Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know

BURMA/MYANMAR

WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW

WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW

DAVID I. STEINBERG

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Steinberg, David I.
Burma / Myanmar : what everyone needs to know / David I. Steinberg.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-539067-4; 978-0-19-539068-1 (pbk.)
1. Burma—Politics and government. 2. Burma—Colonial influence.
I. Title.
JQ751.A58S84 2009
959.1—dc22              2009028231

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2

Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper

To my family

Ann Myongsook Lee
Alexander Lee Steinberg
Eric David Steinberg

who sustained me

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

MAPS

PRELIMINARY NOTES

INTRODUCTION

1 The Crises That Are Burma/Myanmar

What is Burma?

Why are we interested in Burma/Myanmar?

Why should we be interested in Burma/Myanmar?

What can we learn from Burma/Myanmar?

Why is learning about Burma/Myanmar so difficult?

What are the crises facing Burma/Myanmar?

2 Important Residues from the Precolonial Period

How does Burmese history relate to contemporary events?

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

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

What was the role of Buddhism in traditional Burma?

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

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

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

What economic development programs did the British introduce?

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

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

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

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

How do the Burmese today consider the colonial era?

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

How did independence come about?

What was the role of Aung San?

How did Burma deal with the political and ethnic rebellions?

Why didn’t Burma join the Commonwealth?

How did the Chinese nationalist incursion affect Burma?

What were relations with the United States?

What were relations with China?

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

What were the government’s plans for economic development?

What were the effects of the 1947 civilian constitution?

How did the AFPFL operate and govern?

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

How did the minorities fare under the civilian government?

How did the 1960 elections affect Burma?

What caused the coup of 1962?

How may we evaluate the civilian, democratic period?

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

What were the effects of the coup?

What was the “Burmese Way to Socialism”?

How did the BSPP operate?

What was the impact of the socialist policies?

How were foreign relations under the BSPP?

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

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

How were monks registered?

How was citizenship defined?

What was the role of General/President/Chairman Ne Win?

What happened to the economy in the 1980s?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is the state of social services in Myanmar?

What is the status of the private sector in Myanmar?

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

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

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

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

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

What are relations with the United States?

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

What is India’s policy toward Myanmar and how did it change?

What was Japan’s relationship with Burma/Myanmar?

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

What is the status of human rights in Myanmar?

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

Why was the capital moved from Rangoon to Naypyidaw?

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

What happened in the Saffron Revolution of 2007?

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

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

7 The Nature of Burmese Politics

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