Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Myanmar PDF
Preview Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Myanmar
ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF CONTEMPORARY MYANMAR After decades of mismanagement and direct military rule, Myanmar’s contested transition to a more democratic government has rapidly shifted the outlook in this significant Southeast Asian nation. Since 2011, the removal of Western sanctions and new foreign investments have resulted in high rates of economic growth and an expanding middle class, albeit from a very low base. In a result unthinkable a few years earlier, former political prisoner and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), formed a national government in early 2016. However, despite significant political and economic reforms since the liberalisation process commenced, the transition to civilian rule remains constrained by the military’s 2008 Constitution, which guarantees that it operates unfettered by civilian oversight. As a result, although some ethnic conflicts have abated, others continue to fester and new conflicts have erupted. With a daunting task ahead the NLD government has made some progress in removing the vestiges of repressive military-era laws but many remain untouched and some of the practices of the new government provide unwelcome reminders of the country’s authoritarian history. This timely Handbook describes the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of this crucial period of transition in Myanmar. It presents explanations for contradictory trends, including those that defy some of the early narratives about the comprehensive transformation of Myanmar. The Handbook also considers the impact of major environmental, strategic, and demographic trends which help underscore that Myanmar’s development will be an ongoing task. In addition to introductory and concluding chapters by the editors, the body of the Hand- book is divided into seven core sections: • F undamentals • S paces • C ultures • L iving • G overnance • I nternational • C hallenges Written by an international team of scholars, with a mix of world-leading established academics and talented emerging researchers, the Handbook provides a rigorous scholarly overview of Myanmar’s politics, economics, and society. As Myanmar opens to Western businesses and government agencies, this is an invaluable reference book that will provide a foundation for further research and offer the first port of call for scholars, students, and policy makers working on Myanmar and Asia. Adam Simpson is Director of the Centre for Peace and Security at the Hawke Research Institute and Senior Lecturer in International Studies at the University of South Australia. He is also Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith University, Australia. Nicholas Farrelly is an Associate Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University and Director of the ANU Myanmar Research Centre. Ian Holliday is Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) at the University of Hong Kong. ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF CONTEMPORARY MYANMAR Edited by Adam Simpson , Nicholas Farrelly and Ian Holliday First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Adam Simpson, Nicholas Farrelly and Ian Holliday; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Adam Simpson, Nicholas Farrelly and Ian Holliday to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Simpson, Adam (Adam John), editor. | Farrelly, Nicholas, 1982- editor. | Holliday, Ian, editor. Title: Routledge handbook of contemporary Myanmar/edited by Adam Simpson, Nicholas Farrelly and Ian Holliday. Description: New York: Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2017028742| ISBN 9781138820777 (hardback) | ISBN 9781315743677 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Burma–Politics and government–21st century. | Burma–Social conditions–21st century. | Burma–Economic conditions–21st century. Classification: LCC DS530.65 .R68 2018 | DDC 959.105–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017028742 ISBN: 978-1-138-82077-7 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-74367-7 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham, UK For Lisa and Kyela CONTENTS List of figures ix List of tables x List of contributors xi List of acronyms xvii Notes on language xxi Acknowledgements xxii Introduction 1 1 Explaining Myanmar in flux and transition 3 Nicholas Farrelly, Ian Holliday and Adam Simpson PART I Fundamentals 13 2 The state 15 Maitrii Aung-Thwin 3 The defence services 25 Andrew Selth 4 Democracy 35 John H. Badgley and Ian Holliday 5 Ethnicity and identity 43 Violet Cho v Contents PART II Spaces 53 6 The capital 55 Nicholas Farrelly 7 Urban 64 Jayde Lin Roberts 8 Rural 72 Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung 9 Borderlands 83 Patrick Meehan and Mandy Sadan 10 Cyber-spaces 92 Gerard McCarthy 11 Anomalous spaces 106 Nicholas Farrelly PART III Cultures 115 12 Languages 117 David Bradley 13 Religion 126 Charles Carstens 14 Arts 136 Charlotte Galloway 15 Public discourse 146 Thomas Kean 16 Exiles 158 Inga Gruß 17 Youth 169 Jacqueline Menager vi Contents PART IV Living 179 18 Political economy 181 Lee Jones 19 Agriculture 192 Ikuko Okamoto 20 Banking and finance 202 Thomas Förch 21 Foreign direct investment and trade 212 Jared Bissinger PART V Governance 225 22 The executive 227 Ian Holliday and Su Mon Thazin Aung 23 Legislature 236 Renaud Egreteau and Cindy Joelene 24 Judiciary 248 Melissa Crouch 25 Civil society 257 Christina Fink and Adam Simpson 26 Education 268 Marie Lall 27 Health 279 Céline Coderey PART VI International 289 28 The world 291 David I. Steinberg vii Contents 29 Regional 300 Jürgen Haacke 30 Neighbourhood 312 Renaud Egreteau and Li Chenyang 31 International non-governmental organisations and advocacy 324 John Dale and Samantha Samuel-Nakka 32 International law and inter-governmental organisations 335 Tyler Giannini and Matthew Bugher 33 International assistance 347 Ian Holliday and Zaw Htet PART VII Challenges 357 34 Peace and reconciliation 359 Kim Jolliffe 35 Democracy and human rights 371 Morten B. Pedersen 36 Gender 381 Ma Khin Mar Mar Kyi 37 Nation-building 393 Matthew J. Walton 38 Class and inequality 404 Elliott Prasse-Freeman and Phyo Win Latt 39 Environment and natural resources 417 Adam Simpson Conclusion 431 40 Myanmar futures 433 Adam Simpson, Ian Holliday and Nicholas Farrelly Index 439 viii
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