‘Time and patience’ needed to heal Myanmar’s wounds

Myanmar continues to face political and social challenges in its transition from military rule to democratic government, the speaker of its upper house of parliament has told an academic conference in Canberra.

Khin Aung Myint told a forum at the Australian National University that “time and patience” were needed to end tensions caused by almost 70 years of civil war in Myanmar.

He said the two fundamental issues to be resolved were the relationship between the government and ethnic minorities, and the wider relationship between the people of Myanmar and the government, which has been influenced by the military since the early 1960s.