The economic and political sanctions that have constituted the core of U.S. policy for 25 years, as Washington attempted to punish the country’s repressive military rulers, have now become a serious liability, tying the United States’ hands at a time when U.S. leadership should be engaging broadly in support of Myanmar’s political and economic development.
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Burma Shifts to Civilian Rule
Posted April 1st, 2016 at 1:55 pm (UTC-4)
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Today, the first civilian government in 54 years assumed power in Myanmar, led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. If hopes are high, expectations are even higher. It has been a long, painful road to this moment and much work is ahead. How the Burmese military behaves in the new era will be a key measure of how quickly democracy takes root. Although Suu Kyi does not hold the office of the presidency due to her late husband’s nationality, under the new government, power resides with her—if she is allowed to exercise it. The days ahead will reveal whether or not the same military structure that kept her under house arrest for much of the 1990s is ready to stand down.
Where’s Aung San Suu Kyi When Burma Needs Her
Posted June 9th, 2015 at 9:26 am (UTC-4)
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President Obama said Myanmar must end discrimination against its Rohingya minority to succeed in its democratic transition. Where is Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi on the issue of the beleaguered Rohingya?
Aung San Suu Kyi Can’t, or Won’t, Rein in Burma’s Army
Internationally, Suu Kyi has for decades been the chief barometer of when and how it was appropriate to engage with Burma’s isolated government. The crisis in Arakan state presents a paradox for her allies, particularly in the West…