Myanmar Archives - Page 3 of 7

Is the Ceasefire Agreement in Myanmar a Step Towards Political Accommodation?

It may be an over-optimistic assessment to expect the present Thein Sein regime to achieve a substantive and comprehensive political accord in the run-up to the elections.

Gautam Sen
April 06, 2015
IDSA Comments

China at your doorstep: Looking east from India’s northeast

Myanmar and India have followed separate political paths only to find it converging in recent times. Myanmar’s other neighbour China has had a much larger footprint in the country. India has to calibrate its engagement with Myanmar to not just effectively implement its Look East policy but also manage the contiguous border regions of Northeast India given the ground realities.

Namrata Goswami
March 18, 2014
Issue Brief

Stability and Growth in South Asia

Publisher: Pentagon Press

This book examines the forces and processes which have led to relative political stability or unleashed trends in that direction in some countries of South Asia. It also delves into the factors that have stimulated economic growth in some countries, and impeded economic growth in others. Eminent authors from the region examine how far the positive political and economic trends in the region are irreversible or lend themselves to internal convulsions or external influences. There is also a focus on how far inter-state relations within the region have led to stronger intra-regional co-operation, particularly in the economic field.

ISBN 978-81-8274-748-7,
Price: ₹ 995/-
E-copy available

The Changing Politics and Geopolitics of Burma

Burma’s two decades-old alignment with China, which was always an uneasy one, is being reordered to better reflect Burmese national interests. In an attempt to reach out to the West, partial democratisation has been permitted. The military remains highly influential in Burmese politics, but its desire to avoid the pitfalls of over-dependence on Beijing, together with confidence that separatist movements pose a lesser threat than in the past, have led to a loosening of political control.

Assessing the Bodh Gaya Terror Attack

With increased cross-border mobility, instantaneous access to information and easy reach to small arms, terror attacks in India are finding new targets.

Myanmar Opens to Business Opportunities, but is it sustainable?

After years of political and economic isolation, Myanmar is opening up to investment particularly in the energy sector. There are however, accompanying uncertainties and risks.

Ethnic Tension and Political Drift in Myanmar

The impact of discord and disharmony within the country has started manifesting itself in the economic sphere. Despite the US and EU relaxing their sanctions, development problems have started showing up.

Gautam Sen
May 27, 2013
IDSA Comments

More Ethnic Riots in Myanmar: Disturbances in Meikhtila

Unless the leaders of varying political hue and institutional oligarchs, including the military and, above all, Su Kyi, show political wisdom, incidents such as those in Meikhtila, Yamethin, and state military action against the Karens and Kachins will continue to recur.

Gautam Sen
March 28, 2013
IDSA Comments

Do the Changes in Myanmar Signify a Real Transition? A Critique/Response

Dr. Singh's article summarises parts of Myanmar's reform process. However, he misses out the historical background that led to the current reforms and he does not unpack some of the more complex factors in this process. This critique/response will try to complete the picture of the three top priorities of the Myanmar government: national reconciliation, ethnic peace and economic reforms.

Response to Udai Bhanu Singh’s Essay, Do the Changes in Myanmar Signify a Real Transition?

1. In general terms, it is my impression that the author is far too optimistic about what recent changes in Myanmar can lead to. Power is still in the hands of the military and there is precious little a small group of National League for Democracy (NLD) assemblymen and women (seven per cent of the total) can accomplish. Besides, the November 2010 election was blatantly rigged, and there is no guarantee that the next election, in 2015, will not also be tampered with.