BANGKOK: Military-ruled Myanmar’s election starting next month will be neither free nor credible, Thailand’s foreign minister said, calling for the release of detained democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar’s military ousted the Nobel laureate’s elected government and seized power in a 2021 coup, sparking a civil war.
The junta is trumpeting the vote as an opportunity for reconciliation, but neither Aung San Suu Kyi nor her dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) will take part.
The election will not be held in the swathes of the country not controlled by the military or its allies, and analysts have dismissed it as a ploy to disguise continuing military rule.
“We want it to be free and credible, but it’s not going to be the case, we know that,” Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said late Tuesday.
“My feeling is that we won’t be in a position to recognize the elections.”
But he suggested it could be a stepping stone toward reform, saying that general Thein Sein was elected president in an “imperfect” poll in 2010 and went on to release Aung San Suu Kyi, with the NLD winning the next poll.
“Maybe an imperfect election can also be a good opportunity to return the country back to stability and democracy,” he told reporters in Bangkok.
Neighbouring Thailand hosts millions of people who have fled the conflict in Myanmar or left the country to seek work outside its moribund economy.
A career diplomat and former ambassador to France, Sihasak urged the Myanmar authorities to free 80-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi on humanitarian grounds.
“It’s time to release her,” he said. “Sometimes we must say things that are the right thing to say.
“She’s been in custody for too long. At her age, we don’t know the condition of her health, and so I hope that they do that the first thing, or immediately.”
The first phase of voting in Myanmar begins on December 28, with a second slated for January 11, but subsequent rounds and a result date have not been announced.
Myanmar election not free or credible: Thai FM
https://arab.news/2yktd
Myanmar election not free or credible: Thai FM
- The election will not be held in the swathes of the country not controlled by the military or its allies, and analysts have dismissed it as a ploy to disguise continuing military rule
Old Delhi iftars revive Mughal heritage, one course at a time
- Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma iftars have been held in Old Delhi since 2017
- Muslim and non-Muslim participants arrive from across India and abroad
NEW DELHI: On a rooftop in Delhi’s historic walled city, guests from across India sit on cushions around a low table overlooking Jama Masjid, waiting for its sunset call to prayer — the signal to start a special iftar that will take them back four centuries, to the Mughal era, if only for a while.
Mughals ruled the Indian subcontinent between the 16th and 19th centuries. Originally from Central Asia, they carried traditions borrowed from Arabs, Persians and Ottomans, which they merged with the various local Indian styles — a fusion that marked the global revival of Islamic architecture and culture.
Jama Masjid is one of the most iconic examples of the Mughal style — a scenic background to the curated iftars that bring 40 to 50 people from across India to share a meal, knowledge and experience.
“People getting together from different walks of life, different parts of the country, different religions, different cultures coming together — it was absolutely and completely amazing,” said Arvind Sirohi, who took part in the event with his wife.
“Lovely storytelling, amazing food, and end of the day, right next to Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. The ambience, the environment, the atmosphere came together so beautifully.”
The community-led iftar experience is called Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma — from Urdu words meaning a “spread of food” and “showing the world.”
For Veena Sirohi, it did exactly what the name promised by bringing together people from different communities, different parts of India, and abroad.
“I think that’s a great way of synthesizing different cultures, bringing people together, bringing the human aspect of what we all are ... we are actually all one,” she told Arab News.
“And we had some wonderful comperes who told us about … the history of Ramadan, what goes behind it, how the food is curated, and how each and every item has a specific place in the menu.”
Served in gilded bowls and plates from traditional Indian crockery, with rose petals dotting the dastarkhwan cloth, the dishes were some of the festive Ramadan delicacies, offering a taste of Mughal culinary heritage.
Among them was mutanjan, or fragrant rice cooked with ghee, sugar, saffron, cardamom, and studded with nuts, which for many Indian Muslims is traditionally the first dish to break the fast.
It was followed by shabde, a rich, slow-cooked aromatic meat stew or the Delhi biryani — a fragrant, mildly spiced saffron rice and meat dish, where marinated chicken or mutton is layered with basmati rice and cooked slowly.
The hearty feast closed with nihari, a hearty stew simmered overnight with spices and bone marrow, which emerged in the 18th century and was originally eaten by Mughal royals for breakfast.
“These are the traditional dishes which are not usually available in the market, but are specially prepared by the bawarchees (cooks) of Old Delhi. Some of the dishes are occasional dishes,” said Abu Sufiyan Khan, the founder of Tales of City, the cultural experience company that has been curating Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma since 2017.
The special iftars are hosted once a week throughout the fasting month, usually on weekends. There are variations in dishes served as they come from different kitchens, as Tales of City collaborates with various local artisans and cooks.
“We are curating this with different experts and every time the menu changes,” Khan said.
“We bring all these dishes onto a single dastarkhwan, and we share this meal with the people coming from all over India to break bread together in the holy month of Ramadan, know each other, learn about each other’s culture, and create a dialogue space where we can have more meaningful conversations and an opportunity to get to know each other.”
Those who take part, like Ayandrali Dutta, a food critic, appreciate everything about the experience, especially as it takes place in Old Delhi, where the vibe is always “jovial, lively, in all positive ways” during Ramadan.
“You get to meet interesting people, you get to hear interesting stories ... It’s a great initiative to show what Ramadan is, what kind of food is eaten, talk about the cultures between Lucknow and Delhi and other parts of the country. And it just brings a lot of happiness,” she said.
“I loved it. My heart is happy, my belly is full. Nothing else I can ask for.”
