ABSTRACT
This chapter provides political developments in a historical context and assesses the state of democracy and human rights in the country as the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government approaches its one year anniversary. It considers the prospects for further democratisation. The first constitution of independent Myanmar established a parliamentary democracy. The initial phase of reform under former general President Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government saw major progress in a short time across key dimensions of democracy and human rights. The national security state, however, still casts a deep shadow over the emerging political system and the country's new democratic institutions remain partial, shallow and low quality. Yet, even a cursory analysis of the political, institutional and structural conditions for further democratisation reveals the daunting challenges facing the new government.
