Professional Documents
Culture Documents
VOLUME 6, NUMBER 14
PAGES 329-352
WWW.GLOBALRESEARCHER.COM
fter nearly half a century of isolation, stagnation and iron-fisted rule by one of the developing worlds
last remaining military dictatorships, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has instituted a dramatic series of political and economic reforms. These changes, instituted during the past year by a civilian government
run by a former general, indicate that the military may be willing to hand over power voluntarily
a scenario that few could have predicted as little as a year ago. Equally surprising, Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars
world-famous, pro-democracy dissident and
opposition leader, was recently elected to
Parliament and has greeted the reforms
with cautious optimism. Western powers
have responded to the nascent reforms by
suspending economic and political sanctions and are beginning to invest in the
desperately poor but resource-rich nation
of 55 million people. However, Myanmar
faces a challenging future especially in
its treatment of ethnic minorities.
In a sign that Myanmars militar y junta may be
transforming the countr y into a more democratic
society, Aung San Suu Kyi a Nobel Peace Prize
winner and one of the worlds most famous political
dissidents attends the second day of her
historic term in Parliament on July 10.
WWW.CQPRESS.COM
331
332
333
BACKGROUND
338
Monarchy Rules
Myanmar was founded in
the 11th century.
334
340
Road to Independence
Britain ruled Burma until
1948.
336
342
Isolationist Socialism
A 1962 coup led to 50
years of military dictatorship.
337
Economy on Upswing
Inflation has plummeted;
foreign investment is up.
343
Winds of Change
President U Thein Sein
has adopted reforms.
CURRENT SITUATION
344
344
346
340
A Patchwork Quilt of
Ethnic Minorities
Can political reforms resolve
Myanmars ethnic conflicts?
345
Counterbalancing China
Some say Myanmar is befriending the West to balance Chinas influence.
At Issue
Are countries moving too
quickly to remove sanctions
on Myanmar?
352
Irreversible Reforms?
Many believe Myanmars
reforms are permanent.
330
Chronology
Key events since 1057.
Democracy at Risk
Recent ethnic violence
could threaten reforms.
OUTLOOK
346
339
CQ Global Researcher
349
350
Bibliography
Selected sources used.
351
351
kkoch@cqpress.com
Michele Sordi
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THE ISSUES
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331
N E PA L
BHUTAN
CHINA
BANGLADESH
IN DI A
Irawadd
y R.
INDIA
VI E T N AM
M YA N M A R
LAO S
Naypyidaw
Bay of Bengal
Yangon
Gulf of
Irawaddy Martaban
Delta
Andaman Sea
C AM BO DI A
Andaman
Islands
150 mi
Map by Lewis Agrell
332
T H AI LAN D
CQ Global Researcher
Gulf of
Thailand
Mekong
Delta
The United States followed suit, explaining the sanctions would remain on
the books as an insurance policy. 7
At about the same time, Japan forgave about $3.7 billion of Myanmars
debt and announced resumption of
development aid. 8 After lifting its sanctions, Australia pledged to double education aid to nearly $100 million annually by 2015. 9
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333
334
CQ Global Researcher
Robert Kiener
1 Frida Ghitis, At last, a hero for democracy, CNN, June 22, 2011, www.
cnn.com/2012/06/22/opinion/ghitis-aung-san-suu-kyi/index.html.
www.globalresearcher.com
Reuters/Scanpix
2 Emma Larkin, The force of a woman, The New Republic, May 4, 2012,
www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/magazine/103083/lady-peacock-aung-sansuu-kyi%20?page=0,1.
3 Rebecca Frayn, Can Aung San Suu Kyi, now free, lead Burma to democracy? The Daily Beast, March 5, 2012, www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/
2012/03/04/can-aung-san-suu-kyi-now-free-lead-burma-to-democracy.html.
4 Jason Burke, Aung San Suu Kyi: the woman who never sought to lead,
The Guardian, June 15, 2012, www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/15/aungsan-suu-kyi-burma.
335
Sri Lanka
$5,169
$2,039
Mongolia
$4,020
$1,687
$2,333
Papua/New Guinea
$1,424
Vietnam
$3,143
$1,180
Laos
$2,450
$908
Cambodia
$2,065
2000
2010
$835
Bangladesh
$1,584
$791
$1,269
Nepal
$459
Myanmar
$1,254
1,000
2,000
3,000 4,000
(in $US)
5,000
6,000
336
CQ Global Researcher
from the front lines show little improvement. If these atrocities had
happened in or around Burmas capital, there would be international outrage, said Karen activist Phan.
Some believe that the international
community has been blinded to Myanmars minority abuses by recent optimistic reports of reform.
The world community should pay
as much attention to the persecuted
ethnic minorities in Burma as it does
to Suu Kyi, says Zarni, at the London
School of Economics. Admittedly, her
inspirational life story makes a better
read than hundreds of thousands of
faceless, nameless ethnic minorities that
have suffered myriad forms of atrocities . . . but there is something fundamentally pathetic and pathological about
this utter imbalance of the worlds focus.
Pressuring the government may be
important, but pushing too hard could
be counterproductive, warns Georgetowns Steinberg. Nearly every country
in the region has supported Burmese
dissidents in the past, and the government is justifiably sensitive to outside
entities dealing directly with ethnic minorities, he says. Minorities need to
share power, but thats not something
the international community can impose on them. What we can do is offer
Myanmar programs that aid minorities,
such as training, educational scholarships, institution-building and more.
The Asia Societys DiMaggio agrees.
Ultimately the minorities problem has
to be solved domestically from
within. But there are a lot of experiences learned by other countries that
have gone through this problem that
can help the process along. (Indonesia and Vietnam are often cited as examples for Myanmar.)
The international community can
leverage its aid and investment by offering it on the condition that minorities
benefit. Myanmars minorities, the majority of whom live in undeveloped
regions, suffer from woefully inadequate roads, communications and in-
www.globalresearcher.com
Economy on Upswing
Inflation has declined dramatically in
Myanmar in recent years, while foreign
investment has skyrocketed. The
improvement is largely attributed to
economic reforms and the opening
of the state-run economy to foreign
investment.
Percent Change in Inflation
25%
22%
20
15
8.2%
10
5
0
Average change,
2000-2009
2010
$3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
$2.8
$0.2
2001
2010
337
Western visitors to Naypyidaw, Myanmars new capital city, have described it as very big and
very empty. Built in 2005 by the then-ruling military junta, Naypiydaw, which means abode
of kings in Burmese, replaced Yangon (formerly Rangoon) as the capital. It was built on a
grand scale, with a 20-lane, usually deserted highway leading to a massive parliamentary
complex containing 31 buildings and a new presidential palace. The grandiose architecture
stands in marked contrast to the rest of the nation, the poorest in Southeast Asia.
338
CQ Global Researcher
BACKGROUND
Monarchy Rules
lthough recent research has shown
there were inhabitants in Myanmars Irawaddy Valley as long as 3,500
Continued on p. 340
Chronology
1057-1785
Burma flourishes as a devoutly
1962
Strongman Gen. Ne Win establishes
a socialist military dictatorship.
Buddhist civilization.
1057
King Anawrahta establishes the first
unified Burma at Pagan, with Buddhism as the predominant religion.
1785
King Bodawapaya, also known as
Lord of the White Elephants, becomes ruler of all of Burma.
1975-1991
1885-1937
Burma
becomes a British colony.
1885-86
Britain captures Burmas royal capital, Mandalay; Burma becomes a
province of British India.
1937
Burma becomes a British colony.
1942-1962
Burma sides first with Japan
then the Allies in World War II;
eventually achieves independence.
1942
Japan occupies Burma aided by
Burma Independence Army, which
later resists Japanese rule.
1987
Currency devaluation wipes out
many peoples savings and triggers
anti-government riots.
1988
Military government declares martial
law, arrests thousands of protesters,
renames the country Myanmar and
places activist Aung San Suu Kyi,
daughter of Gen. Aung San, under
house arrest.
1990
National League for Democracy
(NLD) wins general election, but
military junta ignores the results.
1991
Suu Kyi wins Nobel Peace Prize.
2001-Present
After several false starts, the
1945
Britain liberates Burma from Japanese occupation aided by the Burma
Army, led by Gen. Aung San.
1948
Burma becomes independent;
Burmese nationalist U Nu becomes
prime minister.
2001
Government releases some 200
pro-democracy activists from jail.
www.globalresearcher.com
2002
Suu Kyi is released after nearly 20
months of house arrest but then
taken into protective custody.
2007
Protests erupt after fuel price hikes;
activists are arrested.
2008
Government adopts new constitution;
bans Suu Kyi from holding office.
2009
NLD offers to take part in planned
elections if the government frees all
political prisoners, changes the constitution and admits international
observers.
2009
Suu Kyi begins talks with Burmas
military leaders about democratization.
2010
Main military-backed party claims
election victory but opposition alleges fraud. Suu Kyi is released.
2011
U Thein Sein, a retired general, is
sworn in as president of a new,
nominally civilian government. He
announces proposed reforms, frees
some political prisoners and meets
with Suu Kyi.
2012
Government signs ceasefire with
rebels of Karen ethnic group. . . .
NLD candidates dominate parliamentary by-elections; European
Union suspends all nonmilitary
sanctions against Myanmar for a
year. Other nations follow; communal violence breaks out between
Rakhine Buddhists and the Muslim
Rohingya minority on the
Bangladeshi border; state of emergency is declared.
339
340
CQ Global Researcher
Road to Independence
yanmars expansion into Britishoccupied India led to the first of
three Anglo-Burmese wars in 1824,
1852 and 1885. They ended with the
British controlling all of Myanmar, an-
Robert Kiener
1
Burma: reforms yet to reach Kachin state, Human Rights Watch, March 20,
2012, www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/20/burma-reforms-yet-reach-kachin-state.
www.globalresearcher.com
Ibid.
Myanmar arrests 30 over killing of 10 Muslims, Times of India, July 3, 2012,
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-03/rest-of-world/32522562_1_
violence-in-rakhine-state-myanmar-newspaper-myanmar-arrests.
4 Tom Fawthrop, Will reform bring Burma peace? The Diplomat, May 16,
2012, http://thediplomat.com/2012/05/16/will-reform-bring-burma-peace/. For
background, see Brian Beary, Separatist Movements, CQ Global Researcher,
April 1, 2008, pp. 85-114.
5 Nicholas Farrelly, Burma and the road to normality, Inside Story, March 8,
2012, http://inside.org.au/burma-and-the-road-to-normality/.
3
341
Isolationist Socialism
e Win and his cronies wasted no
time dismantling any institution
that could threaten military control.
The constitution was suspended and
opposition political parties banned.
The military and their sympathizers
announced formation of the Burma
Socialist Programme Party, which instituted sweeping socialist polices
under the banner, Burmese Way to
Socialism.
All major industries were nationalized. Much of Myanmar was closed off
to the world. Free expression was curtailed. Elections were eliminated. Human
rights were ignored and any opposition was quickly trampled. In 1962 the
342
CQ Global Researcher
Winds of Change
hen Thein Sein was inaugurated president in March 2011,
few believed it would herald any real
change. Thus, many were surprised
when, during his inaugural address,
he delivered a frank assessment of
the nations social, political and economic problems.
www.globalresearcher.com
President U Thein Sein meets with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in his
ornate office in Naypyidaw on Dec. 1, 2011. Clintons visit to Myanmar was the first by a
U.S. secretary of State in more than 50 years, reflecting a thaw in relations with the West
following the militarys turnover of some power to a civilian government.
open doors, make reforms and invite investments as necessary for development
of the nation and the people. 49
After conferring with civilian experts, the new president announced a
series of economic reforms and, even
more surprisingly, the Parliament debated legislative reforms.
In August Thein Sein met with Suu
Kyi, a historic event that would result in
the opposition leader agreeing to bring
her party back into the political fold by
re-registering and competing in the 2012
by-elections. State television reported
that the pair had engaged in frank and
friendly discussions in order to find
ways and means of cooperation. 50
Thein Sein and the legislators also
agreed to investigate how to solve
long-standing disputes with the minority
343
CURRENT
SITUATION
Democracy at Risk
uu Kyi enjoyed a two-week whirlwind trip to Europe in mid-June,
during which she belatedly received her
1991 Nobel Peace Prize, and was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford, granted an audience with the Dalai Lama
and serenaded by pop icon Bono. The
world was entranced by her courage
and stoic elegance, and the 67-year-old
political dissident became the new face
of Myanmar to millions around the world.
However, as she was making speeches, giving interviews and collecting
awards, parts of her homeland were
roiling with sectarian violence. After at
least 80 killings and the forced displacement of up to 90,000 Rohingya
Muslims, President Thein Sein declared
a state of emergency in the western
state of Rakhine. 53 The dramatic contrast clearly showed that while much of
the world now sees Myanmar as a country on the road to democracy, in reality it is a fragile, vulnerable state, just
beginning to experiment with reform.
The most recent outbreak of violence like many modern tragedies
in Myanmar involves one of the
countrys minorities. In this case it was
the Rohingya, the largely stateless Muslim minority of 800,000 that lives in
northwest Myanmar near the border
with Bangladesh. Long-persecuted and
refused citizenship by the government,
the Rohingya are considered illegal immigrants with no rights.
The recent violence apparently erupted after local Buddhists beat a group
of Muslim pilgrims to death, reportedly to avenge an alleged gang rape and
murder of a Buddhist woman by three
Muslim men. 54 Long-simmering racial
344
CQ Global Researcher
and religious tensions ignited, and violence spread to several towns within the
remote state.
After declaring martial law, Thein Sein
warned in a televised address: If this
endless anarchic vengeance and deadly acts continue . . . it can severely affect peace and tranquility and our nascent
democratic reforms and the development of the country. 55 With growing
Internet access and a more open press,
the government undoubtedly fears that
regional protests could spread.
To escape the violence, hundreds
of Rohingya fled in rickety boats to
Bangladesh. 56 But instead of welcoming
their fellow Muslims, Bangladeshi authorities refused them entry and forced
them back to sea. A Bangladeshi border guard recently explained, This is
an overpopulated country. The country
doesnt have the capacity to accommodate these additional people. 57 (In the
past more than 300,000 Rohingya have
fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh.) 58
Bangladesh is putting the lives of
those fleeing violence including young
children at risk by sending them
back to Burma, said Bill Frelick, refugees
director at Human Rights Watch. 59
Others say Myanmars long history
of human-rights violations is the core
of the problem, noting that the countrys leaders have long closed their eyes
to abuses against the Rohingya. For
many Myanmar observers, the worlds
reluctance to help the Rohingya symbolizes an unwillingness to aid Myanmars large, long-persecuted, minority
populations, many of whom feel they
are being left out of Myanmars economic and political changes.
Meanwhile, the Rohingya and others, including the Kachin and the Karen,
continue to look to the world for help.
Our appeal is to the U.N., foreign
nations, the Myanmar government and
especially to Suu Kyi, said Mohammad
Islam, leader of the Rohingya refugees
living in the Nayapara refugee camp in
the Bangladeshi border town of Teknaf. We heard the relations between
the government and Suu Kyi have mended, and there are now reforms sweeping the country. But for Rohingya, these
changes mean nothing. 60
Counterbalancing China
o veteran Asia-watchers, the timing
of Secretary Clintons historic visit
to Myanmar last November the first
by a senior American official in nearly half a century was telling. Not
only did it follow the momentous meeting between Suu Kyi and Thein Sein,
but it came shortly after Myanmar had
suspended a major $3.6 billion dam
project with China, its most recent effort to distance itself from its neighboring superpower.
While most of the world was shunning Myanmar in recent decades, China
was becoming its biggest investor and
trading partner, investing $14 billion
more than a third of the countrys
total investment mostly in the energy sector. 61 Myanmar exports oil,
hydropower and natural gas.
But as China siphoned off Myanmars oil, gas, timber and other natural resources with the Burmese people receiving few jobs or training in
return Chinas interests came to be
seen as largely one-sided. There has
been a growing wave of anti-China sentiment in Myanmar, says the Asia Societys DiMaggio. Many are not happy
with the way China has invested and
not benefited the people, while often
devastating the environment.
Some observers believe Thein Sein
and his government courted the West
to counterbalance Chinas dominance.
Many senior military leaders were
leery of depending too much on one
strategic partner, especially one that
backed their Communist Party opponents in the 1960s and 70s.
Thein Sein may have invited the
United States into the region as a player in the new Asian Great Game, the
Continued on p. 346
At Issue:
Are countries moving too quickly to remove sanctions on Myanmar?
yes
ZOYA PHAN
SUZANNE DIMAGGIO
he debate over what role sanctions have played in bringing about the remarkable turn of events in Burma will
continue for some time to come. But we can be sure that
increased U.S. engagement and a loosening of sanctions are
spurring the reform process in Burma.
Over the past 18 months, President Thein Sein has instituted sweeping reforms, including releasing political prisoners,
passing laws ensuring freedom of assembly, legalizing trade
unions and promoting democratic processes that led to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyis election to Parliament.
In response, there is bipartisan U.S. congressional support
for the administrations easing of some economic restrictions
against Burma while maintaining sanctions on the military. The
Treasury Department in April allowed educational and nonprofit institutions to support development and humanitarian
projects. In May, the United States announced it was suspending the ban on U.S. investments and the export of financial
services. Other Western countries followed suit.
Greater U.S. business activity in Burma will help promote
durable economic reforms which currently are being
outpaced by political reforms create foundations for a
market economy, build up the rule of law, reduce corruption, advance transparent investment and strengthen economic institutions.
During this fragile transition period, U.S. policy should
focus on strengthening the hand of reformers so they can
demonstrate that their efforts are gaining rewards. In a povertystricken country with an output per capita of about $850, improving living standards will be a key test. Meanwhile, U.S.
support will help empower reformers seeking to peacefully resolve long-simmering ethnic and religious conflicts and end
human-rights abuses in Burmas ethnic areas.
Because the United States is suspending rather than rescinding certain sanctions, the possibility remains that they
could be re-imposed if progress stops or reverses. This calibrated approach allows the Obama administration to continue to actively test the Burmese governments commitment to
reform while providing concrete leverage to push for positive
change.
Looking ahead, the United States and Burma must work together so the two countries can get beyond the transactional
nature of the current relationship and move toward greater
normalization.
yes no
no
www.globalresearcher.com
345
Newly appointed military representatives of the Myanmar Parliament take the oath of office
on April 23, 2012. The military says it has turned over power to a civilian government,
but skeptics say the junta retains a firm hold on the legislature. For instance,
the constitution reserves one-fourth of parliaments seats for the military,
and the president must have military knowledge.
Continued from p. 344
U.S.-China rivalry in Asia and the Pacific. As The Economist recently noted,
Now the Obama administration has
declared that the Asia-Pacific region is
Americas new priority, and in the strategic game taking shape in South-East
Asia, America is strengthening alliances
in the light of Chinas rise. If Myanmar
could be realigned more towards the
West, that would be a great prize. 62
Although both China and the U.S.
play it down, there is a real geostrategic
component to the Burma situation, explains DiMaggio. Seeing China dominate
Burma did not sit well with the U.S.
Indeed, the United States wasted no
time in investigating Myanmars strategic possibilities. During a recent trip
to Asia, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon
Panetta affirmed U.S. willingness to
improve military ties with Myanmar. 63
As Myanmar moves forward, it must
walk a fine line between opening up
to the West and not alienating China.
346
CQ Global Researcher
Suddenly, one of the most isolated countries in the world has been thrust center stage and will be judged on how
it lives up to its new name, Myanmar,
which means that which is central.
OUTLOOK
Irreversible Reforms?
iven the massive changes that have
occurred over the past year, many
longtime Myanmar watchers chuckle
when asked where the country will
be in 10 or 20 years.
www.globalresearcher.com
Notes
1 Thomas Fuller, Myanmars opposition leader
347
348
CQ Global Researcher
poised-for-change-as-suu-kyi-set-to-win-placein-parliament/article2388829/.
33 A fly in the ointment, The Economist,
April 28, 2012, www.economist.com/node/
21553447.
34 Hannah Beech, Burmas armed forces day:
men in business suits, not uniforms, seize the
moment, Time, March 27, 2012, http://world.
time.com/2012/03/27/burmas-armed-forces-daymen-in-business-suits-not-uniforms-seize-themoment/.
35 Bertil Linter, Burmese democracy still a
distant dream, The Australian, May 11, 2012,
www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/burmesedemocracy-still-a-distant-dream/story-e6frg6ux1226352422447.
36 Burmas parliament emerges from the shadows, Inside Story, March 26, 2012, http://inside.
org.au/burma-parliament-emerges-from-theshadows/.
37 Dinyar Godrej, A Short History of Burma,
New Internationalist, April 18, 2008, www.new
int.org/features/2008/04/18/history/.
38 Richard Covington, Sacred and Profaned,
Smithsonian Magazine, December 2002, www.
smithsonianmag.com/people-places/sacred.html.
39 Godrej, op. cit.
40 David I. Steinberg, Burma/Myanmar: What
everyone needs to know (2010), pp. 33-34.
41 Ibid., p. 42.
42 History of Burma, Canadian Friends of
Burma, www.cfob.org/history.html.
43 Should it be Burma or Myanmar? BBC,
Sept. 26, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/701
3943.stm.
44 Karen Percy, More Burma protesters arrested as curfew orders ignored, ABC News,
Sept. 28, 2007, www.abc.net.au/news/2007-0928/more-burma-protesters-arrested-as-curfeworders/684316.
45 Michael W. Charney, A History of Modern
Burma (2009), p. 197.
46 Steinberg, op. cit., p. 139.
47 Jake Tapper, A wary president Obama heralds progress in Burma, ABC News, Nov. 17,
2011, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/
11/a-wary-president-obama-heralds-progressin-burma/.
48 President U Thein Sein delivers inaugural
address to Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, New Light of
Myanmar, March 31, 2011, www.networkmyan
mar.org/images/stories/PDF7/theinsein.pdf.
49
Ibid.
Dissident meets leader of Myanmar, The
Associated Press, Aug. 19, 2011, www.nytimes.
com/2011/08/20/world/asia/20myanmar.html.
51 Reform in Myanmar: One year on, International Crisis Group, April 11, 2012, www.
crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-eastasia/burma-myanmar/b136-reform-in-myanmarone-year-on.pdf.
52 Ibid.
53 Q&A: Unrest in Burmas Rakhine state,
BBC, June 20, 2012, www.bbc.co.uk/news/
world-asia-18395788.
54 Francis Wade, Burma clashes could put
transition to democracy at risk, president says,
Guardian, June 12, 2012, www.guardian.co.
uk/world/2012/jun/10/burma-clashes-transitiondemocracy-risk?intcmp=239.
55 Fergal Keane, Old tensions bubble in
Burma, BBC, June 11, 2012, www.bbc.co.uk/
news/world-asia-18402678.
56 Burma unrest: UN body says 90,000 displaced by violence, BBC, June 20, 2012,
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18517412.
57 Andrew R. C. Marshall, Special Report:
Plight of Muslim minority threatens Myanmar
Spring, Reuters, June 15, 2012, www.reuters.
com/article/2012/06/15/us-myanmar-rohingyaidUSBRE85E06A20120615.
58 Wade, op. cit.
59 Stop push-backs to Myanmar: HRW, BNNews24.com, June 2012, http://bdnews24.com/
details.php?id=226791&cid=2.
60 Myanmar Rohingya refugees call for Suu
Kyis help, Agence France-Presse, June 14, 2012,
www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/297989/myan
mar-rohingya-refugees-call-for-suu-kyi-help.
61 China now No. 1 investor in Burma,
Mizzima News, Jan. 18, 2012, www.mizzima.
com/business/6436-china-now-no-1-investorin-burma.html.
62 A new Great Game? The Economist, Dec. 3,
2011, www.economist.com/node/21541071.
63 Lolita C. Baldor, U.S. looking to forge military ties with Burma, The Associated Press,
June 2, 2012, www.irrawaddy.org/archives/5660.
64 Coca-Cola returns to Burma after a 60year absence, BBC, June 14, 2012, www.bbc.
co.uk/news/business-18453401.
65 Opening soon, The Economist, March 3,
2012, www.economist.com/node/21548990.
66 Rachel Vandenbrink, U.S. eases Burma
50
www.globalresearcher.com
2012, www.mizzima.com/business/7373-western-countries-to-become-burmas-top-investors.
html.
69 Laura Smith-Park, Suu Kyi gives Nobel
speech in Norway, 21 years later, CNN, June 16,
2012, http://articles.cnn.com/2012-06-16/world/
world_europe_norway-suu-kyi-nobel_1_oslocity-hall-nobel-committee-house-arrest?_s=PM:
EUROPE.
349
Bibliography
Selected Sources
Books
Aung-Thwin, Michael, and Maitrii Aung-Thwin, A History
of Myanmar Since Ancient Times, Reaktion Books, 2012.
Burmese academics present a comprehensive, well-researched
history of Burma over nearly 3,000 years.
Articles
The road up from Mandalay, The Economist, April 21,
2012, www.economist.com/node/21553091.
Economic development faces an uphill challenge in regions
long dominated by military interests.
A Short History of Burma, New Internationalist, April
18, 2008, www.newint.org/features/2008/04/18/history/.
The author provides a concise overview of Myanmars history.
Beech, Hannah, Will ethnic violence kill Burmas fragile
reforms,Time, June 11, 2012, http://world.time.com/2012/
06/11/will-ethnic-violence-kill-burmas-fragile-reforms/.
Recent minority clashes may affect future reforms in Myanmar.
Farrelly, Nicholas, Burma and the road to normality,
Inside Story, March 8, 2012, http://inside.org.au/burmaand-the-road-to-normality/.
An Australian academic who recently visited Myanmar offers
an in-depth look at recent reforms and their implications for
the future.
350
CQ Global Researcher
Hiatt, Fred, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Art of Compromise, The Washington Post, July 5, 2012, www.japan
times.co.jp/text/eo20120705a2.html.
Suu Kyi is a successful leader partially due to her willingness to compromise.
Elections
Burmese Reshuffle to Oust Old Guard, The Australian,
July 5, 2012, www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/
burmese-reshuffle-to-oust-old-guard/story-e6frg6so-1226
417210054.
More moderate leaders are expected to replace hardliners
in Myanmars government.
The Real Victory in the Myanmar Election, The Christian Science Monitor, April 2, 2012, www.csmonitor.com/
Commentary/the-monitors-view/2012/0402/The-real-victoryin-the-Myanmar-election.
High levels of support across Myanmar gave Suu Kyi an
overwhelming victory in Aprils elections.
Girion, Lisa, Myanmar Election Gives Hope to Expats,
Los Angeles Times, April 2, 2012.
Many Burmese expatriates in California fear talking about
the politics of their homeland, but the recent elections have
given them new hope.
Ethnic Violence
MLA STYLE
Flamini, Roland. Nuclear Proliferation. CQ Global Researcher 1 Apr. 2007: 1-24.
APA STYLE
Burma: UN Says Nearly 80 People Dead in Rakhine
State Violence, BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, June 29,
2012, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-06/
29/c_123345397.htm.
Nearly 80 people died and dozens more were injured in
Burmas Rakhine state in early June, according to government estimates.
www.globalresearcher.com
CHICAGO STYLE
Flamini, Roland. Nuclear Proliferation. CQ Global Researcher,
April 1, 2007, 1-24.
351
A free press
I want to return to Burma
to publish both English and
Burmese language newspapers
when Burma is free and
there are no restrictions on
the press. We will go back
to Burma with dignity.
We want it all
We want justice and free- Irrawaddy (Thailand)
dom, and we want pros- October 2011
perity. Not either of it, but
all of it together. And . . .
EVIN UDD
prosperity is no substitute
Foreign Minister, Australia
for democracy.
PAVIN
CHACHAVALPONGPUN
Southeast Asian Studies
Professor, Kyoto University
Japan
Diversifying choices
It is clear that the Burmese
leaders recognise the necessity of diversifying their foreign policy choices away from
China. Such a diversification
is becoming a prominent
characteristic of Burmas strategy on interstate relations. In The Australian, October 2011
reorienting its policy, Burma
VICHAI KEMTONGKUM
Managing Director, Oriental
Unique (trading company)
Thailand
A safer place
As far as Im concerned,
Burma is safer than Thailand. Burmese investors are
reliable. I have done business in Burma for many years
and never experienced cheating by Burmese partners.
The Nation (Thailand)
September 2011
RENAUD EGRETEAU
Humanities and Social
Science Professor
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
An ally in America
With the U.S. potentially
coming back, the Burmese
can add one more arrow to
their diplomatic bow. But only
to the extent it suits their
long-term strategy; and so far
this lies in more cordial re-
SEAN TURNELL
Economics Professor
Macquarie University
Australia
The last tiger
Optimism on Burma and
its prospects has been a rare
commodity for much of the
past half-century. The country was locked away by the
autarkic policies of successive
military regimes and hemmed
in by international sanctions.
. . . This year, all that seems
to have changed. Flights to
Burma these days are bursting with prospectors of every
conceivable kind, whose only
remaining anxiety seems to
be that they may miss out on
what they dimly perceive to
be the rise of Asias last remaining tiger.
The Australian, June 2012
Politicalcartoons.com/Taylor Jones
THAKSIN SHINAWATRA