ミャンマー支援 民主化と市場経済に生かせ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 23, 2012)
Back Myanmar's democracy, economic reforms
ミャンマー支援　民主化と市場経済に生かせ（4月22日付・読売社説）

In throwing its support behind Myanmar's democratic transition, Japan deserves high marks for embarking on full-fledged development assistance to the Southeast Asian country ahead of the United States and European nations.
　民主化を後押しするため、日本が欧米に先駆けて本格支援に乗り出したのは評価できる。

We hope this will be the start of stronger relations between Japan and Myanmar, which is in its democratic infancy.
新生ミャンマーとの関係を強化する出発点としたい。

President Thein Sein of Myanmar met Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo on Saturday during a visit that included participation in a six-way meeting with the leaders of four other Mekong Basin countries--Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
　ミャンマーのテイン・セイン大統領が日本とメコン川流域５か国との首脳会議に合わせて来日し、野田首相と会談した。

In his meeting with Thein Sein, Noda said Japan would resume low-interest, long-term yen loans that have been suspended since the 1988 military crackdown on Myanmar's pro-democracy demonstrations. Resumption of Japan's development loans to Myanmar will add impetus to upgrading the country's large-scale infrastructure, such as roads and ports.
　首相は、１９８８年の軍事クーデターで停止した円借款を再開する方針を表明した。道路や港湾など大型インフラの整備へ弾みがつくだろう。

Myanmar's nascent democracy is on the threshold of being put to the test.
　ミャンマーの民主化の真価が問われるのは、これからである。

In parliamentary by-elections on April 1, Myanmar's opposition party, the National League for Democracy, led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory.
　４月１日の議会補選で、民主化運動指導者のアウン・サン・スー・チー氏ら、野党・国民民主連盟（ＮＬＤ）が圧勝した。

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Watch out for conservatives

In spite of their crushing defeat, the ruling party and the country's military still hold 80 percent of the seats in the legislature.
　完敗したとはいえ、与党と軍は議席の８割を占める。

Can the parliament play its role in fully pressing ahead with political and economic reforms? A popular verdict on this question will be handed down in the general election scheduled for 2015.
政治・経済の改革推進へ、国会は機能を十分に果たせるのか。２０１５年の総選挙で国民の審判が下される。

What is of utmost concern is that those with vested interests, centering around conservatives in Myanmar's armed forces who are unhappy with the democratic reforms, might maneuver to oust Thein Sein.
　懸念されるのは、改革に不満な軍保守派など既得権益層が大統領の失脚を画策する事態だ。

Another cause of concern is that Suu Kyi and other NLD members may be prevented from taking their seats in the parliament. This is because the NLD, which wants the country's pro-military Constitution revised, opposes having its members sworn in as parliamentarians by taking an oath to "safeguard the Constitution."
憲法改正を訴えるＮＬＤが「憲法順守」の宣誓に反発し、スー・チー氏らが国会に登院できなくなりそうな状況も新たな不安材料である。

Meanwhile, the United States and European Union have been moving toward easing their sanctions on Myanmar.
　欧米諸国は相次いで経済制裁緩和に動き出した。

The U.S. administration of President Barack Obama has announced its plans to gradually ease some of its sanctions. Last week, Washington relaxed financial restrictions on nongovernmental organizations' humanitarian and developmental assistance for Myanmar. The EU also will soon discuss the suspension of some Myanmar sanctions.
　米国は、段階的制裁解除を進めている。民間活動団体（ＮＧＯ）のミャンマー向け人道・開発支援に対する金融規制解除は一例だ。欧州連合（ＥＵ）も近く、制裁停止の是非を協議する。

During military rule, Myanmar's diplomacy was dependent almost completely on China. Now the country is set to improve relations with Japan as well as the United States and European nations.
　軍政時代に中国一辺倒だったミャンマーの外交は、日本や欧米との関係改善で幅を広げつつある。

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Cooperation with Thailand

For Japan, the United States and European countries, consolidating relations with a nation of strategic pivotal importance that links Southeast Asia and South Asia is essential to counter China's growing influence.
日本や欧米にとっても、東南アジアと南アジアを結ぶ戦略的要衝国との関係強化は、膨張する中国をけん制する上で必要だ。

Human resources needed to carry out Myanmar's democratic reforms and organize the market economy are seriously lacking.
　ミャンマーでは、民主化や市場経済体制の整備などに取り組む人材の不足が深刻化している。

Japan should extend a helping hand to Myanmar in a wide range of fields. Among them are development of younger-generation bureaucratic personnel, cooperation in creating a securities exchange, improving the livelihood of minority ethnic groups and enhancing agricultural skills.
　日本が若手官僚の人材育成や証券取引市場育成への協力、少数民族の生活支援や農業技術向上など多方面で支援するのは妥当だ。

From the viewpoint of tapping Asia's growth potential to assist Japan's economic resuscitation, it also is extremely important to deepen relations with such Mekong Basin countries as Thailand and Vietnam.
　日本にとって、アジアの成長を取り込み、経済再生につなげる上でも、メコン川流域のタイやベトナムなどと関係を深める意義は大きい。

One idea might be for Japanese businesses to cooperate with Thailand in investing in Myanmar, as Thailand has a strong influence over the new democracy.
日本企業が、ミャンマーに影響力をもつタイと連携して、投資を行うのも一案だろう。

It is worth noting that Japan, in the six-way summit, proposed a three-year cooperation plan for such purposes as improving infrastructure in the Mekong Basin.
　日本が首脳会議で、メコン川流域のインフラ整備などを支援する今後３年間の新たな協力計画を表明したことは重要だ。

Japan's public and private sectors must use all means possible to ensure the envisioned cooperation can be achieved effectively.
効果的な支援をめぐって、今後、官民挙げて知恵を絞らなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 22, 2012)
（2012年4月22日01時50分 読売新聞）