ABSTRACT
Myanmar was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1988 to 2010. In early 2011, the defence services initiated a political reform process. While the reforms are significant, active-duty and retired officers continue to run the government; also, parliament remains under the control of the army and its proxy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party.15 Despite the existing obstacles to genuine democratization in Myanmar, the EU suspended all its sanctions except for an arms embargo in response to by-elections held in 2012. A year later, the suspended sanctions were formally lifted andMyanmar was reinstated as beneficiary of the “Everything But Arms” initiative under the EU’s generalized system of preferences, which helps developing nations to compete on the EU market.16
