ThoughtGallery.org > What Happened to Myanmar?

What Happened to Myanmar?

In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy scored an overwhelming victory at the polls, ushering in hope for the country’s political and economic transition from harsh military rule to a leadership with respect for democracy and human rights. Four years on, Myanmar’s great hope has failed to live up to expectations. The transition was never going to be easy — among many challenges, the military is still guaranteed 25 percent of seats in the national assemblies, and a number of violent internal conflicts within the country persist to this day. Critics claim that civil liberties and press freedoms have been curtailed even under the new government, and most notably, close to one million Rohingya have fled the country, from what the UN high commissioner for human rights has described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

How did Myanmar transform from a nation cheered for its new democracy to a nation charged with condoning crimes against humanity? Thant Myint-U has been an insider and outsider, witness to the turmoil in his own country and also the global reaction to it. His new book, The Hidden History of Burma, is a powerful and provocative look at the country, its leaders, and the tough questions surrounding its unsettling transformation.











When: Mon., Nov. 18, 2019 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Ave.
212-288-6400
Price: Members $20; Students/Seniors $30; Nonmembers $40
Buy tickets/get more info now
See other events in these categories:

In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy scored an overwhelming victory at the polls, ushering in hope for the country’s political and economic transition from harsh military rule to a leadership with respect for democracy and human rights. Four years on, Myanmar’s great hope has failed to live up to expectations. The transition was never going to be easy — among many challenges, the military is still guaranteed 25 percent of seats in the national assemblies, and a number of violent internal conflicts within the country persist to this day. Critics claim that civil liberties and press freedoms have been curtailed even under the new government, and most notably, close to one million Rohingya have fled the country, from what the UN high commissioner for human rights has described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

How did Myanmar transform from a nation cheered for its new democracy to a nation charged with condoning crimes against humanity? Thant Myint-U has been an insider and outsider, witness to the turmoil in his own country and also the global reaction to it. His new book, The Hidden History of Burma, is a powerful and provocative look at the country, its leaders, and the tough questions surrounding its unsettling transformation.

Buy tickets/get more info now