ビルマ民主化闘争における暴力と非暴力

―アウンサンスーチーの非暴力主義と在タイ活動家たちの理解―

抄録

  Aung San Suu Kyi receives a high valuation on her contribution on leading a non-violent democratic movement under the military ruled Burma. She was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. However, her principle of non-violence is not exactly the same as M. Gandhi's moral understanding of non-violence which does not allow any violent means in the political movement. Her principle includes an aspect of political tactics. She insists that a non-violent means is especially necessary in Burma, since it will bring the end to a chain of violence in politics which has existed throughout the modern history of this country. At the same time, she says that the non-violence is not always the only means in political movements.
  Reflecting her principle, the Burmese political activists in Thai-Burma border possess flexible understanding of non-violence. They basically agree with the importance of non-violence in their movement for democracy, but simultaneously they think that armed struggles are necessary when they have to protect themselves from the attacks of Burmese Armed Forces. They say that this right of self-protection has ever denied by Aung San Suu Kyi. On the other hand, the activists of ethnic minorities have a tendency to explain their self-protection right as a natural one, not as a flexible understanding of non-violence principle that stems from Aung San Suu Kyi.