Reform In Myanmar Research Articles

When authoritarian innovations fail: Labour governance in Myanmar's reform era and beyond

The concept of authoritarian innovations provides a means of interpreting labour governance practices that claim to uphold democratic values and international labour standards while restricting labour participation and genuine voice in the workplace. Two underexplored dimensions of this literature are (a) how authoritarian practices are utilised by power elites in ‘hybrid’ state formations and (b) under what conditions they may be discarded in favour of a return to direct forms of coercion and violence. In this article, we examine these questions with reference to Myanmar, where there was a decade of experimentation with democracy before a reversion to military-dominated authoritarian rule in February 2021. In the first half of that decade, space opened under a military-led government for decidedly more democratic labour relations, although labour governance reforms were designed and operationalised in ways that constrained the strength and reach of trade unions. In the second half, a democratically elected civilian-led government presided over the contraction of the space available to organised labour. By tracking the alignment of meso-level authoritarian practices against the changing macro-level character of Myanmar's political landscape, this article contributes to theoretical debates within the emerging literature on authoritarian innovations in labour governance.

Prefiguring a democratic state: student activism and the National Education Law in Myanmar

ABSTRACT This article aims to contribute to contemporary understanding of student activism dynamics by using insights from prefiguration literature. We use practical prefiguration and conceptual prefiguration to analyse student protests against education reform in Myanmar in 2014–2015. Using in-depth interviews with student activists, their list of educational demands, and secondary sources regarding educational legislation, we unpack the complex relationship between educational claims and national politics that characterised the students’ struggle. We show how the students reimagined a new and better version of the Myanmar state by using both educational practice and theory to fuse the future with the present, the desired with the possible.

Paradoxical issues in eradicating opium cultivation in Myanmar: A perspective from local farmers’ voices

AbstractSupporting drug‐producing communities in alternative livelihoods from harm reduction activists is a common practice in Myanmar and other drug‐producing countries. And yet, the voices of opium farmers are rarely heard. This paper assesses why Myanmar farmers continue to grow opium poppy and analyzes their current concerns and the practical challenges in eradicating opium cultivation in Myanmar. This analysis combines field observations and secondary data from the Myanmar Opium Farmers' Forum (2013–2019) statements. The findings show five main reasons to cultivate poppy, as well as eight practical concerns of farmers relating to (1) rights to access land, (2) threats of insurgency groups, (3) forced eradication without alternative plans, (4) unsustainability in alternative developments, and (5) limitations of farmers’ rights to be involved in drug policy changes. The paper calls for further attention of policymakers and stakeholders to clarify these paradoxical issues with relevant proposals to support local farmers while implementing drug policy reform in Myanmar. The author argues for a balance of the national drug control strategies (supply, demand, and harm reduction) with opium farmers’ rights to encourage a harmonious relationship between both sides should be the new roadmap for drug reform in Myanmar.

The spatial politics of land policy reform in Myanmar and Laos

ABSTRACT Land policy reform has dominated the development agenda across the Global South over the past two decades. In contrast with earlier distributive land reforms, contemporary policies reflect an amalgamation of neoliberal, state territorial, and social justice agendas. This paper demonstrates how land policy changes reflect the spatially extensive and multi-scalar politics of land contestation and control, employing the cases of Myanmar and Laos. Myanmar's short-lived democratic transition enabled civil society actors to exert uneven influence on policy reform. In contrast, communist party and state dominance in Laos has constrained, although not wholly obstructed, policy intervention by non-governmental groups.

Policy for promoting teacher educators’ research engagement in Myanmar

This qualitative case study investigates the policy context for teacher educators' research engagement during Myanmar's reform to develop education colleges into higher education institutions. The data were obtained from document analysis and semi-structured interviews with teacher education authorities. The study found that, despite pitfalls, teacher educators' research engagement has been promoted through policy encouragement. It suggests that, among teacher educators, research engagement requires a supportive policy context through sustained encouragement to achieve realistic goals. However, such policies may be problematic if research engagement is pursued for competition or promotion rather than professional growth.

Institutional Reform in Myanmar: Preventing Corporate Land Rights Abuses

Abstract In 2011, after five decades of authoritarian rule, Myanmar accelerated its military-guided transition, culminating in partially democratic elections in 2015. While land reform was a central part of protest that led to governmental changes, unlawful land confiscation and forced evictions remain central obstacles to transition in Myanmar. The current government has failed to reform the legal framework, institutions, policy and practice violating Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights. While civil society has called for participatory and accountable institutions, a perceived need to appease the military, to harness the economic power of ‘crony’ businesspeople and to attract foreign investment has left violations of HLP rights inadequately addressed. This article argues that transitional justice’s guarantees of non-reoccurrence are essential to the protection of HLP rights in Myanmar, and that the best method of preventing reoccurrence is through upholding the state duty to protect human rights by reforming laws and institutions.

The New Era of Sino-Burmese Relations: Changes in the Bilateral Relationship in View of China's Rise and Myanmar's Reforms

Burma was the first non-Communist country to recognize the People's Republic in 1949. Since then, the relationship between Burma and China remained nervously friendly, and finally warmed in 1988. Due to isolation and economic sanctions Burma moved closer to China, the two authoritarian states becoming close allies. Subsequent concerns over Beijing's influence directly affected the junta's decision to pursue reform and open up the country. The following rapid expansion of Myanmar's diplomatic profile has complicated its relations with China. Myanmar has sought to diversify its foreign relations, but the Rohingya crisis has hindered this effort. China with its non-interference principle and the Belt and Road Initiative has managed to win Myanmar back, at least partially. This paper examines how Myanmar's relationship with China has evolved from Myanmar being aligned with China; through Myanmar hedging on the side of the United States; to Myanmar employing a double-hedging strategy with two great powers.

Higher education reform in Myanmar: neoliberalism versus an inclusive developmental agenda

ABSTRACT Myanmar has been transitioning to a parliamentary democracy following a long period of authoritarian military rule, with higher education positioned as a catalyst of and for change. This paper explores the policy reform texts through discourse analysis and the process of their enactment by senior university leaders. Two discourses emerge, one of neoliberalism and the role of globalisation, competition and marketisation. Another adopts traditional Myanmar values and argues for an inclusive, developmental agenda based on local needs using culturally sensitive approaches. The article explores the complimentary and contradictory nature of these approaches and the consequences for reform efforts.

Moderating polarised positions on questions of national identity and sovereignty: Deliberative surveys on federalism in Myanmar

Myanmar is in an important phase of its political transition. The opportunity for substantive federal reform, which is central to peacebuilding and democratisation, is present and being progressed through parallel elite level forums. However, these elite negotiations have serious limitations, as they fail to reach out to citizens, and contribute to polarisation and the perpetuation of extreme views regarding federalism. To address the absence of public deliberation on federalism in Myanmar, we organised five deliberative events based on the Deliberative Polling® methodology. This paper discusses some of the key findings and demonstrates how they can contribute to federal constitutional reform in Myanmar. It shows that when debating fundamental issues relating to identity and national sovereignty, public deliberation has moderation effects even in conflict-ridden deeply divided societies. Indeed, questions that related to the institutions associated with identity and religion had the highest quality of deliberation, opinion change and moderation. These more moderate and considered deliberated perspectives are of great value for dealing with the polarisation issue that Myanmar faces and demonstrate the potential of deliberative democracy tools to supplement and moderate electoral democracy and elite-driven constitutional change processes.

The contested terrain of land governance reform in Myanmar

ABSTRACTState control of land plays a critical role in producing land dispossession throughout the Global South. In Myanmar, the state’s approach towards territorial expansion has driven the country’s system of land governance, resulting in widespread and systemic land grabbing. This article investigates ongoing land governance reforms as key terrains for contesting such abuses of power. Employing a relational land governance approach, we view reform processes as shaped by changing power-laden social relations among government, civil society, and international donor actors. Legal and regulatory reforms in Myanmar potentially act as sites of meaningful social change but in practice tend to maintain significant limitations in altering governance dynamics. Civil society organizations and their alliances in Myanmar have played an important role in opening up policy processes to a broader group of political actors. Yet, policies and legal frameworks still are often captured by elite actors, becoming trapped in path dependent power relations.

Emerging Myanma—From Regime to Reforms

During decades of isolation beginning from 1962 and lasting till 2011, Myanmar seriously suffered from international sanctions. Ruled by the military regime, the country was doomed to economic and social failure. Studying the process of its transformation seems to be very interesting both from business and scientific points of view, and this is the main purpose of the paper. The literature and information about Myanmar's reforms are considerably limited and it is deeply justified to contribute to the knowledge on this fast emerging country. The methodology used in this article is based on the analysis of the existing statistical data, coming from international reports and statistic yearbooks. The basic param-eters of these analyses concern macroeconomic and social indicators. Comparisons with The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are critical for the conclusions drawn in this article. On its way to the formation of a democratic society Myanmar faced a lot of problems. Some of them, such as the unsolved Rohingya refugee crisis, have had a bad effect not only on domestic reforms, but also a global effect, sometimes recognized as an international crisis. For business, Myanmar is one of the fastest growing economy in the world with a population of 51 million, which makes it an attractive market. The GDP per capita in Myanmar is low, so the domestic market guarantees a growing demand.

In the land of wise old men: experiences of young women activists in Myanmar

ABSTRACTIn a society in which leadership is still largely defined by age and gender, young women in Myanmar face social, cultural, and even administrative challenges to raising their voices and taking on leadership roles. This article explores the experience of young women activists in Myanmar, considering social norms and challenges to leadership, coping strategies, and solutions to the obstacles that young women face to participating in on-going legal and political reform in Myanmar.

Theories of Law and Development: Asian Trajectories and the Salience of Judicial Reform in Myanmar

This article examines critically the phenomenon of judicial reform in the context of law and development and with special reference to Myanmar1 as a current example of a locus for judicial reform efforts. Judicial and court reforms are seen almost universally as a cornerstone of law and development (LAD) (Newton 2008: 40ff). The argument is regularly voiced that, if we wish to give the rule of law pride of place in development and to assist the reform process in those states that try to develop their institutions along those lines, then judicial reform is an essential underpinning for that project. This view is very widely held amongst LAD writers and practitioners, and is subscribed to by numerous government and development agencies (Bergling 2006: 88; contra Humphreys 2010: 202). This article claims to the contrary that judicial reform is not a given, but rather that its salience will be contingent upon the history and present situation of law and its numerous institutions in a given society. Myanmar is referred to here in order to illustrate the problems involved and to argue a case for emphasising other areas of LAD. In a previous publication I have referred to LAD’s ‘Burmese moment’ (Harding 2014), indicating that after more than half a century of the LAD movement, we should be in a position to say what we have learned and how to apply it. Unhappily we are not in such a position and continue to make elementary mistakes. Emphasising judicial reform, I argue here, is potentially one of those mistakes.

Transforming libraries in Myanmar: the eLibrary Myanmar project

Education reform in Myanmar, particularly in higher education (HE), began in 2011. After many years in a closed society, HE was in dire need of co-operation and collaboration with international institutions and organizations. In 2013 Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) began to work with the Ministry of Education to support HE with the provision of rich online resources. EIFL’s eLibrary Myanmar project received funding from the Open Society Foundation’s Higher Education Support Programme. During the period of transition to democracy, the whole of Myanmar had to face many challenges. At the same time, there were a lot of chances and opportunities. For example, introducing the use of e-resources to teaching and learning was a key opportunity to improve the quality of education and research. Based on a breakout session presented at the 39th UKSG Annual Conference, Bournemouth, April 2016

Smart Transitions?: Foreign Investment, Disruptive Technology, and Democratic Reform in Myanmar

Smart Transitions? Foreign Investment, Disruptive Technology, and Democratic Reform in Myanmar Since 2012, Myanmar has transformed from a “pariah state” and one of the world’s least attractive business climates to a “frontier economy” transitioning to a democratic form of government and attracting foreign direct investment from around the world. Driving this new investment is a transnational vision of economic development that seeks to transform Myanmar’s emerging megacity (Yangon) into a “smart city,” incorporating it into the existing transnational archipelago of other smart-city development projects fueling the growth of today’s global, knowledge-capitalist economy. If realized, this vision will undermine Myanmar’s democratic transition because it exacerbates existing sources of inequality, and introduces new ones.

How Real Are Myanmar's Reforms?

Full democratization may not be achieved in the near future, but given that the reform process was initiated by the regime, Myanmar has come a long way.

Banking and Financial Regulation and Reform in Myanmar

For fifty years Myanmar has been without a properly functioning financial system. This absence has been a significant brake on the efficacy of reform in Myanmar, on foreign investment, and on the ability of Myanmar firms to raise the capital they need to grow and prosper. Since 2011, however, critical but limited reforms have been put in place by Myanmar’s new government. These include reforms to Myanmar’s exchange rate arrangements, and the granting of a degree of formal autonomy to the country’s central bank. Other reforms, pending but not yet implemented, include allowing a role for foreign banks, and making changes to the broader regulatory arrangements that currently greatly constrain the operations of Myanmar’s banks. In recent times much progress has been made in creating the financial institutions Myanmar needs to achieve transformational growth, but much remains to be done.

Foreign Exchange Market Reform in Myanmar: Achievements and Challenges

The Journal of Southeast Asian Economies (JSEAE) is a peer-reviewed journal focusing on economic issues pertaining to countries in the region – defined as the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Timor. JSEAE welcomes articles using orthodox economic approaches as well as those of a more heterodox nature. Oriented at both researchers and policy-makers, the journal seeks to reconcile the ideals of relevance, methodological rigour, and accessibility. Published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute tri-annually, JSEAE includes: articles based on original research; research notes; review articles; and book reviews. Once a year, the Journal publishes a Special Issue devoted entirely to a topic of import for the region. Up until April 2013, JSEAE was published as the ASEAN Economic Bulletin (AEB). However, following new developments in the regional and global context, as well as the establishment of new multi-lateral trading agreements including countries in the region, the Directorship of ISEAS and AEB’s Editorial Board decided to change the journal’s name. While its name has changed, JSEAE remains committed to being the premier economic journal for Southeast Asian academicians and policy-makers, as well as anyone with an interest in the region. All research articles in the journal have undergone rigorous peer-review. The process consists of initial screening by the Co-Editors and Associate Editor, followed by double-blind refereeing; two reviewers for articles and one reviewer for research notes.

Normative Tensions: European Sanction vs. ASEAN’s Non-Interference in the Case of Myanmar

This article attempted to explain the relevancy of European sanction policy and ASEAN’s constructive engagement on Myanmar. In many case, normative power Europe theory which is pioneered by Ian Manners, has been an effective tool to explain the EU’s sanction policy. In this article, it will emphasize Thomas Diez’s postulation of the reflexivity of the EU’s identity as the main aspect of NPE. Consequently, it will elaborate on how EU’s identity is constructed against ASEAN who adopted constructive engagement. However, recent change in Myanmar has provoked the EU to postpone their sanction. It is puzzling because many reports from International Non-Government Organizations show that the reform in Myanmar is weak and unsustainable. ASEAN emerged as important partner for Myanmar in driving democratization and human rights regime construction in Myanmar.

International Responses to Myanmar's Transformation

The transformation of Myanmar marks perhaps one of the least predicted international developments in the past twenty years. The new government that came into power in 2011 introduced sweeping political and economic reforms. The international responses to Myanmar's reforms have been largely positive and in many instances enthusiastic. Western governments acknowledged and supported the reforms by easing or lifting sanctions on Myanmar. The change in Western policy about Myanmar also opened doors for expanded trade and investment opportunities with the rest of the world. Myanmar's reemergence on the international stage has led to varied responses from Asian countries, among which China and Japan play major roles.