The armed forces in Myanmar politics : a terminating role?
While Myanmar's constitution under which the current government of President Thein Sein was created in 2011 has all the characteristics expected of a modern republic, the continued autonomy and political role of the armed forces are perceived by opponents of the regime as an anomaly. Despite this apparent anomaly, the speed and thoroughness with which the transition from military authoritarian rule to most, if not all, of the features expected of a system of ""democratic"" rule has surprised most observers and analysts of the current Myanmar situation. The root of their surprise comes from their seeing the transformation as being driven by either endogenous or exogenous forces outside the historical experience and understandings of the leadership of the Myanmar armed forces. However, it is in the history of the armed forces and its role in protecting the state from threats to its internal security, territorial integrity, and external security that the basis of the transformation can be found. Also, ensuring the continued viability of the armed forces and the security of its leadership and integrity is also a continuous concern. The twenty years between the annulled 1990 general election won by the NLD, and the 2010 general election, boycotted by the NLD and won by the army-generated USDP, were spent by the armed forces creating the conditions which allowed the later transition from military to constitutional rule to take place.
Law Fuckers, Cultural Forgers and the Business of Youth Entitlement in Yangon, Myanmar
Myanmar's rolling political and economic transition is being shaped by profound generational change. Little attention has been paid to the priorities and politics of the new generation of youth. This article seeks to explore the construction of Myanmar's elites as a homogenized, unitary, uncontested group through a close examination of elite youth. The article challenges some basic preconceptions about Myanmar's elites. Three primary youth cohorts are appraised and situated in the transition: the entitled business elite, the cultural forgers and the resistant forces. All three groups are privileged in Myanmar society, where their power struggles see efforts to assert degrees of cultural supremacy. Drawing on ethnographic research in Myanmar, the article offers insights into the role of elite youth in Myanmar's future and their perceptions of the present shift of national political and economic policies.
Myanmar's Transition: Openings, Obstacles and Opportunities
With the world watching closely, Myanmar began a process of political, administrative and institutional transition from 30 January 2011. After convening the parliament, elected in November 2010, the former military regime transferred power to a new government headed by former Prime Minister (and retired general), U Thein Sein. With parliamentary processes restored in Myanmar's new capital of Naypyitaw, Thein Sein's government announced a wide-ranging reform agenda, and began releasing political prisoners and easing press censorship. Pivotal meetings between Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi led to amendment of the Election Law and the National League for Democracy contesting by-elections in April 2012. The 2011 Myanmar/Burma update conference considered the openings offered by these political changes and media reforms and the potential opportunities for international assistance. Obstacles covered include impediments to the rule of law, the continuation of human rights abuses, the impunity of the Army, and the failure to end ethnic insurgency.