Publications & Tools

Colette Rausch writes on the road ahead in Burma and the reforms it will take to make a successful transition from virtual isolation to becoming a full-fledged member of the international community.

Lex Rieffel, contributor to USIP’s International Network for Economics and Conflict and Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution and Raymond Gilpin, Associate Vice President, Sustainable Economies, USIP discuss the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in Myanmar/Burma.

The government of Burma is undergoing a critical transition: Before the end of 2010, the military regime that has ruled the country since a palace coup in 1998 will hold an election based on a constitution drafted in a nondemocratic process and approved by a referendum in 2008.  The referendum fell far short of global standards of credibility and the election is likely to yield a government that neither the antimilitary movement nor the international community views as legitimate.  However, the constitution and election also may offer opportunities for further international involvement that began in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

After decades of domestic conflict, military rule and authoritarian governance, Burma’s economy could provide a viable entry point for effective international assistance to promote peace. Doing so would require a detailed understanding of the country’s complex and evolving political economy.

In this Special Report, the author establishes the historical context for the recent Saffron Revolution in Burma, explains the persistence of military rule, and speculates on the country’s prospects for political transition to democracy.