Inhalt: | "After decades of mismanagement and direct military rule, Myanmar's contested transition to a more democratic government has rapidly shifted the outlook in this significant Southeast Asian nation. Since 2011, the removal of Western sanctions and new foreign investments have resulted in high rates of economic growth and an expanding middle class, albeit from a very low base. In a result unthinkable a few years earlier, former political prisoner and Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), formed a national government in early 2016. However, despite significant political and economic reforms since the liberalisation process commenced, the transition to civilian rule remains constrained by the military's 2008 Constitution, which guarantees that it operates unfettered by civilian oversight. As a result, although some ethnic conflicts have abated, others continue to fester while new conflicts have erupted. With a daunting task ahead the NLD government has made some progress in removing the vestiges of repressive military-era laws but many remain untouched and some of the practices of the new government provide unwelcome reminders of its authoritarian history. This timely Handbook describes the political, economic, cultural and strategic dimensions of this crucial period of transition in Myanmar life. It presents explanations for contradictory trends, including those that defy some of the early narratives about the comprehensive transformation of Myanmar life. The Handbook also considers the impact of major environmental, strategic, demographic and cultural trends which help in understanding that Myanmar's development will be an ongoing task"-- Explaining Myanmar in flux and transition / Nicholas Farrelly, Ian Holliday and Adam Simpson -- The state / Maitrii Aung-Thwin -- The defence services / Andrew Selth -- Democracy / John H. Badgley and Ian Holliday -- Ethnicity and identity / Violet Cho -- The capital / Nicholas Farrelly -- Urban / Jayde Lin Roberts -- Rural / Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung -- Borderlands / Patrick Meehan and Mandy Sadan -- Cyber-spaces / Gerard McCarthy -- Anomalous spaces / Nicholas Farrelly -- Languages / David Bradley -- Religion / Charles Carstens -- Arts / Charlotte Galloway -- Public discourse / Tom Kean -- Diasporas / Inga Gruss -- Youth / Jacqueline Menager -- Political economy / Lee Jones -- Agriculture / Ikuko Okamoto -- Banking and finance / Thomas Förch -- FDI and trade / Jared Bissinger -- Executive / Ian Holliday and Su Mon Thazin Aung -- Legislature / Renaud Egreteau and Cindy Joelene -- Judiciary / Melissa Crouch -- Civil society / Christina Fink and Adam Simpson -- Education / Marie Lall -- Health / Céline Coderey -- World / David Steinberg -- Regional / Jurgen Haacke -- Neighbourhood / Renaud Egreteau and Li Chenyang -- International non-governmental organisations and advocacy / John Dale and Samantha Samuel-Nakka -- International law and inter-governmental organisations / Tyler Giannini and Matthew Bugher -- International assistance / Ian Holliday and Zaw Htet -- Peace and reconciliation / Kim Jollife -- Democratisation and human rights / Morten Pederson -- Gender / Khin Mar Mar Kyi -- Nation building / Matthew Walton -- Class and inequality / Elliott Prasse-Freeman and Phyo Win Latt -- Environment and natural resources / Adam Simpson -- Myanmar futures / Adam Simpson, Ian Holliday and Nicholas Farrelly |
