Burma/Myanmar Country Summary
Conflict History
Myanmar (Burma) has had almost successive military rule since gaining independence from the United Kingdom at the end of World War II. Even the brief period of democratic rule (1948 to 1962) was frequently interrupted by military intervention. In 1962, General Ne Win led a socialist-minded coup and abolished the constitution, ushering the country into an era of international isolation. On August 8, 1988, political unrest came to a head when a government attack on a student-organized opposition protest resulted in over 1000 civilian fatalities.
This attack, memorialized as 8/8/88, has become definitive for Burmese domestic and international relations. As the unrest increased, the massacre fortified the opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the first Burmese Prime Minister, General Aung San, and her National League for Democracy. At the same time, many states in the international community reacted by withdrawing aid money for the government and downgrading diplomatic ties.
Due to the Burmese government’s inability to quell the opposition, the military staged another coup in 1989 and installed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Shortly thereafter, the SLORC changed the country’s name to Myanmar to reflect its new identity (many states still refuse to recognize Myanmar’s political existence) and organized elections in 1990.
In the May, 1990 elections Suu Kyi claimed victory for the NLD, though the SLORC quickly ruled the elections unconstitutional and maintained power. In 1997, the SLORC morphed into the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and began a slow process of loosening control over the country. Bilateral talks between the NLD and the SPDC were announced in 2000. In a gesture of good faith many political prisoners were freed, although many more that were intended to be released were retained.
A road map for democracy was introduced by General Khin Nyunt in 2003, and in May, 2004, the National Convention reconvened for the first time since 1996 to draft a new constitution. Political instability continued, however, when General Nyunt was arrested by the military in October 2004 and replaced by Prime Minister General Soe Win.
The National Convention met again in early 2005, and has been struggling against persistent social unrest. The NLD refused to actively participate in the creation of a new constitution in 2004 because of outstanding demands (including the end of Aung San Suu Kyi’s 6-year and continuing house arrest) and the April and May, 2005, bombings in Mandalay and Rangoon.
The government of Myanmar used the occasion of the bombings to harden its stance on the NLD and extend the house arrest of its top members.
International Role
Following the 8/8/88 massacre the international community pulled out significant amounts of aid and non-monetary support for the government of Myanmar. More recently, the government declined chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), claiming to focus instead on national reconciliation. The United Nations Development Fund has terminated its Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria agreement with Myanmar as a result of increased governmental hostility towards intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. In 2005, according to the United States Department of State, aid in Myanmar was $2 per capita, as compared with $53 per capita in neighboring Laos.
There are currently no standing Security Council resolutions on Myanmar. In December, 2005, the Government of the United States led a push to include the crisis situation in Security Council consultations, citing the refugee outflow and flourishing drug trade as threats to international peace and security. Currently, a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and a Special Envoy for the Secretary-General are assigned to Myanmar, but neither is allowed to enter the country. Furthermore, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus has called for Security Council action.
Central Issues
There currently exist as many as two million Burmese living in neighboring Thailand (145,000 of whom are refugees), risking persecution by the Government of Thailand.
Additionally, Myanmar is reported to have the most child soldiers in the world, estimated at near 70,000.
Further Resources
- United Nations
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Civil Society Organizations
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