Myanmar foes of army woo allies with new constitution

YANGON, Myanmar – Opponents of Myanmar’s military government late Wednesday posed a major political challenge to the ruling junta, declaring the country’s 2008 constitution void and putting forward an interim charter to replace it.

The moves, while more symbolic than practical, could help woo the armed militias maintained by the country’s ethnic minorities to ally themselves with the mass protest movement against the military’s seizure of power in February.

The actions were taken by the CRPH, an underground, self-styled alternative government established by elected lawmakers who were not allowed to take their seats in when the army staged its Feb. 1 coup ousting the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. CRPH stand for Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the national Parliament.

The committee announced Wednesday night on social media that it has revoked the 2008 constitution, which was implemented under army rule and ensures the military retains major influence in government, including veto power over constitutional change by automatically being granted a quarter of the seats in Parliament. The army claimed its Feb. 1 seizure of power was carried out according to constitutional rules.

The CRPH also presented a “Federal Democracy Charter” to serve as an interim constitution. In addition to seeking to put an end to the country’s long history of military dictatorship, it is also meant to work towards meeting the longstanding demands of the country’s many and myriad ethnic minority groups for greater autonomy in the areas of their populations.

The issue has great current political significance because the protest movement against military rule has been seeking an alliance with the ethnic minority armed groups to boost pressure on the junta.

At least 536 protesters and bystanders have been killed since the coup, according to Myanmar’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which says the actual toll is likely much higher.