Chenyang Li - Myanmar: Reintegrating Into the International Community

MYANMAR

Reintegrating into the International Community

Li Chenyang (Yunnan University, China)

Chaw Chaw Sein (University of Yangon, Myanmar)

Zhu Xianghui (Yunnan University, China)

Reintegrating into the International Community

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World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Li, Chenyang, 1968 editor. | Chaw Chaw Sein, editor. | Zhu, Xianghui, editor.

Title: Myanmar : reintegrating into the international community / edited by Chenyang Li, Chaw Chaw Sein, Xianghui Zhu.

Other titles: Myanmar (World Scientific Publishing Co.)

Description: Hackensack, NJ : World Scientific, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016014237 | ISBN 9789814759908

Subjects: LCSH: Burma--Foreign relations--Congresses. | Burma--Politics and government--21st century--Congresses.

Classification: LCC DS528.7 .M93 2016 | DDC 327.591--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016014237

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Copyright 2016 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

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T his book is co-edited by Professor Li Chenyang, the Director of the Institute of Myanmar Studies (IMS), Yunnan University, and Professor Chaw Chaw Sein, the Dean of the Department of International Relations, Yangon University. Chapters in this book are collected from the international academic conference Myanmar: Reintegrating into the International Community, which was held in Kunming, Yunnan from 2931 July 2014. All the participating scholars made careful modifications to their papers after the conference.

The international academic conference was co-organized by IMS and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) of Yunnan University, the Charhar Institute, the Faculty of Social Sciences of Hong Kong University and the Department of International Relations of Yangon University. This annual conference, which was first held in 2007 in Bangkok, was initiated by Professor Ian Holliday, the Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) of the University of Hong Kong, to promote further understanding of Myanmars political, economic, diplomatic, as well as ethnic and religious issues. So far, this is the second time Kunming has hosted this conference. The former occasion was in 2009. Although numerous international academic conferences on Myanmar have been held since 2011 as Myanmars democratically elected government established and promoted political reform, the influence of this annual conference (which IMS and ISEAS of Yunnan University have actively taken part in it since 2008) on modern Myanmar, is only next to that of the biennial international conference on Myanmar studies.

Located at the junction of East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, Myanmar is one of the most important countries in the worlds geopolitical landscape, with growing concern from great powers like the US, Japan, India and China. Myanmar started its democratic transition and political reform in November 2010. It is the only country that have achieved political transition without large-scale bloody conflict since the outbreak of the Arab Spring at the end of 2010. Many people hope that Myanmar can be a successful model for developing countries under transition. Western countries highly evaluated Myanmars political transition and lifted part of their sanctions on Myanmar. Meanwhile, Myanmar tries to reintegrate into the international community. The rotating presidency of ASEAN in 2014 was a major test for Myanmar, for which it handed in a satisfactory answer sheet. Smooth transfer of power and maintenance of stability after the 2015 general election are basic conditions for Myanmar to fully integrate into the international community. Thus, it is of great academic significance to study the adjustments in diplomatic policy of the new government, the changing relations between Myanmar and western countries and international organizations, as well as its relations with neighboring countries. The year 2014 is also the 60th anniversary of the announcement of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which was jointly initiated by China, Myanmar and India. Therefore, this conference also has special practical significance. To this end, we would like to thank all scholars and experts who participated in the conference for their thoughtful presentations.

We are very glad that the Chahar Institute joined us as a co-organizer. As one of Chinas most important non-official think tanks on diplomacy and international relations, the Charhar Institute has been focusing on public diplomacy and irenology since its establishment in October 2009. While the Chahar Institute funded the conference, Mr. Lv Fengding, the Chairman of the International Advisory Committee of the Chahar Institute and the Vice President of the China Association for Public Diplomacy, also attended the conference and delivered a wonderful speech. We hereby express our heartfelt thanks to the Chahar Institute for its support.

We are also very happy to have the Department of International Relations of Yangon University as the co-organizer. It would be a pity if a conference on Myanmar issues has no partner from Myanmar. Due to Myanmars domestic political situation, no Myanmar academic institutions took part in this conference during the previous seven years. With the opening-up of Myanmar, we invited the Department of International Relations of Yangon University to join us. I am grateful to Professor Chaw Chaw Sein and her colleagues for their active involvement, as well as for the efforts Professor Chaw Chaw Sein made for the publishing of this book.