[...]... been the status of women in Burma/ Myanmar? 109 What is the status of the cease-fires with minority insurrections in Myanmar? 110 What are relations with the United States? 114 What are relations with China and what is the status of the Chinese in Myanmar? 120 What is India’s policy toward Myanmar and how did it change? 122 What was Japan’s relationship with Burma/ Myanmar? 124 What has been the role of... volume is a small effort in that direction This page intentionally left blank BURMA/ MYANMAR WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW This page intentionally left blank 1 THE CRISES THAT ARE BURMA/ MYANMAR What is Burma? Burma/ Myanmar is, after North Korea, probably the most obscure and obscured state in the contemporary world It seems to appear on the world stage only in moments of crisis, but its problems are both... quasi-governmental groups? 126 What is the status of human rights in Myanmar? 128 Why was General/Prime Minister Khin Nyunt removed from power, and what did this mean? 130 Why was the capital moved from Rangoon to Naypyidaw? 132 What is the role of Buddhism in Myanmar today and what is its relation to political legitimacy? 135 What happened in the Saffron Revolution of 2007? 137 What were the internal and... nations react to the coup and the regime? 93 What is the state of social services in Myanmar? 95 What is the status of the private sector in Myanmar? 98 What is the status and role of the military in Myanmar? 101 How does the narcotics trade affect the society and international relations? 103 What are the roles and influence of minority religions (Islam, Christianity) in Myanmar? 106 What is and has... government? 164 What types of economic crises does the country face? 165 What are the social crises facing the state? 169 What are the needs of the state in a transition to a new government? 170 What role is there for multilateral and bilateral donors? 171 Is democracy a reasonable expectation for Myanmar in the near term? In the future? 172 What role can the major powers play in Myanmar? 174 What might... 2008? 139 Contents 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? 8 Issues in Myanmar s Future xi 142 148 149 158 What are the current and future strategic interests of foreign powers in Myanmar? 159 What is the future of the military in Myanmar under any... insulting In this volume, both Burma and Myanmar are used— Myanmar for the period since 1988 (the start of the present military government) and Burma for all previous periods, and Burma/ Myanmar is used to indicate continuity of action Burman is used for members of the majority ethnic group; Burmese is employed here as a designation of all citizens of that country of whatever ethnicity or linguistic... caused as many problems as the Burma Myanmar split, which has unfortunately become the surrogate indicator of political persuasion In July 1989, the military junta changed the name of the state to the Union of Myanmar, from the Union of Burma Myanmar was the Preliminary Notes xxi official written designation and an old usage, and this change was insisted on by the military to lessen (in its view) ethnic...x Contents What political and economic policies were instituted shortly after the coup? 85 How did the political opposition develop and what was the National League for Democracy? 87 What was the role of Aung San Suu Kyi and what has happened to her? 88 What were the May 1990 elections about and what were the internal and external results? 90 What were the SLORC/SPDC’s international... the field more publicly known in other fora It is small recompense that the Suggested Reading section contains many of their works To my friends and acquaintances in Myanmar, whom I dare not publicly name, I thank you for indulging me over some fifty years Your friendships and advice have been critical to whatever contribution I may have made to knowledge about this country and to me personally as well .