Transition
Democracy, civil society
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This is a paper discussing the need for political change in Burma and the way that political change may take place. The writer suggests that democratisation in Burma needs to occur at two levels, within the elite-level politics and also at the grassroots level. Sustained democratic transition can only occur if it is accompanied by local participation and ‘development from below’. Therefore, there is a need to empower civil society in Burma and support ‘bottom up’ democratisation. The paper also discusses the military’s resistance to political change and the need for the NLD and ethnic groups to be involved in any transition process.
Ashley South
Burma Library
NGO/CSO
Ashley South is an independent consultant, specialising in ethnic politics, displacement and humanitarian issues in Burma. He is the author of a political history of lower Burma - Mon Nationalism and Civil War in Burma: The Golden Sheldrake (RoutledgeCurzon 2003).
Transition
Political Transition in Myanmar: A New Model for Democratisation