Myanmar Identity in 2010

Abstract

In 2010, Myanmar held historic elections as part of the government’s "Roadmap to Democracy", the military's plan to initiate political and economic reforms after over four decades of military-civilian rule. Between 1962-1988, Myanmar had been governed by the military and its civilian wing, the Burmese Socialist Program Party (BSPP). National identity during this period was frequently articulated in anti-colonial, socialist, Buddhist, or Burmese cultural terms that overshadowed the experiences and worldviews of minorities. In the decades leading up to the 2010 elections, a coherent national identity was still illusive as armed conflict continued along the nation’s borderlands. With the collapse of the national economy, the resignation of General Ne Win, and the dissolving of the BSPP government in 1987, full military rule was established. Following the civil disorder of 1988 and the failed constituent assembly elections of 1990, the prospect of reconciliation amongst political stakeholders was bleak. In the next twenty years, Myanmar's domestic politics became internationalized, resulting in international sanctions and the rise of Aung San Suu Kyi as a symbol of political change. The establishment of a constitutional convention, the writing of a constitution, and its ratification in 2008 produced the setting for the 2010 elections.