Politics of Autonomy and Sustainability in Myanmar (eBook)

This book focuses on the tensions between and conflict resolution processes concerning minority ethnic groups in Myanmar's rural areas and the State. It covers topics such as relations and communication between the central government, the Kokang Chinese community and the Kachin State; the impact of cyclone Nargis on remote settlements in the Ayeyarwady Delta; the impact of depletion of mangrove forests and Yangon's fuel needs on a Karen minority group; and the collapse of a community forestry project in a Pa-O village in Shan State. Written by young scholars from Myanmar, some of whom belong to minority groups, the book provides firsthand reporting and scholarship that, for the past sixty years, have not been available. Offering in-depth, unique insights into minority change issues in the interior and at the periphery of Myanmar, as seen from local perspectives, it offers a valuable resource for academics, students and researchers in the fields of sustainable development, social and political studies, and development communication in Asia.

Walaiporn Tantikanangkul is an associated editor at the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD), Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University. She was a former Director of the Humanities Academic Services (HAS) Center, Faculty of Humanities, Chiang Mai University. With her MA in Linguistics in Education - her research focused on language and communication and discourse analysis - she has presented language and power, and comparative studies of academic writing in Thailand, USA and UK.  She has taught at a refugee camp in Thailand, teaching English for refugees from Cambodia and Laos accepted for resettlement in USA. Having lived in UK for 20 years, she has worked with refugees from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Tibet, and taught Thai for adults, including from Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Ministry of Defence (MoD), at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She is founder of a free e-magazine on socio-political issues in Thailand.

Ashley Pritchard is an independent expert on Myanmar, based in Yangon. She graduated with a MA in International Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She authored and co-authored several books and papers on corporate accountability in ASEAN, tourism development and its impact on human rights in Myanmar. She possesses over eight years of practical experience in developing innovative programs and projects targeting underserved populations in the field of improving human rights, corporate accountability, good governance and transparency, rule of law and livelihoods, and also in project management and evaluation. Her work also involves community and government support, development of key coalitions, and negotiation of contracts for community, social, environmental and economic benefit particularly in Myanmar. Her involvement in research reflects her deep commitment to improving the lives of the disenfranchised and marginalized through international development and human rights policies.

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This book focuses on the tensions between and conflict resolution processes concerning minority ethnic groups in Myanmar's rural areas and the State. It covers topics such as relations and communication between the central government, the Kokang Chinese community and the Kachin State; the impact of cyclone Nargis on remote settlements in the Ayeyarwady Delta; the impact of depletion of mangrove forests and Yangon's fuel needs on a Karen minority group; and the collapse of a community forestry project in a Pa-O village in Shan State. Written by young scholars from Myanmar, some of whom belong to minority groups, the book provides firsthand reporting and scholarship that, for the past sixty years, have not been available. Offering in-depth, unique insights into minority change issues in the interior and at the periphery of Myanmar, as seen from local perspectives, it offers a valuable resource for academics, students and researchers in the fields of sustainable development, social and political studies, and development communication in Asia.