Four years in the past, the previous British colony wedged between India and China promised a lot.

A half-century of army rule had given method to a authorities with a well-liked chief elected cleanly, with a mandate to remodel South-East Asia’s most impoverished nation right into a mannequin of what democracy can obtain, even in nations with shallow democratic roots.

Immediately that chief, Aung San Suu Kyi, eighty subsequent yr, is locked in a jungle jail with no prospect of launch, whereas the military with whom she had shared energy since 2016 fights a brutal civil struggle on a number of fronts that has claimed 1000’s of lives. The nation’s ten-year democratic experiment has been shot down in flames.

The instant offender is apparent: the Burmese army has reverted to brutal kind. It’s once more doing what it has carried out for many of Myanmar’s unbiased historical past – getting wealthy, whereas holding its folks poor.

However in this Unbiased TV documentary, former ambassador Sir John Jenkins argues that we within the West are responsible, too.

open picture in gallery

It was Suu Kyi’s lack of assist within the West which emboldened the military to do what it had been itching to do for years and dump her.

Suu Kyi’s father, Aung San, was the founding father of the Burmese military, however her political profession was based on difficult its usurpation of civil energy. In her very first speech she did the unthinkable and attacked the military’s then chief straight.

Over time the military fought again by locking her up, isolating her from her household, banning her get together, making any reference to her a felony matter.

When eventually in 2010, after almost 20 years of confinement, she was freed and allowed into the political enviornment, it was as a result of she had highly effective associates within the West.

The Burmese army understood early on that Suu Kyi was excess of a voluble irritant. From the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 to the honorary doctorate from Oxford College in 2011, she was, because the army’s propaganda put it, ‘the West’s poster lady.’

She was blamed for the sanctions imposed on Myanmar’s economic system, for inflicting her nation to lose face on the earth’s eyes. However her recognition within the West meant she couldn’t be ignored.

open picture in gallery

Ultimately the shrewdest of Burma’s senior generals, Thein Sein, realised that he might use her popularity within the West to his personal benefit: by getting into politics underneath tight constitutional restraints, as the military’s junior accomplice, she might carry Myanmar in from the diplomatic chilly.

With sturdy encouragement from President Obama, that’s what occurred. Within the basic election of 2015 Suu Kyi turned Myanmar’s first truthfully elected chief since 1962.

However her triumph hid a deadly weak point. The West had made her; so when she took what appeared to us fallacious turns, it was like a protege going rogue.

When in 2017 the military launched an offensive towards the oppressed Rohingya minority in Rakhine state, she did not do what we felt she ought and denounce it.

open picture in gallery

Then in 2019 when the military was accused by Gambia of genocide, she took it into her head to go to the Worldwide Court docket of Justice within the Hague and defend it.

Why exit on a limb like this, on the military’s behalf?

The plain rationalization – to ingratiate herself with the military high command – is implausible: Suu Kyi has by no means carried out something to make herself amiable to the military.

Reasonably, as she informed the courtroom, she felt the costs to be unjust, and responsibility certain as chief to say so, to defend her nation. Fierce nationalism has been Suu Kyi’s motivation all her life. It trumps the whole lot else.

But when she didn’t intention to please the generals, neither did she really feel the necessity to contemplate the impact of her Hague journey on the West.

open picture in gallery

Weighing doubtless penalties has by no means been Suu Kyi’s model, which makes her success much more extraordinary. She has all the time been a most unpolitical, other-worldly politician.

Upshot: her popularity within the West, on the slide since 2017, plummeted to the depths. The generals took notice – the Woman now not had highly effective associates to name on. Barely a yr later they swept her apart, locked her up and threw away the important thing.

It’s a tragic story during which the West’s rush to judgement has had appalling penalties. Not for us, in fact: we merely dropped Suu Kyi and her faraway nation into the reminiscence gap. However for a rustic which as soon as had a future.

Four years in the past, the previous British colony wedged between India and China promised a lot.

A half-century of navy rule had given approach to a authorities with a well-liked chief elected cleanly, with a mandate to remodel South-East Asia’s most impoverished nation right into a mannequin of what democracy can obtain, even in nations with shallow democratic roots.

At the moment that chief, Aung San Suu Kyi, eighty subsequent yr, is locked in a jungle jail with no prospect of launch, whereas the military with whom she had shared energy since 2016 fights a brutal civil struggle on a number of fronts that has claimed hundreds of lives. The nation’s ten-year democratic experiment has been shot down in flames.

The instant perpetrator is clear: the Burmese navy has reverted to brutal kind. It’s once more doing what it has performed for many of Myanmar’s impartial historical past – getting wealthy, whereas retaining its individuals poor.

However in this Unbiased TV documentary, former ambassador Sir John Jenkins argues that we within the West are in charge, too.

open picture in gallery

It was Suu Kyi’s lack of help within the West which emboldened the military to do what it had been itching to do for years and dump her.

Suu Kyi’s father, Aung San, was the founding father of the Burmese military, however her political profession was based on difficult its usurpation of civil energy. In her very first speech she did the unthinkable and attacked the military’s then chief straight.

Through the years the military fought again by locking her up, isolating her from her household, banning her occasion, making any reference to her a prison matter.

When ultimately in 2010, after almost 20 years of confinement, she was freed and allowed into the political enviornment, it was as a result of she had highly effective pals within the West.

The Burmese navy understood early on that Suu Kyi was excess of a voluble irritant. From the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 to the honorary doctorate from Oxford College in 2011, she was, because the navy’s propaganda put it, ‘the West’s poster lady.’

She was blamed for the sanctions imposed on Myanmar’s economic system, for inflicting her nation to lose face on the earth’s eyes. However her reputation within the West meant she couldn’t be ignored.

open picture in gallery

Ultimately the shrewdest of Burma’s senior generals, Thein Sein, realised that he may use her repute within the West to his personal benefit: by getting into politics below tight constitutional restraints, as the military’s junior associate, she may convey Myanmar in from the diplomatic chilly.

With sturdy encouragement from President Obama, that’s what occurred. Within the common election of 2015 Suu Kyi turned Myanmar’s first truthfully elected chief since 1962.

However her triumph hid a deadly weak point. The West had made her; so when she took what appeared to us unsuitable turns, it was like a protege going rogue.

When in 2017 the military launched an offensive towards the oppressed Rohingya minority in Rakhine state, she did not do what we felt she ought and denounce it.

open picture in gallery

Then in 2019 when the military was accused by Gambia of genocide, she took it into her head to go to the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice within the Hague and defend it.

Why exit on a limb like this, on the military’s behalf?

The apparent clarification – to ingratiate herself with the military prime command – is implausible: Suu Kyi has by no means performed something to make herself amiable to the military.

Somewhat, as she informed the courtroom, she felt the fees to be unjust, and obligation sure as chief to say so, to defend her nation. Fierce nationalism has been Suu Kyi’s motivation all her life. It trumps the whole lot else.

But when she didn’t purpose to please the generals, neither did she really feel the necessity to take into account the impact of her Hague journey on the West.

open picture in gallery

Weighing doubtless penalties has by no means been Suu Kyi’s type, which makes her success much more extraordinary. She has at all times been a most unpolitical, other-worldly politician.

Upshot: her repute within the West, on the slide since 2017, plummeted to the depths. The generals took notice – the Girl not had highly effective pals to name on. Barely a yr later they swept her apart, locked her up and threw away the important thing.

It’s a tragic story during which the West’s rush to judgement has had appalling penalties. Not for us, after all: we merely dropped Suu Kyi and her faraway nation into the reminiscence gap. However for a rustic which as soon as had a future.