Table Of ContentROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF
CONTEMPORARY MYANMAR
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 and 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 the country’s authoritarian history.
This timely Handbook describes the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of this
crucial period of transition in Myanmar. It presents explanations for contradictory trends,
including those that defy some of the early narratives about the comprehensive transformation
of Myanmar. The Handbook also considers the impact of major environmental, strategic, and
demographic trends which help underscore that Myanmar’s development will be an ongoing
task. In addition to introductory and concluding chapters by the editors, the body of the Hand-
book is divided into seven core sections:
• F undamentals
• S paces
• C ultures
• L iving
• G overnance
• I nternational
• C hallenges
Written by an international team of scholars, with a mix of world-leading established academics
and talented emerging researchers, the Handbook provides a rigorous scholarly overview of
Myanmar’s politics, economics, and society. As Myanmar opens to Western businesses and
government agencies, this is an invaluable reference book that will provide a foundation for
further research and offer the first port of call for scholars, students, and policy makers working
on Myanmar and Asia.
Adam Simpson is Director of the Centre for Peace and Security at the Hawke Research
Institute and Senior Lecturer in International Studies at the University of South Australia. He
is also Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith
University, Australia.
Nicholas Farrelly is an Associate Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian
National University and Director of the ANU Myanmar Research Centre.
Ian Holliday is Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) at the
University of Hong Kong.
ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF
CONTEMPORARY MYANMAR
Edited by Adam Simpson , Nicholas Farrelly
and Ian Holliday
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 selection and editorial matter, Adam Simpson, Nicholas Farrelly
and Ian Holliday; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Adam Simpson, Nicholas Farrelly and Ian Holliday to be
identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for
their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Simpson, Adam (Adam John), editor. | Farrelly, Nicholas,
1982- editor. | Holliday, Ian, editor.
Title: Routledge handbook of contemporary Myanmar/edited
by Adam Simpson, Nicholas Farrelly and Ian Holliday.
Description: New York: Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017028742| ISBN 9781138820777 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781315743677 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Burma–Politics and government–21st century. |
Burma–Social conditions–21st century. | Burma–Economic
conditions–21st century.
Classification: LCC DS530.65 .R68 2018 | DDC 959.105–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017028742
ISBN: 978-1-138-82077-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-74367-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham, UK
For Lisa and Kyela
CONTENTS
List of figures ix
List of tables x
List of contributors xi
List of acronyms xvii
Notes on language xxi
Acknowledgements xxii
Introduction 1
1 Explaining Myanmar in flux and transition 3
Nicholas Farrelly, Ian Holliday and Adam Simpson
PART I
Fundamentals 13
2 The state 15
Maitrii Aung-Thwin
3 The defence services 25
Andrew Selth
4 Democracy 35
John H. Badgley and Ian Holliday
5 Ethnicity and identity 43
Violet Cho
v
Contents
PART II
Spaces 53
6 The capital 55
Nicholas Farrelly
7 Urban 64
Jayde Lin Roberts
8 Rural 72
Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung
9 Borderlands 83
Patrick Meehan and Mandy Sadan
10 Cyber-spaces 92
Gerard McCarthy
11 Anomalous spaces 106
Nicholas Farrelly
PART III
Cultures 115
12 Languages 117
David Bradley
13 Religion 126
Charles Carstens
14 Arts 136
Charlotte Galloway
15 Public discourse 146
Thomas Kean
16 Exiles 158
Inga Gruß
17 Youth 169
Jacqueline Menager
vi
Contents
PART IV
Living 179
18 Political economy 181
Lee Jones
19 Agriculture 192
Ikuko Okamoto
20 Banking and finance 202
Thomas Förch
21 Foreign direct investment and trade 212
Jared Bissinger
PART V
Governance 225
22 The executive 227
Ian Holliday and Su Mon Thazin Aung
23 Legislature 236
Renaud Egreteau and Cindy Joelene
24 Judiciary 248
Melissa Crouch
25 Civil society 257
Christina Fink and Adam Simpson
26 Education 268
Marie Lall
27 Health 279
Céline Coderey
PART VI
International 289
28 The world 291
David I. Steinberg
vii
Contents
29 Regional 300
Jürgen Haacke
30 Neighbourhood 312
Renaud Egreteau and Li Chenyang
31 International non-governmental organisations and advocacy 324
John Dale and Samantha Samuel-Nakka
32 International law and inter-governmental organisations 335
Tyler Giannini and Matthew Bugher
33 International assistance 347
Ian Holliday and Zaw Htet
PART VII
Challenges 357
34 Peace and reconciliation 359
Kim Jolliffe
35 Democracy and human rights 371
Morten B. Pedersen
36 Gender 381
Ma Khin Mar Mar Kyi
37 Nation-building 393
Matthew J. Walton
38 Class and inequality 404
Elliott Prasse-Freeman and Phyo Win Latt
39 Environment and natural resources 417
Adam Simpson
Conclusion 431
40 Myanmar futures 433
Adam Simpson, Ian Holliday and Nicholas Farrelly
Index 439
viii
