Dictatorship, disorder and decline in Myanmar

Dictatorship, disorder and decline in Myanmar......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 5
Editors’ note......Page 7
Contributors......Page 9
1. Overview......Page 11
References......Page 19
Political Update......Page 21
The fuel-price protests of August 2007......Page 23
The October 2005 price rises......Page 24
Why a different reaction this time?......Page 26
The events of September 2007......Page 28
The significance of the involvement of Buddhist clergy......Page 31
Domestic implications......Page 32
The impact on the regime’s political program......Page 33
Socioeconomic issues......Page 35
Dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi......Page 36
References......Page 37
Historical antecedents......Page 39
Characteristics of the SLORC period (1988–92)......Page 40
Internal dynamics before the August–September 2007 demonstrations......Page 41
Internal dynamics during the August–September 2007 demonstrations......Page 46
Internal dynamics after the August–September 2007 demonstrations......Page 50
Future scenarios......Page 54
References......Page 56
Economic Update......Page 59
Myanmar’s ‘good’ performance from a comparative viewpoint......Page 61
Review of Myanmar’s economic performance using time-series data......Page 62
Real GDP growth and the GDI/GDP ratio, 1948–2005......Page 63
Conclusion......Page 66
Appendix......Page 67
Introduction......Page 73
Individual poverty alleviation......Page 75
Broader concerns: remittances and economic development......Page 77
Negative aspects of remittances......Page 78
Formal funds-transfer schemes......Page 79
Hundi......Page 80
Personal delivery......Page 81
Choosing between formal and informal transfer schemes......Page 82
Survey findings......Page 83
Results: amounts sent......Page 84
Uses for remittances......Page 86
Methods and instruments......Page 87
Gender differences......Page 89
Remittances and business capital......Page 90
Concluding thoughts......Page 91
References......Page 92
Introduction......Page 97
Historical and political background......Page 98
China as an important but unbalanced trading partner......Page 100
Exports: weak impacts on the economic development of Chinese trade......Page 101
Imports: China as a major supply source......Page 103
Border trade: the main artery of the Myanmar economy......Page 105
Economic and business cooperation......Page 107
Infrastructure......Page 108
State-owned economic enterprises......Page 110
Energy development......Page 111
Conclusion: who benefits and who pays?......Page 112
References......Page 114
Education and Health Update......Page 121
The setting: the land and its people......Page 123
The role of teachers......Page 124
The role of students......Page 126
Issues in Myanmar education......Page 127
Prospects and options......Page 128
Challenges for tertiary education: options......Page 131
Conclusion......Page 133
References......Page 134
Introduction......Page 137
The issue of private-sector involvement—a global phenomenon......Page 139
Background......Page 141
The state of education today: some different perspectives......Page 142
Private education in Myanmar......Page 144
Primary and secondary supplementary schools......Page 145
International schools, pre-collegiate programs and higher education......Page 148
Outside Yangon in an ethnic minority area: the case in Mitkyina......Page 152
Conclusion......Page 153
References......Page 154
1. Horizon International Education Centre......Page 156
3. Summit International Learning Centre......Page 157
5. Ayeyarwady Media Service......Page 158
Introduction......Page 161
Civil society under authoritarian rule......Page 163
Spaces for civil society in areas of state weakness......Page 164
The weakness of the state-run education system......Page 165
Buddhist monastic education......Page 166
Extra tuition, early childhood development, professional skills training and capacity building: the role of NGOs, community-based organisations and individuals......Page 169
Community-based schools in rural areas......Page 172
Civil society-based education systems in cease-fire areas......Page 173
Christian education......Page 174
NGO and community-based organisation education and education support activities......Page 177
Culture and literature committees......Page 178
Conclusion......Page 179
References......Page 181
Different Myanmar Muslim groups......Page 187
Madrasahs in Myanmar......Page 188
Languages used in Myanmar madrasahs......Page 190
Ideologies......Page 193
Darul ’Uloom (Tarmwe)......Page 194
Challenges faced by madrasahs in Myanmar......Page 195
Appendix......Page 197
References......Page 200
Overview of the healthcare system......Page 203
Patterns of health seeking......Page 206
Humanitarian and medical aid......Page 208
Human rights abuses......Page 209
Transnational and cross-border health care......Page 210
Conclusion: human rights and the right to health......Page 211
Epilogue......Page 213
References......Page 214
The current security situation in eastern Burma......Page 219
The health status of internally displaced persons......Page 221
Border-based health programs......Page 222
Back Pack Health Worker Team......Page 223
Ethnic health departments......Page 224
Case study: Border-Based Reproductive Health Coordination Group......Page 225
Case study: health information systems training......Page 226
Case study: expansion of the BPHWT......Page 227
Case study: KDHW Malaria Control Program......Page 228
Conclusion......Page 229
References......Page 230
Index......Page 233