Burma/Myanmar : what everyone needs to know / David I. Steinberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Steinberg, David I., 1928-2024.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public administration--Burma.

Public administration.

Colonial influence.

Burma--Politics and government.

Burma.

Politics and government.

Burma--Colonial influence.

Physical Description:

xxxi, 245 pages : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2013]

Summary:

"Taking into account the dramatic changes the country has seen in the past two years--including the establishment of a human rights commission, the release of political prisoners, and reforms in health and education--David I. Steinberg offers an updated second edition of Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know. More than ever, the history, culture, and internal politics of this country are crucial to understanding the breaking headlines emerging from it today and placing them in a broader context. Geographically strategic, Burma/Myanmar lies between the growing powers of China and India, and has a thousand-year history as an important realm in the region--yet it is mostly unknown to Westerners. Burma/Myanmar is a place of contradictions: a picturesque land with mountain jungles and monsoon plains, it is one of the world's largest producers of heroin. Though it has extensive natural resources including oil, gas, teak, metals, and minerals, it is one of the poorest countries in the world. And despite a half-century of military-dominated rule, change is beginning to work its way through the beleaguered nation, as it moves to a more pluralistic administrative system reflecting its pluralistic cultural, multi-ethnic base"--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 The Crises That Are Burma/Myanmar 1

What is Burma? 1

Why are we interested in Burma/Myanmar? 2

Why should we be interested in Burma/Myanmar? 3

What can we learn from Burma/Myanmar? 6

Why is learning about Burma/Myanmar so difficult? 9

What are the crises facing Burma/Myanmar? 11

2 Important Residues from the Precolonial Period 16

How does Burmese history relate to contemporary events? 16

How did Burmese kings view governance and authority, and is this relevant today? 19

What were Burma's relations with internal peoples, regions, and neighboring states? 21

What was the role of Buddhism in traditional Burma? 24

3 The Colonial Era's Importance in Understanding Burma/Myanmar Today 27

What led to the three Anglo-Burman Wars of the nineteenth century? 27

What was the role of India in colonial Burma, what are Its residual influences, and why are they important? 29

What economic development programs did the British Introduce? 32

What was the role of Buddhism during this period and what social changes affected the society? 33

How did Burmese nationalism develop and what have been its effects? 35

What was the impact of World War II on Burma, and what effect did the Japanese conquest have on Burma and its future? 37

How did the Burma army develop in the colonial period and under the Japanese? 38

How do the Burmese today consider the colonial era? 39

4 Independence and the Civilian Government (1948-1962): Mixed Heritages 41

How did independence come about? 41

What was the role of Aung San? 43

How did Burma deal with the political and ethnic rebellions? 44

Why didn't Burma join the Commonwealth? 45

How did the Chinese nationalist incursion affect Burma? 46

What were relations with the United States? 48

What were relations with China? 49

Was Burma communist or socialist, and what were the ideological influences on the society? 51

What were the government's plans for economic development? 52

What were the effects of the 1947 civilian constitution? 53

How did the AFPFL operate and govern? 54

What caused the military "Caretaker" Government, how did it function, and what was its legacy? 55

How did the minorities fare under the civilian government? 57

How did the 1960 elections affect Burma? 59

What caused the coup of 1962? 60

How may we evaluate the civilian, democratic period? 61

5 The Military Coup, the Socialist Period (1962-1988), and the Perpetuation of Military Rule 63

What were the effects of the coup? 63

What was the "Burmese Way to Socialism"? 65

How did the BSPP operate? 66

What was the impact of the socialist policies? 67

How were foreign relations under the BSPP? 68

How did the 1974 constitution come about and what was its impact? 69

How did the indigenous minorities fare under the 1974 unitary state? 71

How were monks registered? 72

How was citizenship defined? 73

What was the role of General/President/Chairman We Win? 74

What happened to the economy in the 1980s? 76

What were the causes of the 1988 People's Revolution and the coup that followed? 78

6 The SLORC/SPDC Era (1988-Present): Continuation of Military Power 82

What was the SLORC and how did it change into the SPDC? 83

Who were the leaders of the military in this period, and how were they trained? 84

What political and economic policies were instituted shortly after the coup? 86

How did the political opposition develop and what was the National League for Democracy? 88

What was the role of Aung San Suu Kyi and what has happened to her? 89

What were the May 1990 elections about and what were the internal and external results? 91

What were the SLORC/SPDC's international relations, and how did Asian and Western nations react to the coup and the regime? 94

What is the state of social services in Myanmar? 96

What is the status of the private sector in Myanmar? 99

What is the status and role of the military in Myanmar? 102

How does the narcotics trade affect the society and international relations? 104

What are the roles and influence of minority religions (Islam, Christianity) in Myanmar? 107

What is and has been the status of women in Burma/Myanmar? 110

What is the status of the cease-fires with minority insurrections in Myanmar? 111

What are relations with the United States? 115

What are relations with China and what is the status of the Chinese in Myanmar? 121

What Is India's policy toward Myanmar and how did it change? 123

What was Japan's relationship with Burma/Myanmar? 125

What has been the role of civil society and quasi-governmental groups? 127

What is the status of human rights In Myanmar? 129

Why was General/Prime Minister Khin Nyunt removed from power, and what did this mean? 131

Why was the capital moved from Rangoon to Naypyitaw? 133

What is the role of Buddhism in Myanmar today and what is its relation to political legitimacy? 136

What happened in the Saffron Revolution of 2007? 138

What were the internal and external effects of Cyclone Nargis in 2008? 140

What happened in the referendum on the constitution in 2008 and what are its provisions? 143

7 The Nature of Burmese Politics 149

How do politics in Burma/Myanmar function, and what are its implications? 150

8 Issues in Myanmar's Future 159

What are the current and future strategic interests of foreign powers in Myanmar? 160

What is the future of the military in Myanmar under any new government? 163

How will the minorities deal with the new government? 165

What types of economic crises does the country face? 166

What are the social crises facing the state? 170

What are the needs of the state in a transition to a new government? 171

What role is there for multilateral and bilateral donors? 172

Is democracy a reasonable expectation for Myanmar in the near term? In the future? 173

What role can the major powers play in Myanmar? 175

What might be the roles of ASEAN, the UN, and the EU? 176

What might the role of the Burmese diaspora be in a new government? 179

Coda 181

9 The Power of Positive Change 188

How did the government prepare for the elections of November 2010? 190

Why did the National League for Democracy (NLD) decide not to participate? 190

How were the elections carried out, and what were the results? 191

What was the configuration of the new government, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and who were its leaders? 192

Why did the reforms take place, and why at that particular time? 193

What have been the policies and the reform agenda of the new government? 194

What were the results of the by-elections of April 1, 2012? 196

What was, and has been, the role of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy? 197

What has been the role of former Senior General Than Shwe since the formation of the new government? 198

How have Burman-minority relations evolved under the new government? 199

What is the continuing role of the military under the new government? 201

How has civil society evolved In Myanmar under its new leadership? 203

How have human rights and societal restrictions changed under the new government? 203

How does the military view internal and external threats, and how have they responded? 204

What have been Myanmar's relations with ASEAN? 206

What were China's policies toward Myanmar, and how have they evolved? 207

What has been the changing role of the United States regarding the new government? 208

How have the European Union and Australia changed its policies, and how have relations with India and Japan developed? 210

What are Myanmar's relations with South and North Korea? 211

What are the prospects for the local private sector and foreign Investment under the Republic? 212

What has been the reaction of international advocacy organizations to the new government, its reforms, and foreign responses? 213

What are the prospects for Myanmar in 2015, the next half-decade, and into the future? 214.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780199981687

019998168X

9780199981670

0199981671

OCLC:

812531816