Latest Comment
Is Burma democratizing? Q & A with Thomas Carothers
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - April 2012
In a Q&A, Vice-President for Studies Thomas Carothers, who visited Burma in the run-up to the elections, assesses the significance of the vote and the prospects for a democratic transition in Burma. Drawing on his extensive experience with political transitions around the world, Carothers compares the situation in Burma to other transitions away from authoritarian rule, highlighting major challenges but also reasons for hope.
Why Burma matters - and what Canada should do
I-Politics - 4 April 2012
Hugh Stephens, Principal of Trans-Pacific Connections, argues that the severe sanctions imposed by Canada, the United States and the EU on Burma as a result of the brutal suppression of the uprising against the military regime in 2007 were politically imperative and justified. However, at the same time, they had the unintended effect of hurting the Burmese populace, and frankly had no discernible impact on the ruling military regime. As such, they no longer serve any political purpose.
Latest Comment
In Myanmar, sanctions have had their day
Louise Arbour, New York Times - 5 March 2012
The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and since July 2009 President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, Louise Arbour argues that skepticism and undue prudence towards Myanmar will only slow down the reform process and risk becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. Rather, it is time for encouragement and support to achieve the mutual goal of opening up Myanmar and improving the plight of its mostly impoverished people. This will require subtlety in policy making by Western governments, and a political effort commensurate to the one being made by the Burmese authorities themselves.
First, finding new reasons to keep restrictions in place is the wrong approach. Using sanctions to force a solution to the outstanding ethnic conflict involving the Kachin armed group is a clumsy tactic that puts pressure only on the government and encourages the other side to fight on for a better deal.
Secondly, blanket prohibitions on trade, financial transactions, or development aid should no longer be used to address single-issue bilateral agendas such as people smuggling.
Finally, exclusively taking the lead from the National League for Democracy’s Aung San Suu Kyi on when to end sanctions and restrictions will no longer be appropriate once she takes up a new role as the leader of a minority party in Parliament. Read more.....
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Dissidents' new fear in Myanmar: Irrelevance
Thomas Fuller: The New York Times - 21 Febuary 2012
Pity the Burmese dissident in exile. For more than two decades they were symbols of defiance against Myanmar’s military dictatorship, campaigning tirelessly in foreign countries for regime change. Now that the Myanmar government is earning plaudits for its program of reforms, hundreds of dissidents living abroad may need career counseling...... During the years of military rule and diplomatic isolation, Burmese exiles were key liaisons between Myanmar and the outside world. They successfully lobbied Western governments to punish Myanmar’s government with sanctions. A range of exile publications supplied opinionated but often valuable news and intelligence from sources inside the country...... But the global Burmese-dissident business may soon be out of business. Funding for seminars is drying up, and foreign diplomats would rather fly into Myanmar than have lunch with exiled dissidents, as former President George W. Bush did during a visit to Thailand in 2008.
"Another product of Burma's era of direct military rule was the rise of super-rich cronies of the generals. Business people I spoke to said that these multi-millionaires, who thrived in Burma's closed economy, now dread the prospect of sanctions being lifted, as that would open the floodgates of competition."
Latest Comment
Bitter struggle puts reform process at risk - Larry Jagan
Bangkok Post - 7 February 2012
Larry Jagan, former BBC regional correspondent, comments that "Myanmar's reform process is in the balance as the hardliners and liberals in government are locked in a bitter power struggle. Change in Myanmar remains fragile, despite encouraging signs and growing goodwill towards President Thein Sein internationally. So far there have been a lot of good intentions, but this has only produced limited practical change, according to analysts. The reason is that the liberal-minded ministers who support Thein Sein and the reform agenda are being cramped by the persistent pressure from the hardliners, led by the Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo, who are intent on derailing the reform process."
Burma reforms: Foreigners can't take much credit
Andrew Selth: The Lowry Interpreter - 30 January 2012
A companion piece to "Assessing Burma's reform program" as well as to David Steinberg's "Myanmar: On claiming success". Andrew Selth concludes: "For the best way to consolidate recent changes and encourage further reform is to help make the current process successful. There will still be differences of view (for example, over the 2008 constitution) and the provision of large-scale assistance to Burma will pose its own challenges. But for the time being, the aims of the government, the opposition movement and the international community appear to be broadly aligned."
A trio of articles by Elliott Prasse-Freeman on "Whither Burma?"
Elliott Prasse-Freeman is Founding Research Associate Fellow, HR+SM Program, and Advisory Board Member, Sexuality, Gender, and HR Program at Harvard Kennedy School.
 Burma: The glimmers of hope must not be stifled
The Huffington Post - 24 January 2012
William Hague and Kevin Rudd say that real and enduring change is not assured, but the glimmers of hope must not be stifled. Reforms "give us hope that reformists within Burma's government now have the upper hand. But
 Burma's reform process is just beginning. The move towards democracy warms our hearts but we must keep our heads cool at the same time. Decades of isolation have left Burma's new government with very limited capacity to implement reform, even where political will is there. That is why it is so important that the international community reinforces the momentum for reform."
Derek Tonkin writes: This presentation by two Western politicians should
be taken in tandem with the sober and perceptive assessment of Myanmar's reform programme also published today in The Lowry Interpreter by Andrew Selth, Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute. He concludes: "For the time being, she [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] seems prepared to work with Thein Sein in achieving national reconciliation and incremental reform. This is a pragmatic strategy but it carries risks. It has already upset some of her supporters. It will also be difficult to sustain. For there will come a time when pressure will build for Burma's 'disciplined democracy' to give way to a genuinely representative system of government. That may prove the real test of the President's reform program."
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Recent Analyses
New Year Editorial - "Time to seize the moment"
The Myanmar Times - 2-8 January 2012
The dramatic changes of 2011 have created a sense of optimism, hope and belief in many segments of Myanmar society that the country is on the right path and being led by a government that has the people’s interests at heart. There is reason to be cautious, however. Hope is a powerful thing. Properly harnessed, it can propel reforms, yet it can also dissipate quickly. The next 12 months will be critical for U Thein Sein and his government to consolidate the progress we have seen in 2011 and make headway on issues where more needs to be done.
'Kiss of Death' for Aung San Suu Kyi and her Myanmar Democracy
Op-Ed News - 30 December 2011
Note by Network Myanmar: As Myanmar opens up, so commentators on the fringes who know little about the country feel the compulsion to unload their ideology on the Internet, in this case Brett Redmayne-Titley and his devotion to anti-globalization. Brett currently lives in California.
Brett claims that it is 50 years since the US "had a presence in Myanmar", which must come as a surprise to US Embassy staff past and present. Brett speaks of "recent elections in March", though there have been none during 2011. The new democracy laws also supposedly introduced in March might be hard to identify. The IMF as a "capitalist virus" though should give us food for thought.
'Hope is a fragile thing'
The Myanmar Times - 26 December 2011 - 1 January 2012
Interview with historian and writer Thant Myint-U.
Extract: "I’m personally confident that President U Thein Sein is trying to move forward in the best way he can, and that his government, the hluttaws and political leaders, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, have all made courageous decisions in recent months. Amongst the political class at least there is a level of hope I haven’t witnessed before.
"But hope is a fragile thing. And I would suggest that maintaining a positive political momentum will be made much easier by fast improving economic conditions. This means getting our macroeconomic policies right, including the government’s fiscal and monetary policies, and not only seeing through needed reforms, but sequencing them properly. The economic landscape will determine a lot of the political landscape in the years ahead."
Commentaries on the contemporary situation in Myanmar
America’s relations with Myanmar did not commence on 1 December
Straits Times - 2 December 2011
Robert Taylor comments: "There is reason to believe now that at least on the Myanmar side, the level of knowledge and understanding has grown greatly. There appears little sign of new enlightenment, however, on the other side. The Americans are doubtless expecting that the Myanmar government sees this visit as a major chance for change in relations. I doubt whether they do. The level of trust and understanding that is needed for a new relationship still does not exist. It is perhaps not even needed. When General Ne Win went to Washington, he asked for nothing and came away with nothing. He survived in power another 22 years after that. It is unlikely that President Thein Sein has any such ambition, but the government he heads has long term interests and these will be uppermost in his mind."
Cautiously does it
Financial Times Online - 4 December 2011
The FT concludes: "The road ahead is tricky. Washington will now upgrade its ties with Burma to ambassadorial level. It will also stop blocking International Monetary Fund programmes on health and microfinance, possibly paving the way for renewed IMF lending. A momentum is building. Washington must be careful that neither it nor its allies get carried away.
"Ms Suu Kyi too needs to be cautious. For decades she has kept her principles to the point of obstinacy. Now, she is likely to be elected to parliament. If she is not watchful, the generals-turned-civilians could use her to legitimise themselves. Both she and the US have rightly seized the olive branch proffered by Mr Thein Sein’s government. But they should remain vigilant to ensure the branch does not also contain thorns."
Noteby Network Myanmar: The editorial should be read along with some perceptive comments by readers.
Myanmar: A four part series of comment by Bertil Lintner on current issues
US-Myanmar: A convergence of interests
Asia Times - 24 November 2011
David Steinberg of Georgetown University points out that it has taken the US two decades to realize that isolation and calls for "regime change" would not work with Myanmar. The interests of both countries have now become intertwined to a degree hitherto unrecognized but had always been there. We can only hope that this innovative initiative will improve relations, leading to the enhanced living standards of the impoverished Myanmar peoples.
Andrew Selth: Aung San Suu Kyi's Choice
The Lowry Interpreter - 23 November 2011
Andrew Selth of the Griffith Asia Institute reviews the problems Suu Kyi might face should she decide to enter parliament, where she would not be in government, and also the limitations on her freedom of action if she accepted instead a ministerial portfolio. "Burma's pro-democracy forces have endured terrible privations over the past 23 years to get to this position. Now that it is here, however, they may find that the real work has only just begun. The existence of an undisguised military dictatorship guilty of appalling human rights abuses offered them a simple choice. The decision whether or not to trust a hybrid civilian-military government that seems to promise incremental reform and national reconciliation is much more difficult."
"We've reached a tipping point in Burma"
Interview with Thant Myint-U: The Irrawaddy - 21 November 2011
This is a wide-ranging interview with Thant Myint-U, grandson of U Thant, author and historian. He concludes: "Political reconciliation will be near impossible unless we are also able to keep inflation down and reduce unemployment. I am absolutely convinced that efforts towards democratic change will come to very little without a basic economic reorientation as well. It's economics that's going to decide a lot of the political landscape and determine the lives of ordinary people.
"I fear that we might achieve some kind of democracy before long but that it will be the wrong kind of democracy, where where wealth remains highly concentrated, demagoguery dominates discussion, and where a corrupt gangster-style politics triumphs over everything else. This is far from an unlikely scenario. We need to consider exactly how the provision of technical assistance, a drawing down of existing trade and investment embargoes, and the government's own economic reforms can be properly sequenced, to avoid Burma becoming more corrupt or aid-dependent, and to lay the foundations for broad-based growth."
Sparks of Hope
Editorial: Financial Times - 21 November 2011
Recent reform moves "are rightly being encouraged by the international community. ASEAN governments are backing Burma’s bid to chair the 10-nation group in 2014. But more can be done to entrench reform. Burma’s government says it wants to create sustainable institutions, and to modernise and liberalise its economy. Expertise could be offered to help achieve this. The more encouragement that is given, the harder it is for the regime to backtrack."
Derek Tonkin writes: A persuasive editorial. One quibble: "Burma's prisons still hold almost 2,000 political dissidents." The NLD has handed out a list containing only 591 names and Suu Kyi has said the number is as low as 525. Only one dissident in prison is of course one too many.
Analysis
Getting Burma right - James Clad
McClatchy Washington Bureau - 17 November 2011
James Clad, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense, writes: "Thirty two years after my first visit (to Myanmar), I find that the societal memory of Burma's once honored place still remains in place, helping to drive a yearning for change. If however the West chooses to await the Ideal System in Burma (as the old saying has it, to 'Let the Best be Enemy of the Good'), we will crimp the chances for change, not advance them.
All long time residents of Burma whom I know concur that the changes over the last few years, and especially since March, are palpable, and unprecedented. The tumblers are in alignment and it's time to get back in the game - the real game of using on-the-ground influence to help Burma regain strategic balance while holding the government, at the same time, to its halting but real reform agenda.
Derek Tonkin writes: One of the most sensible commentaries on Myanmar which I have read for a very long time.
Hope Rules
The Myanmar Times Special Supplement - 14-20 November 2011
A 12-page Special Supplement to The Myanmar Times on how "Optimism replaces fear as the political currency", issued on the first anniversary of the November 2010 elections and the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from restricted residence.
Patrick Winn presents a three part series abount recent changes in Myanmar
Global Post - 14 November 2011
Analysis: Myanmar one year after the 7 November 2010 elections
Jacqueline Menager (Ph.D Candidate at the Australian National University)
East Asia Forum - 27 October 2011
Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's change of heart
Gerhard Will (Researcher at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik zu Südostasien)
Der Tagesspiegel - 26 October 2011
Birma: Neue Freiheit in der "disziplinierten Demokratie"
Amy Kazmin (FT correspondent)
The Financial Times - 25 October 2011
Burma: At freedom's gate
Rizal Sukma (Executive Director, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta)
The Jakarta Post - 25 October 2011
Insight: Is it time to embrace Myanmar?
Jochen Buchsteiner
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - 24 October 2011
Burmese Spring: Thein Sein auf Reformkurs
Emma Thompson (British Academy award-winning actress)
The Myanmar Times - 24-30 October 2011
Emma Thompson stars in feminism talk and The right ingredients for change
David I Steinberg (Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University)
Asia Times - 21 October 2011
The Arab Spring and Myanmar
Bertil Lintner (Author and commentator)
Asia Times - 19 October 2011
China behind Myanamr's course shift
Andrew Selth (Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Brisbane, Australia)
Asia Times - 19 October 2011
Thein Sein as Myanmar's Gorbachev
Bertil Lintner (Author and commentator)
The Australian - 17 October 2011
Burmese change aplenty, but it's only skin deep
A Taste of Freedom
The Economist - 14 October 2011
Miss Suu Kyi’s sway over international opinion is an important reason for the regime to engage her. But the real hope offered by its recent behaviour is that it also covets her sway over Myanmar’s own people. A government that wants to be popular would be a huge change for the better. Some observers even think Miss Suu Kyi could be president in 2015. She herself is characteristically cautious: “anything is possible,” she says. In Myanmar, just a few months ago, it wasn’t.
The Burma Spring
Foreign Policy - 13 October 2011
Jim Della-Giacoma of the International Crisis Group argues that: "This prisoner release is a genuine move and must elicit a positive response in kind by the West - showing the Myanmar government that it is serious about engagement. Restrictions on international aid and advice should be the first to go. Failure to do so or shifting the goal posts by replacing old demands with new ones would undermine the credibility of these policies and diminish what little leverage the West holds. It is time to support Myanmar's reformers rather than just give them another lecture."
Understanding the changes in Burma - Dr Zarni The Irrawaddy - 12 October 2011
"Here is my favorite set of bench marks:
"First, is the military weaning itself from its misguided view that it is the only institution capable of keeping the country together and developing her?.......
"Second, the medieval self-perception as “natural rulers" - the guardians of the nation - so typical of the ruling generals and ex-generals needs to be reassessed in a nationwide open dialogue, and be binned once and for all.......
"Third, the military needs to stop viewing and treating the non-Burman ethnic minorities, who make up 35-40 percent of the total population and who control nearly half of the country, like semi-colonial people to be bossed about.......
"Fourth, the new government of President Thein Sein should do the economically and ecologically right thing.......
"Finally, there have been Russian-style massive transfers of public assets to the generals and a handful of cronies, including former drug lords and their families who have laundered their money with the generals’ knowledge. The issue of who controls the country’s wealth needs to be discussed publicly and, above all, in the new Parliament......."
Interview with Harn Yawngwhe, Director of the Euro-Burma Office
The Irrawaddy - 11 August 2011
"It is not a clear cut case of reform-minded liberals against hard-liners. The situation may appear that way when analyzed through a theoretical framework. That is why in 2004, Gen Khin Nyunt was seen as a liberal by some analysts. It is also not a case of good cop/bad cop. We should not fool ourselves, the Tatmadaw (Burmese armed forces) does not really care about either the opposition or the international community."
Derek Tonkin comments: This interview is well worth reading closely. It seeks to explain the motivation of President Thein Sein who "seems to be aware that for Burma to survive as a nation in the modern world, urgent reforms are needed. He is not a liberal, but he wants to make sure that his government is in control and able to protect Burma’s interests (against other nations and big business)." I agree with this analysis and more generally with the broad thrust of Harn Yawngwhe's presentation. [An alternative link is here.]
"Understanding Burma's Political Development"
Sourced from the Bangkok Post - 27 September 2011
Bangkok Post comment: "This is a rare insight into the Burmese government's thinking by someone who is currently in a senior position in the administration. He has been in other senior government posts in the past and was a senior officer in the army before that. He has contributed this piece anonymously to protect his safety. "
Extracts: "If foreign leaders and government critics keep pressuring the new administration to speed up political changes, it will not be good for the country. All governments are intent on survival and the Burmese government is no exception. If Western countries continue to keep sanctions - and even impose more - it will only force Burma closer to China.
"We do not want our country to become a satellite state of the Chinese government. However, Western countries should not force us into a corner where we have no option but to increasingly rely on China. And of course, like all governments, the current administration is not a unitary actor."
Winds of Change in Myanmar - Former Myanmar Ambassador U Thaung Tun: Aljazeera
Reformists being to make mark in Burma
Financial Times - 2 October 2011
FT correspondent Tim Johnston analyses the various threads which point towards serious reform in Myanmar.
Seeing the glass half full
The Economist - 27 September 2011
"What is undoubtedly true is that if the Myanmar government does decide to make a dramatic move (release the 2,000 political prisoners, for example) then such a head of steam has built up in the West towards rethinking the old sanctions regimes that Western diplomats will have to relent. And so they should - the West has little to show for its decades-long shunning of Myanmar, other than having handed over much of the country to China. A deal is clearly there to be done. As always though, it’s how you get there that matters just as much as the outlines of the deal itself."
Encourage Burma to Democracy
Eurasia Review - 28 September 2011
Bhaskar Roy of the South Asia Analysis Group suggests that Myanmar wants to get out of the iron grip of China to which it was consigned because of sanctions. In the coming decade, it is poised to emerge as a very important country in the Asia and Pacific region. It is now the responsibility to rescue Myanmar, and Naypyidaw is signaling.
Do not back down on Burma
The Heritage Foundation - 27 September 2011
Arguing that the "reforms" in Myanmar "are either institutional window dressing or have been seen before", Walter Lohman and Robert Warshaw reach their not surprising conclusion that pressure must be sustained on the regime.
Note by Network Myanmar: The Heritage Foundation is a think-tank which aims to "promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense." The International Crisis Group on the other hand has argued that the reforms are for real.
Misreading Naypyidaw: Premature hopes of change in Burma
Chinland Guardian - 27 September 2011
Phillip van Gaalen-Prentice feels that the international community should remain deeply sceptical of Naypyidaw’s intentions and not countenance a rewarding of anything less than genuine and verifiable steps taken towards democratisation and national reconciliation.
Winds of change pick up in Myanmar
Today - 26 September 2011
Former Myanmar Ambassador to Belgum, Netherlands and the EU U Thaung Tun presents an analysis of how change in coming to his country.
Benchmarks for Burma
The Diplomat Blog - 22 September 2011
Trefor Moss, who reports on defence and security issues in the Asian region, examines ways of measuring Burma's progress towards democracy.
Myanmar: Major Reforms Underway
International Crisis Group - 22 September 2011
ICG have also released a press statement on the occasion of the publication of their latest report. “With the political process moving ahead quickly, now is not the time for the West to remain disengaged and sceptical”, says Robert Templer, Crisis Group’s Asia Program Director. “It is critical to grasp this unique opportunity to support a process that not even the most optimistic observers saw coming. This requires a new, pro-active and engaged approach, in line with the positive signals coming from Naypyitaw”.
Pro-reform President shakes up Myanmar
Asia Times - 16 September 2011
Marwaan Macan-Markar examines how real is the change in Myanmar, gives credit on the economic side, especially on concerns for poverty alleviation, sees "a few but noticeable political concessions", opines that the hint of reform under Thein Sein "is winning international applause", but quotes a former political prisoner on the need to release such prisoners and end human rights abuses across the country.
Burma and ASEAN's seat of yearning
The Lowry Interpreter - 14 September 2011
Andrew Selth examines the current indication of change or at least potential for change in Myanmar, linking to perceptive articles by David Steinberg, Dr Tin Maung Maung Than, Larry Jagan, Bertil Lintner and Andrew Marshall.
How to engage with Burma dilemma
The Australian - 13 September 2011
Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor: "Many bad things continue to happen in Burma, but the movement is real and, if Western policy-making is to be more than rhetorical grandstanding and moral gesture, it needs to find a way to build on that."
The death of intellectual sympathy
DVB - 30 August 2011
Maung Zarni discusses Western policy towards Myanmar, and finds it hard to temper his criticisms. His article has led to a lively on-line discussion, mostly supportive.
Analysis: Survival steers Myanmar generals towards reform
Reuters - 26 August 2011
Change Burma can't quite believe in
The Wall Street Journal - 26 August 2011
Kellie Currie, a senior fellow at the Project 2049 institute think tank in Washington, takes a sceptical look at recent developments in Myanmar and concludes that: "Those who support human rights and democracy in Burma should avoid pressuring Burma's democrats to pursue well-intentioned poverty alleviation schemes as a substitute for changing political structures designed to enrich and preserve the ruling clique. Instead the pressure should stay focused on political reform."
Note by Network Myanmar: Ms Currie takes the traditional Western evangelist position on democracy for Myanmar which scarcely accords with the realities on the ground.
Burmese wary of 'democracy' after decades of oppression
New York Times - 25 August 2011
Man with the plan in Myanmar
Asia Times - 26 August 2011
A profile of Nay Win Maung who is a leading light in the NGO Myanmar Egress.
Note by Network Myanmar: It is hard to believe that Nay Win Maung really said in public some of the comments attibuted to him in this article or that he is quite the eminence grise portrayed. Shawn Crispin's article though gives much food for thought at the present time of change in Myanmar
Suu Kyi meets President Thein Sein, but reform remains a dream
Vancouver Sun - 21 August 2011
Jonathan Manthorpe assess the significance of the recent meeting. The regime may be ready to reform, but substantive moves on human rights and democratisation have yet to be taken. Suu Kyi will never allow herself to be used as window dressing.
Myanmar regime prepared to 'tolerate' opposition
Agence France-Presse - 21 August 2011
"We should be very careful in imagining that the reform of a country like Burma will happen overnight, but it is moving in the right direction faster than one could have imagined."
Signs of change, but Burmese government must do more
Editorial, The Nation (Bangkok) - 18 August 2011
An interview with a former Indian Ambassador to Myanmar
DVB - 15 August 2011
"Parliament has not yet started functioning properly. When a military takes over it never sheds power. Today in Pakistan the military still runs foreign and security policy, and takes major decisions. So what is sauce for the Pakistani goose, has to be a sauce for the Myanmar gander. No military gives up power in one shot. So I find it strange that the very same votaries of eternal friendship to General Musharaff in Pakistan are the same people who are criticising the generals in Myanmar. There’s no consistency."
A foolish consistency
Asia Times Online - 13 August 2011
David Steinberg asks: "What would the proposed increased sanctions and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry accomplish? They would neither change the regime, the longest surviving military-led government in the world today, nor encourage reform. Rather, they would simply reinforce the argument of those in the Burmese power elite that declare that the West is opposed to the government under any circumstance and that evolutionary change is not in the West's interests."
Geostrategische Bedeutung von Birma/Myanmar nimmt zu
Euroasisches Magazin - 2 August 2011
This article (in German) entitled "The geostrategic importance of Burma/Myanmar is increasing" by Wilfried Arz, a political scientist resident in Bangkok, reveals a commendable depth of knowledge about the realities of the contemporary political and economic situation in Myanmar.
An English translation of the article is at this link.
Wilfried Arz concludes (Network Myanmar translation):
"Attempts by the U.S. and EU to force the military to its knees through economic sanctions have proved to be a miscalculation. The isolation of the generals by the West has given China unrivalled influence in Burma. The Obama administration now hopes to stimulate change in the political system through proposals on cooperation and thereby gain new influence in the country. Scepticism would not be misplaced.
"On the political horizon only one prospect for Burma seems to emerge in the short term: an increase in humanitarian and development assistance. But for this a selective easing of sanctions is necessary. Then maybe there will be movement in Burma as well as on the geopolitical chessboard of South East Asia."
From Burma Road to Road Map
The Diplomat - 5 August 2011
Dr Patrick M Cronin, director of the Asia-Pacific Security Programme at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, argues persuasively that: "The next step for the US administration should be to back a track two process to help draft a workable road map. As part of the road map, we should harness the power of our business community in gradually opening up Burma. Rather than simply allow Chinese state owned enterprises to monopolize the market on Burmese oil and gas, timber, and gems, as well as new infrastructure projects, the United States should hold out the incentive of US business investment in exchange for political reforms. One day, after many small steps and future reforms, coupled with close coordination with key allies and partners, the United States could be in a far better position to normalize relations with Burma."
Comment by Derek Tonkin: Dr Cronin is right to concentrate on the US national interest and to use phrases like "road map" and "coordination" in preference to "benchmarks" and "preconditions" which smack of that conditionality which has characterised unsuccesful US policy on Cuba. On two points of detail, Suu Kyi was not "the last democratically leader" except in an abstract sense, since she was excluded (pages 17-19) from standing in the 1990 Elections, while the NLD was not "proscribed from competing" in the 2010 elections, but chose not to take part by declining to renew their party registration.
Myanmar: The Changing Scene
International Crisis Group - 15 July 2011
Jim Della-Giacoma, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director, discusses changes in Myanmar and the steps international organizations and governments should take to encourage development.
Myanmar and the 'Arab Awakening' - Revolution spinning in the wind
The Economist - 14 July 2011
In her first BBC Reith Lecture on 28 June 2011, Suu Kyi drew comparisons between Myanmar's hopes for the future and the struggle for freedom and democracy in the Middle East, notably in Tunisia and Egypt. She noted both similarities and dissimilarities:
"It comes as no surprise to us in Burma that young people are at the vanguard of the Tunisian Revolution...... The similarities between Tunisia and Burma are the similarities that bind people all over the world who long for freedom......The first dissimilarity is that while the Tunisian Army did not fire on their people, the Burmese Army did. The second, and in the long-run probably the more important one, is that the Tunisian Revolution enjoyed the benefits of the communications revolution..... Do we envy the people of Tunisia and Egypt? Yes, we do envy them their quick and peaceful transitions......"
Comment by Derek Tonkin: While it is true that in Tunisia and Egypt the Army did not open fire on protesters, the 'revolutions' there were far from bloodless. In Eygpt some 846 people lost their lives at the hands of a brutal paramilitary police in a country where the Ministry of the Interior still number some 1.5 million, while in Tunisia the death toll was some 219, not counting the many thousands injured in both countries. And though the removal of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia was relatively swift, the deconstruction of the police state in Egypt has hardly started. Tunisia looks more hopeful, in that the political parties are now agreed that elections postponed from 24 July to 23 October will be for a Constituent Assembly, to be followed by presidential and/or parliamentary elections within a year, perhaps even sooner. In Egypt, parliamentary elections due in September have been pushed back to 28 November, though a generally credible Referendum on constitutional reforms was held on 19 March 2011 (challenged by some) with a 77% vote in favour in a 41% turn-out. Presidential elections are also due at some point. Greater optimism prevails in the wake of events this week, though some observers are concerned about the reported endeavours of the military to entrench their prerogatives in the new Constitution.
In short, while the 'Arab Spring' in Egypt and Tunisia is showing signs of malaise, it was widely recognised that the advent of democracy was likely to take time. There never was any real likelihood of a "quick and peaceful transition". This has lessons for Myanmar too, where the prospect of any 'instant revolution' is remote.
Wen Jiabao vs. Aung San Suu Kyi
The Diplomat - 10 July 2011
Trefor Moss, and independent columnist, comments on the appearances of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in person and Suu Kyi on the airwaves through her two BBC Reith Lectures.
Power struggle in 'Democratic' Myanmar
Asia Times - 9 July 2011
Larry Jagan says that the trappings of the old military regime that ruled Myanmar are slowly fading from view under new democratically elected president Thein Sein and his promises of reform. At the same time, a budding power struggle between the president and vice president Thin Aung Myint Oo has pitted moderate versus hardline agendas and stalled significantly the new government's economic and political progress.
Derek Tonkin comments: We might indeed have expected about now a spate of speculative articles about power struggle in Myanmar. See also Aung Zaw's latest revelations which pit the Speaker of the Lower House, Shwe Mann, against the Vice President. As the monolithic Army command has been replaced by competing power centres, the normal play of power politics is only to be expected, and was indeed forecast. Could this be part of the democratisation process?
Myanmar: challenges and the way forward
The Hindu - 4 July 2011
Rajiv Bhatia, former Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, reports on a recent conference held in Myanmar hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation on: "Myanmar and the International Community - The Way Forward".
Burma and Libya: The politics of inconsistency
The Lowry Interpreter - 17 June 2011
Andrew Selth, Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, comments on the glaring inconsistencies in US (and Western) policy towards Myanmar, which have restricted options in handling relations, and concludes: "All other considerations aside, this fact alone, that one albeit remarkable person [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] can have such an effect on the foreign policy of the world's most powerful country, underlines the futility of looking for consistency in the conduct of international relations."
Derek Tonkin comments: Andrew Selth's article highlights why current US policy on Myanmar is likely doomed to failure. The only hope for the West seems to lie in the restructuring of the EU's Common Policy on Burma/Myanmar, of which there are promising signs. Robert Cooper, special adviser to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, and EU special envoy for Burma-Myanmar Piero Fassino, are expected in Myanmar as early as this weekend.
Jakarta Globe - 8 June 2011
Satish Mishra, Manging Director of Strategic Asia Indonesia, a Jakarta-based consultancy, analyses the political dimensions of Myanmar's economic and political problems and argues for a rethink of Western positions. A well written article, with refreshing insights.
McCain visits Burma, but will calls for change backfire?
Christian Sceince Monitor - 7 June 2011
Simon Monlake in Bangkok ponders on the utility of Senator McCain's recent visit which has achieved little except to confirm the frosty status quo of US-Myanmar relations.
Political Transition in Myanmar: Thinking outside the box
The Jakarta Post - 31 May 2011
Balada Ghoshal, visiting senior fellow at the Center for Policy Research and distinguished fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi, concludes that: "The success of Myanmar’s transition to democracy hinges to a large extent on viable economic development that can create a growing middle class, which can then seek greater reform and political change in the country. This has happened in the case of Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea in the last decade. To realize such a goal, assistance should be extended for human resource development......Lifting of sanctions by the West for a limited period could be tried to persuade the regime to give some matching concessions in the form of release of all political prisoners. There is need for concessions from Suu Kyi’s side as well."
Western sanctions failing, but the regime does not deserve their lifting
The Economist - 28 May 2011
A Western dilemma, created by the West - for the West's benefit perhaps?
Burma's first billionaire no military bagman
The Washington Times - 19 May 2011
Stanley Weiss provides a portrait of Tay Za, seen as a Burmese oligarch. He comments: " If the United States seeks to reevaluate and fine-tune its foreign policy toward Burma, figures like Tay Za - who operate at the nexus of politics and economic markets - should be at the top of our list of people to know and not to shun. For decades, Americans have viewed the country through the prism of opposition leader and human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who was recently released from years of house arrest after the country's November elections. The resulting black-and-white perspective obscures a more textured and complicated story."
2014: It's 'make or break' for Burma's ASEAN chair bid
The Nation (Bangkok) - 16 May 2011
Kavi Chongkittavorn notes that one day before the 18th ASEAN summit began in Jakarta, the US sent an urgent message to Indonesia - the ASEAN chair - Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines simultaneously saying now was the time to push for real progress in Burma otherwise it would be difficult to envisage any US President attending the East Asia Summit there in 2014.
The message was a reminder to ASEAN that reforms in Burma and the choice of the Asean chair would impact on the overall scheme of US-Asean relations, which have been strengthened further since Washington acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. In the message to ASEAN, Washington also pressed for progress on key issues including the release of political prisoners, nuclear non-proliferation efforts and political dialogue with ethnic groups and Aung San Suu Kyi. Obviously, these are conditions that the dialogue partners have highlighted and used as justification to continue current sanctions.
Now action is incumbent on Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who has agreed to visit Burma in coming weeks. There will be an opportunity for him to discuss further what future reforms are in the pipeline in Naypyidaw. His visit is important as it will form a rationale on whether to give a green light to a Burmese chair at July's foreign ministerial meeting. Most importantly, the ASEAN chair also wants to share updates and assessments with its dialogue partners to provide a raison d'être for any decision for Burma to become the chair in 2014.
Comment by Network Myanmar: The comment by Kavi Chongkittavorn is reasonable and balanced. It contrasts with the intemperate denigration currently issuing from activist sources who seek to convince us that absolutely nothing had changed in Myanmar. The reality is that there could be a window of opportunity to influence the new administration in Nay Pyi Taw, and while it is right to be sceptical until there is firm evidence of substantive reform, it makes no sense to reject out of hand any prospect of rapprochement.
Here are samples of intemperate commentaries by those who, in pursuit of an essentially fundamentalist agenda, would convince us that "absolutely nothing has changed".
Burmese Crossroad?
Himalmag - May 2011
Gabriele Koehler argues that Burma is doing both better and worse than is often discussed. A lack of information makes it difficult to ascertain how the progressive and human-rights concerned international community should now be dealing with the country. A number of recent events in Burma have created a guarded optimism that the country is starting to witness at least a marginal opening or political softening.
Cautious hope for change in Burma
Financial Times - 1 May 2011
Diplomats and other international observers have been encouraged by the limited steps Mr Thein Sein has taken but caution that his achievements so far are little more than expressions of good intentions.
The Future of Myanmar without Sanctions
Dissident Voice - 23 April 2011
Ko Tha Dja, who has worked for five years on refugee resettlement in Thailand and Myanmar, takes a look at the future course of events in Myanmar as Western corporations return to the country and sanctions fade. His idealism should not conceal some unpleasant truths about Western Realpolitik.
Analysis: Burma - has it changed?
Eurasia Review - 22 April 2011
CS Kuppuswamy of the South Asia Analysis Group (a non-profit, non-commercial think tank) reviews events in Myanmar since the November 2010 elections in considerable detail and concludes that it does not yet have the political will to introduce the radical changes needed.
Than Shwe still in control but progress possible
Lalti K Jha - 19 April 2011
Priscilla Clapp, former US Chargé d'Affaires in Yangon, tells a conference in Washington that Than Shwe "still controls major decisions and can be expected to do as long as he survives."
Military plays a civilian-looking game
IPS - 11 April 2011Larry Jagan observes that "there has been a clear transfer of power to a new generation. Although mainly military men or former soldiers, most of Burma’s new leaders are under the age of 60 and have a technocratic background. Even the military officers turned politicians, who occupy part of the 25 percent of parliament seats reserved for serving soldiers, have a different outlook. "The new army chief, 55-year-old General Min Aung Hlaing, is reported to be a professional soldier keen on restoring the prestigious image of the army tainted by the repression after the uprising of 1988, and the 22 years of authoritarian rule that followed. "There are other signs of change. On his recent visit, senior Chinese leader Jia Qinglin, the fourth most important man in the Communist Party’s political bureau, did not meet Than Shwe. Jia was instead hosted by Thura Shwe Mann, speaker of the Lower House and vice-president of the ruling party USDP."
Imagining a new human rights strategy for Burma
East Asia Forum - 10 April 2010
Morten Pedersen, senior lecturer in politics at UNSW Australia, argues that "as a policy proposal, principled engagement is still ahead of the curve. But without imagination, we are likely to remain stuck in established patterns, no matter how dysfunctional they are known to be. And with important changes underway inside Burma, now is the time for new and bold approaches."
Outrageously Optimistic
Himalmag.com - 8 April 2011
Maung Zarni, research fellow on Burma at the London School of Economics, analyses what he sees as the intellectual crisis of reporting on Myanmar by the International Crisis Group. Also:
Bad business for Burma
New York Times - 3 April 2011
Matthew Smith, senior consultant with EarthRights International, argues that "barring meaningful political changes, new energy projects in today’s Burma are simply not good business - for China, the West, or the people of Burma, regardless of any sanctions policy."
Asia Sentinel - 1 April 2011
Larry Jagan sees the new rulers of Myanmar as slightly younger, but hardly more enlightened or fair.
Articles in the Toronto "Globe and Mail" on Myanmar by Mark MacKinnon, their China-based correspondent.
Apr 3, 2011 - Four months on from the euphoria that surrounded her release, the “peaceful revolution” Ms. Suu Kyi called for seems no closer
Mar 08, 2011 – Although repression has left many of their contemporaries apathetic about politics, a dedicated core of Myanmarese students are laying the groundwork for a democratic future
Mar 07, 2011 – Access to antiretroviral drugs in the Southeast Asian dictatorship is believed to be the worst in the world, with the result that by the time patients receive them, it is often too late
Feb 20, 2011 – Sterile Naypyidaw ‘physically and intellectually isolated from not only the rest of the world, but even from the rest of the country’
Feb 18, 2011 – The Globe's Mark MacKinnon reports on his undercover visit to Myanmar.
Feb 18, 2011 – During an undercover visit to Myanmar, Mark MacKinnon concludes that sanctions policies like Canada's do more harm than good. This isn't apartheid. The authoritarian regime it most resembles is China, where at least foreign investment gives the poor a chance
Feb 18, 2011 – An exclusive interview with the Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement
Asia Times - 18 March 2011
Stanley A Weiss, Founding Chairman of Business Executives for National Security, writes that he has reached out to contacts made in the years he has travelled to Myanmar and that three strong themes emerged from their insights.
First, the elections mattered more than the West realizes. "What has been missed in the West is that these elections took place within a much broader political transition," says historian Thant Myint-U, the grandson of former United Nations (UN) secretary general U Thant.
Second, many Burmese feel embittered toward the West. "There is solid mistrust and resentment toward the West, not only among the generals but the country as a whole," says an activist. "We're tired of being represented in your newspapers as cowering in fear and barefoot, scrabbling in the mud. It's just insulting. America now talks about China's growing influence here. We just happen to be right next to it. So, finally the American administration is looking at a map?"
Third, Western sanctions are not just useless but they actually strengthen the regime while weakening the opposition. "What the West doesn't understand," says a transplanted British citizen, "is that the sanctions of the international community [imposed by the US] have not only failed but the community itself has failed to achieve the respect of the generals that would enable meaningful dialogue......."The regime has no reason or incentive to want sanctions lifted. They want no NGOs [non-governmental organizations], no UN, and no ILO [International Labour Organization] to have to compromise with."
Note by Network Myanmar: In his article, Stanley Weiss mentions Suu Kyi only once. The Lady would not seem to be seen as particularly relevant to developments in Myanmar. Through her continuing support for sanctions, she has alienated the business community, not just the oligarchs but the emerging middle class, while no military figure of any consequence has shown any interest in joining her party for over twenty years. The NLD is not seen as the wave of the future and can hardly claim to be the political "Opposition" any longer.
'Burma activists have reformers to cultivate'The Australian - 12 March 2011Morten Pedersen assesses the political transition in Myanmar, concludes that the basic structure of power remains unchanged, as does the underlying political culture shaped by more than half a century of armed conflict and military rule. Unless a process of reform takes hold early, any window for change is likely to close.
Note by Network Myanmar: The headline is pretty meaningless and was presumbly given by the editors.
Institute for Security and Development Policy (Stockholm) - March 2011A review by Xiaolin Guo, Senior Research Fellow at ISDP Stockholm, of political developments in Myanmar, taking into account the complexity of domestic conditions that have repeatedly prompted intervention of the Tatmadaw in politics. The review highlights the friction between the political reality of the country and the political aspirations of international campaigns.Note by Network Myanmar: The review merits careful reading for its unique insights into the contemporary scene, internal and international, concerning Myanmar.
'The Irrawaddy' online magazine experiences difficulties
Network Myanmar - 11 March 2011
"The Irrawaddy" has reported that unauthorised articles have been sent from their website which they say has been hacked. We attach one such article, which does not appear to be the work of the regime in Myanmar, but is more likely to be the work of a disaffected exiled media reporter and accordingly to have been an "inside job". The article has several grammatical and spelling faults and could have been composed in haste. Its essence is to challenge the role of activist exile media now that Suu Kyi is free and the NLD is seeking to implement its own social welfare programmes.
A Myanmar Times closure would be bad news
Democratic Voice of Burma - 8 March 2011
Clive Parker observes that: "When unconstructive, one-sided and misleading criticism becomes the norm, not only have media outlets failed in terms of impartiality and accuracy - a fatal journalistic flaw - they contribute to a huge bubble of misinformation and destroy the possibility for cooperation.
"This all represents too much wasted energy and intellectual dishonesty on the part of too many people that work on Burma. When these same people begin to acknowledge and utilise the positives produced by organisations that are too often considered ideological opponents, then they should realise they are not opponents at all. Disagreement and criticism is democratic and useful but only when it is accurate, balanced and constructive."
International Crisis Group - 7 March 2011
As Myanmar enters a new political phase and General Than Shwe hands over power to the next generation of leaders, there is a critical window of opportunity to encourage greater openness and reform. Unfortunately, this opportunity is likely to be squandered. A small number of influential countries place a higher priority on appearing “tough” on the Myanmar issue, rather than on being effective - satisfying unrepresentative domestic lobby groups at the expense of developing sound policies.
Improved policies must start with the recognition that sanctions have counterproductive effects, some more obvious than others. As a first step, restrictions on development assistance should be lifted, and levels of aid dramatically increased, in line with donor standards on accountability and fiduciary responsibility. Restrictions on technical assistance from international financial institutions should be removed. These institutions should actively engage on the full range of pressing concerns such as poverty alleviation, social and economic policy reform and capacity building. Mandate restrictions on UNDP and other UN agencies should be lifted. Broad-based economic sanctions - particularly the U.S. import ban, the EU’s sectoral sanctions and the denial of GSP - should be immediately lifted.
ICG Press Release - 7 March 2011
'Time to drop Burma sanctions'The Diplomat - 3 March 2011Marie Lall interviewed by Charles Lister. She is a senior lecturer at the Institute of Education, University of London and an associate fellow with Chatham House’s Asia Programme.
'Stop the looting of Burma'
Wall Street Journal - 27 February 2011
Matthew Smith of Earth Rights International argues in favour of financial sanctions to curb the exploitation of natural resources.
Burma's rudderless opposition
Himal South Asian - February 2011
A political observer who works on the Thai-Burmese border sets out his concerns about the current state of the Burmese opposition and laments the "confrontational, stubborn and unimaginative" attitude of the National League for Democracy and their leader.
Myanmar: a complex country at a fragile crossroads.
Gabriele Köhler - February 2011
A development economist based in Münich and a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies of the University of Sussex, Gabriele Köhler examines the engima which is Myanmar, an underestimated economy with a deep and troubled complexity.
Myanmar: Political Realism or Idealistic Democracy?
ISEAS Singapore 'Viewpoints' - 14 February 2011
Professor Robert Taylor analyses the present political situation in Myanmar and the chasm which exists between the reality on the ground and what is written in the international press.
Bangkok Post - 6 February 2011
Songdej Praditsmanont, Chairman of Ernst and Young (Thailand), lawyer and commentator, argues that "Burma's election and ASEAN's limited but continuous pressure may prove to be a catalyst for a future uprising in Burma. Its chances for expediting the change should be greater than with the previous policy of ostracisation. It may be good time for Americans to drop trade sanctions and let the junta flirt with capitalism."
Note by Network Myanmar: US principles tend to dominate US interests where Burma/Myanmar is concerned. Congress would prefer the Administration to retain sanctions even though this entrenches the regime in power.
'The Lady' outflanked by Burma juntaDr Frank Peel (Florida, US and Geneva, Switzerland) - FT Weekend 5 February 2011
"The endgame is very much in sight and Aung San Suu Kyi is less and less part of it. She has been outflanked by the generals ruling the country and will soon have a position akin to a Queen Mother in the UK.......Aung San Suu Kyi is a tragic figure. But once again the West allows its admiration for such a figure to obscure geopolitical realities."
Note by Network Myanmar: Dr Francis (Frank) Peel is a specialist in US politics and US-Europe Relations, lawyer, professor and politician.
Myanmar-EU Roadmap: New possibilities in a changing Myanmar
ISDP Stockholm - 24 January 2011
More and more individuals in Europe and in Myanmar are voicing their frustration regarding the unproductive bilateral deadlock, many of whom are also pro-actively seeking solutions to the problematic relationship. A more productive discourse is coming into being, where both sides understand that - after elections and new institutions in place - improved relations will lead to mutual benefits. Myanmar political parties with democratic credentials have called for an end to the European boycott. ASEAN has called for the lifting of Western sanctions. The European Union will need to respond, or risk losing sympathetic partners on the issue. The EU’s rather restrained comments regarding the recent elections, the engagement orientated statements from high level EU officials, and increasing development assistance from the EU indicates that change is possible. This policy brief looks at a concrete win-win solution to achieve a normalisation - a negotiated Myanmar-EU Road Map.
Insight: ASEAN's approach to Myanmar is nothing new
The Jakarta Post - 20 January 2011Rizal Sukma, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta, recommends that ASEAN should now pursue a three-pronged strategy. First, ASEAN should start devising a framework to make it possible for all major stakeholders to start reconciliation talks and discussions on democratization. Second, ASEAN should have a common platform on how to encourage the junta to start a meaningful and inclusive economic development program. At the same time, ASEAN also needs to start helping the people of Myanmar directly through grassroots-based programs such as community development, humanitarian assistance and capacity building. Third, ASEAN should also devise a platform on how to engage the wider Burmese community, to include both the new political elite (such as the “Parliament”) and civil society organizations.
Zoya Phan
Guernica - 19 January 2011
Don't you dare lift sanctions on Burma
Bertil Lintner (Author and former correspondent of the Far Eastern Economic Review)
Asia Times Online - 25 January 2011
Farce follows tragedy in Myanmar
Thant Myint-U
Guernica - 6 December 2011
End Burma's Isolation
Thaung Tun, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISEAS in Singapore.
ISEAS Singapore - 30 October 2010
David Clair Williams (Director, Center for Constitutional Development Indiana University)
Washington Post - 25 August 2010
Bertil Lintner (veteran author and writer)
Asia Times - 25 August 2010
Behold, beware Myanmar's fourth empire!
David I Steinberg (Professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University)
Washington Post - 21 August 2010
Is Burma on the verge of transformation?
Andrew Buncombe
The Independent - 19 August 2010
Obama wants Myanmar rulers to face Commission of Enquiry
Editorial
The Economist - 5 August 2010
A beautiful feeling
Adam Selene (Bangkok-based journalist)
The Irrawaddy - 30 July 2010
'Diplomacy by Stealth' needed in West's approach to Burma
Siddarth Varadarajan
The Hindu - 27 July 2010
Facing up to the Myanmar challenge
Yozo Yokota (UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar 1992-1996)
Jakarta Post - 6 July 2010
Challenge impunity in Myanmar
Peter Vale (Nelson Mandela Professor of Politics at Rhodes University in Grahamstown)
Business Day (South Africa) - 28 June 2010
Burma must still listen from the sidelines
Peter Popham (Staff Writer)
New Statesman - 28 June 2010
A light won't go out in Burma
Ashish Kumar Sen ('Washington Times' Reporter)
The Washington Times - 21 June 2010
Shut-out activists seek Obama's help
Doug Bandow (Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute)
The Huffington Post - 19 June 2010
Burma's Continuing Agony
Derek Tonkin
DVB - 4 April 2010
Ditch sanctions for a 'parallelist' strategy
Stanley Weiss
Asia Times - 10 March 2010
"Bless you Mr Obama" on Myanmar
A first step towards democracy?
New York Times - 22 February 2010
A riposte from Brad Adams, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch
Larry Jagan (former BBC Correspondent)
Asia Times Online - 11 Fenruary 2010
Myanmar takes a democratic step
Sourabh Gupta (Senior Research Associate at Samuels International Associates)
Asia-Pacific Bulletin - January 2010
US-Burma Relations: "Pragmatic Engagement" greets "Discipline-Flourishing Democracy"
Elke Kuijper
A conversation - 20 January 2010
Interview with Win Tin
Adrian Hamilton (Commentator)
The Independent - 14 January 2010
Ranting against Iran won't help
Seyward Darby (Assistant Managing Editor)
The New Republic - 11 January 2010
"Gullible Gambari"
Dr Zarni (Research Fellow on Burma at the LSE)
DVB - 7 December 2009
Stiglitz and the Master of Puppets
Benedict Rogers (East Asia Team Leader CSW)
Wall Street Journal - 1 December 2009
A Burma Policy for India
David I Steinberg (School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University)
Indian Defence Review - October-December 2009
Prospects for Democratisation in Myanmar: Impact on India
Myint Shwe
Burma Herald - 30 November 2009
If you can't beat them, join them
Robert Taylor
Phnom Penh Post - 20 November 2009
A flexible Myanmar dialogue
Rajaram Panda, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
Global Politician - 19 November 2009
Multilateral approach desirable to address the Myanmar issue
Andrew Selth
The Lowry Interpreter - 18 November 2009
Burma: Obama's "pragmatic engagement"
Derek Tonkin
Financial Times - 16 November 2009
IMF would never make such a claim
Eli Clifton
Asia Times Online - 12 November 2009
Myanmar up close
Martin Morland
Financial Times - 12 November 2009
Burmese regime is cause of harm
Derek Tonkin
Financial Times - 10 November 2009
Santions hurt Burma's people more than the generals
Andrew Marshall
Time - November 2009
The Soldier and the State
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