Book Description

What are the political and economic challenges facing Myanmar as it opens to the world? And what are the opportunities and responsibilities for the international community to influence and also invest in the country?This book aims to provide readers with an assessment that integrates analysis with on-the-ground experience and insights, drawn from closely engaging with Myanmar since the country began to move towards democracy and open to the world. In order for readers to appreciate emerging trends and developments, the book evaluates the efforts of the recent Thein Sein administration and current National League of Democracy government up to the present day. It also identifies key events from the colonial period through to the decades when the country was under military rule, cut off from much of the international community. The on-going crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine State and the controversial situation of the Rohingya are examined at length, with an effort to contextualise these events in wider challenges of geopolitics and national reforms to rehabilitate the government and the economy.The book presents readers with a clear view of how the country might progress beyond current obstacles, and highlights the opportunities that remain for those willing to engage constructively for the longer term in the opening of this frontier economy and once-pariah state. As Myanmar moves ahead with its transition to democracy and with economic development, this book is recommended for both those who watch the country with interest and those who consider the ways in which the international community interacts with the region and Myanmar.