“How to Promote Democracy in Myanmar” and “Trust Building in Myanmar”
ASIA FORUM with Mr. Aung Aung and Mr. Zam Than Lian
“How to Promote Democracy in Myanmar: Focusing on Political Parties” &
“Challenges in Trust Building in Myanmar”
Thursday, December 6, 2012, 10:00 – 11:30
How to Promote Democracy in Myanmar: Focusing on Political Parties
Myanmar was governed by Military regimes since 1962. In 2010, the ruling military government held a general election and transferred power to the newly elected government. The Military regime was officially dissolved in March 2011. There were many who critiqued the fairness of the election, but people inside and outside Myanmar were surprised by this sudden change. Today Myanmar is rapidly changing. People are now talking freely about politics, human rights and civil rights. The citizens have the right to assemble and the right to demonstrate. Now, private media is also full of political news and articles. In the past, the Military played an important role in Myanmar, however, political parties are now considered key stakeholders in the process of Myanmar’s democratization. This presentation will not only discuss the political parties in Myanmar but also explain the history of the conflicts in Myanmar and current political situation.
Mr. Aung Aung is a graduate from the post-graduate certificate course ‘Peace, Democracy, and Development’ at the Myanmar Development Resource Institute (MDRI). He is a guest researcher at ISDP until December 21, 2012. Mr. Aung studied Biology at the University of Distance Education in Yangon, Economics at the Yangon Institute of Economics and Japanese at Nanzan University in Japan. He also holds a Master Degree from the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in Seoul, South Korea, and a second Master Degree from the Duke University in the United States. In Myanmar he has worked for the Internal Revenue Department, the Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank, Save the Children and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Mr. Aung regularly writes articles on politics in Burmese within journals and magazines. At ISDP, he researches on the role of political parties in promoting democracy in Myanmar.
Challenges in Trust Building in Myanmar
Trust is a key component in the current transformation of Myanmar and thus important for both the internal process and for the engagement with the international community. Myanmar has a great challenge ahead to regain the trust that was lost during the last six decades. To succeed, the government must ensure that the transformation process is genuine and inclusive. This has to be done with the help of civil society, and all stakeholders must acknowledge their past mistakes in order to move forward in the process. While the challenges are many, the window of opportunity for a successful transition to democracy remains more open now than it has for some time. This presentation will focus on the problems that the government, as well as civil society, face in Myanmar today.
Mr. Zam Than Lian is a graduate from the post-graduate certificate course ‘Peace, Democracy, and Development’ at the Myanmar Development Resource Institute (MDRI). He is a guest researcher at ISDP until December 21, 2012. Mr. Lian has obtained degrees and diplomas in Commerce, Christian Education, Tourism Management, and English Language Teaching. He is currently working with, and has done since 1998, underprivileged youth from the ethnic Chin community in Myanmar. At ISDP, Mr. Lian researches on trust-building in Myanmar.
Location: ISDP, Västra Finnbodavägen 2, Stockholm-Nacka. For a map and directions, please go here.
To attend: RSVP to Ms. Ebba Mårtensson at emartensson@isdp.eu