The Role of ASEAN Civil Society in Supporting Human Rights and Democracy in Burma PDF Download

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Burma
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Ashley South
Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
ISBN: 9812309047
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 91

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Book Description
Burma faces a complex of interlinked humanitarian, social, and political crises. The situation is especially grave in areas populated by ethnic minorities, many of which have been affected by decades of armed conflict, and in the Irrawaddy Delta, where in May 2008 some 130,000 people were killed and over two million made homeless by Cyclone Nargis. The military government is deeply unpopular, and further episodes of mass protest similar to those that occurred in August and September 2007 cannot be ruled out. However, strategic options for elite-level regime change in the country remain limited. Therefore, local and international actors should focus on incremental approaches to democratization, and in particular on the roles of local communities and NGOs. The past decade has seen an expansion of previously dormant civil society networks, especially within and between ethnic nationality communities. This development has been particularly significant in areas affected by ceasefires between armed ethnic groups and the military government. The capacities and strategic importance of local NGOs were demonstrated by the impressive civil society responses to the cyclone. At the local level, models of community participation and the promotion of democracy from below can help to transform state-society relations and patterns of governance, including in ceasefire areas. At the national/elite level, the development of civil society is a prerequisite for sustainable democratic change. Although the promotion of civil society is necessary, it is not sufficient to achieve social and political transition in Burma. Furthermore, community networks are vulnerable to suppression by the militarized state and by armed nonstate actors. Such tendencies were demonstrated during the national referendum of May 2008, when the government engineered the endorsement of a new constitution designed to consolidate and perpetuate military rule. The challenge for the international community is to work within the constricted environment of military-ruled Burma in ways that promote positive change - but without exposing local partners to unacceptable risks.

Author: Helen James
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134253990
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Most international attention on Myanmar has focused on the political situation, where the military, in power since 1962, continues to refuse to acknowledge the results of democratic elections, and on related human rights issues. This book, by focusing on education, health and environment, and on the institutions which formulate and deliver policy in these fields, shows how the international community can make a significant difference to strengthening Myanmar's civil society and to supporting a future democratic form of government, by encouraging institutional developments in these fields. Such developments in turn, the author argues, will re-skill the younger generation, promote economic development and poverty alleviation, and, through a participatory approach to policy-making, nurture the conditions from which democracy will grow.

Author: Burma Center Netherlands
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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What role has civil society played in the history of Burma? Is civil society re-emerging in today's Burma? How can the international community develop strategies to strengthen the existing institutions that are essential to the growth of pluralism and democracy? What role should international non-governmental organizations play? This collection of essays brings together the research and insights of four experts in the field. Timely and highly readable, these papers present the current thinking on whether and how civil society can develop under the present Burmese military regime. The contributors include David I. Steinberg, Martin Smith, Zunetta Liddell, and Marc Purcell.

Author: Muthiah Alagappa
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9780788113642
Category : Asia
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Author: Jusuf Wanandi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Asia, Southeastern
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Author: ASEAN.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Regionalism
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Author: Alison Duxbury
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108465900
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 431

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Critically examines ASEAN's human rights system in the context of Southeast Asian political-legal developments and the global human rights discourse

Author: Alexis Rieffel
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 0815705050
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Examines internal issues of Myanmar, also known as Burma, as well as the country's relations with its neighbors and the United States, discussing the Obama administration's policy of "pragmatic engagement," which links the removal of sanctions to implementation of greater freedom and respect of human rights. Original.

Author: Scott A. Snyder
Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations
ISBN: 0876097336
Category : International relations
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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These essays support the argument that strong and effective presidential leadership is the most important prerequisite for South Korea to sustain and project its influence abroad. That leadership should be attentive to the need for public consensus and should operate within established legislative mechanisms that ensure public accountability. The underlying structures sustaining South Korea’s foreign policy formation are generally sound; the bigger challenge is to manage domestic politics in ways that promote public confidence about the direction and accountability of presidential leadership in foreign policy.