The Pitfalls of a State in Transition Myanmar 1974-2000

Abstract

The thesis seeks to uncover the causes of Myanmar's "trilemma" ie. its social, economic and political "pitfalls" responsible for its vicissitudes in its transition to a modern democratic state. Of how its inimitable and endemic response to the current world-driven dictates and social imposition led to the perception of its inexplicable "Myanmar exceptionalism" and its stasis.By presenting and analysing information emerging from close-quarters-communication-research, with the Junta elites, the cause of their motivations or inhibitions to change are exposed.The thesis seeks to explain how the "kampf" between the milieu exterieur - the US and its allies - trying to force compliance with its political and economic model and that of the milieu interieur - the grossly "misunderstood" military Junta generals - in their ideological orientation in politics, economics and nation building, consequently on their unpleasant colonial historical political experience, strong ethnocentricity and culture which represent a major pitfall, with Myanmar preferring to emulate successful regional states with common historical experience.