froginmythroat (FIMT)

A research essay for the Stage 3 University of Auckland paper POLITICS332: Comparative Regime Transition.

Abstract

From 1962 to 1988 Burma was ruled as a one-party socialist state, with a cohesive narrow military base at its apex with a high degree of insulation from society. Poor economic policy led to economic collapse and social unrest and mass desire for change in the late 1980s. Started by students, protests broke out in 1988 that spread throughout Burmese society and led to the collapse of the socialist order. From amongst the turmoil emerged a new set of counter elites but despite desire on many sides for a new democratic government it did not come. Instead, in September 1988 the military intervened and retook control of the state. The failure to achieve some form of pact can be explained by Burma’s lack of any suitable semi-societal organisations, or skilled political actors that would have facilitated pact making between the different sides. It was the strong sense of “national security” ideology held by the Burmese armed forces instead, which ensured their cohesiveness and return to rule.

Burma in 1988 – a crisis of authoritarian rule v1.1 (68 Kbytes)