say this is like, if you were able to travel back in time, is there anything that could have been done to prevent this from happening and prevent these conditions from arising?
Han Htoo Khant Paing: I don't think so. And I hate to hear about the atrocities after the coup had happened, but with these ridiculous calculations, and irrational mindset of the military, I think the coup was inevitable. It is not an absolute sense. Of course, we can get around the coup, but we would have to give up the things we can potentially have. But it is not enough, we also would have to give up the things we already had, and our opportunities politically. It is portrayed in these deteriorating relations between the civilian government and the military. At the end of the shutdown initiated the constitutional amendment process, which I think was impossible from the start, but they did it and they failed. And then they just held the elections, and they won, and by a greater percentage than the last elections in 2015! The Commander In Chief Min Aung Hlaing was phased for retirement in July 2021. But they just did a coup! I don't think there was anything we can avoid in that process to make the coup not to happen. If I was orchestrating the opposition forces against the military, I would have done more, even stronger things that the NLD had done in the past several years. Because they made concessions. They let their failure to compromise and have a better relationship with the military. So this is my answer.
Host: You mentioned that you would have taken strong reactions, if you were in the NLD, and not have made some moral compromises. Can you be a little more specific? What moral compromises did they make? And what stronger actions would you have liked to have seen them take?
Han Htoo Khant Paing: It is a very simple answer. First, just not letting your values get compromised. There are many politicians who I admire and who I respect in the NLD, as well as the other parties that contested in the elections under the 2008 constitutions. But I would say I am a bit too idealistic, and I can afford to be because I'm young. In a sense, even though I feel shitty to say this, but in a sense I feel happy that the coup happened, because it proves that these compromising ways didn't work. It is my simple answer.