ABSTRACT
Understanding news and current affairs in Myanmar requires a detailed understanding of the complex historical and ethnic dynamics that have contributed to its contemporary society. Myanmar faces significant political, social and economic difficulties, but these difficulties can differ enormously for individuals depending on a variety of ethnic, economic, geographic and political variables. Since a semi-civilian government came to power in 2011 and instituted a reform agenda, the living conditions for many of Myanmar’s communities have been transformed for the better. For some communities, however, particularly those in the ethnic minority conflict zones, change has not come at all, or has resulted in worse outcomes. This is epitomised by the plight of the Rohingya Muslim populations that until recently formed a majority in northern Rakhine State. The repeated pogroms by military and civilian actors faced by this community culminated in a mass exodus to Bangladeshi refugee camps across the border in 2017, resulting in international condemnation. The pervasive role of the military in Myanmar’s society is likely to continue for the foreseeable future and attempts at progressive change are likely to be circumscribed by this dominance. The ongoing political and economic reform process in Myanmar is at once an exciting and depressing project as important progressive change in one area is accompanied by stagnation or even regression in another. This introductory chapter will introduce the reader to some of the key issues that constrain or expedite societal change in Myanmar and places recent events of national and international significance in the context of its complex history and society.
