Suchergebnisse

With the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in May 2002, hopes have been revived for an end to the political deadlock in Myanmar which has prevailed since the early 1990s. Both the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Aung San Suu Kyi have claimed that they have already gone beyond the phase of confidence-building and mutual trust. However, against the backdrop of past failures in the national reconciliation process, many analysts and observers on Myanmar affairs remain cautious. For a better appreciation and understanding of the current situation, this article provides an overview of the national reconciliation process in Myanmar, discusses factors that have contributed to the recent breakthrough and offers some general recommendations to ensure further success in the process.(Contemp Southeast Asia/DÜI)

In the name of pauk-phaw : Myanmar's China policy since 1948 -- Contents -- About the Cover -- Acknowledgements -- Chinese Names -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Sino-Myanmar Relations 1948-1962: The Years of Charting the Water -- 3. Sino-Myanmar Relations 1962-1988: Into the Years of Living Dangerously -- 4. Sino-Myanmar Relations 1988-2010: Towards Closer Cooperation -- 5. Conclusion -- Appendices -- Appendix I: Sino-Burmese Agreement on Boundary Question -- Appendix II -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Author.

This article argues that although the NLD government continues to adhere to the "independent, active, and non-aligned foreign policy," the policy will be implemented through multiple tracks in diplomacy with a possibility of stronger focus on people-to-people contacts and multilateralism. The NLD's foreign policy, in terms of objectives and principles, is not new but it is different, as adjustments are made in the realm of diplomacy. The reasons for this lack of foreign policy change or transformation are that (1) the predecessor USDP government has more or less adjusted the country's foreign policy, (2) the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) continues to exercise strong influence over the foreign policy process, (3) the emerging geopolitical environment in the Asia-Pacific region shapes the country's foreign policy choices, and (4) the NLD's leadership style and political mandate provide little room for public access and input in foreign policy decision-making. It is expected that activism in Myanmar's foreign policy will be once again centre stage, with more dynamic diplomacy being conducted through multiple tracks under the NLD government. Aung San Suu Kyi's fame and global influence is perhaps the most important asset and driving force behind Myanmar's return to the world of international diplomacy. Myanmar's foreign policy under the NLD government, while retaining the survival and security of the state at its core, will not aim for the narrow interest of regime survival, but instead for the best interests of both state and society in Myanmar. (JCSA/GIGA)

The successive Myanmar governments have been dealing with a question of how to manage their relations with China in order to preserve the country's independence, political autonomy, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity while asymmetry of power between the two countries is a reality. In the mid-1950s, the Myanmar government coined and popularized the term "Pauk-Phaw" (kinfolk) to guide and manage its relations with China. It is in the name of "Pauk-Phaw" that the Myanmar government has not only handled and resolved outstanding issues between the two countries but also stabilized the bilateral relationship whenever there is a problem. In order to understand Myanmar's approach towards China, this paper, therefore, raises the following question: what is the logic behind Myanmar's China policy? In other words, the paper tries to shed light on the substance of Myanmar's "Pauk-Phaw" concept. It is hereby argued that the logic of Myanmar's China policy, since the establish of diplomatic relations between the two countries, has been firmly based on Myanmar's historical legacies, internal security challenges, geopolitical realities, and regional security context. While its foreign policy behaviors toward China have been adjusted occasionally, these fundamental elements remain relatively unaltered in the logic of Myanmar's China policy.