The disciplining discourse of unity in Burmese politics

Journal article

A concern with unity has been a consistent theme in modern Burmese politics. This article examines a particularly problematic conception of unity that I argue draws strength from its resonance with Buddhist moral notions of the self and overcoming self-centeredness. As a moral concept, this narrative of unity is idealized in devotion to a common purpose and loyalty to a group or community; it requires subsuming one’s own interests for the benefit of the whole, something that encapsulates the Buddhist practice of rejecting atta (ego). Disunity, then, is the result of a group of individuals committed only to their own benefit; it is evidence of moral failure. This discourse of unity has been an effectively anti-democratic disciplining tool (deployed by both governments and opposition groups) for suppressing internal dissent. Despite General Aung San’s oft-quoted slogan of “unity in diversity,” political movements in Myanmar have been more commonly characterized by hegemonic attempts at imposing a top-down unity that labels deviation from or criticism of dominant positions as disloyalty. This article examines the perpetuation of a rigid, unitary understanding of unity and argues that developing a more flexible and accommodating notion of unity will be a necessary step in the process of national reconciliation.

Authors: Walton, MJ

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Northern Illinois University
• Journal: Journal of Burma Studies
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-26
• Publication date: 2015-06-17
• Acceptance date: 2014-12-19
• DOI: 10.1353/jbs.2015.0003
• EISSN: 2010-314X
• ISSN: 1094-799X
• Language: English