The Opening in Burma: The Democrats’ Opportunity

Issue Date October 2012
Volume 23
Issue 4
Page Numbers 104-119
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Despite the excitement that the reforms have sparked in Burma and abroad, Burma remains a military dictatorship. Serving or retired generals control every important institution, and the constitution guarantees military domination. Yet something profound is changing, even if this is not—or not yet—an outright transition to democracy. What is driving the changes, why are they happening now, and where will they lead?

About the Authors

Brian Joseph

Brian Joseph is senior program director for Asia and Global Programs at the National Endowment for Democracy.

View all work by Brian Joseph

Min Zin

Min Zin, a student activist in Burma’s 1988 democracy movement, is currently a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Burma country analyst for Freedom House. He is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Foreign Policy, and other publications.

View all work by Min Zin

Further Reading

Volume 23, Issue 2

Southeast Asia: Minding the Gap Between Democracy and Governance

Do democracy and good governance necessarily go hand-in-hand? In most Southeast Asian countries, a gap exists between the two. How should we understand good governance in an authoritarian context? And…

Volume 26, Issue 2

Exits from Military Rule: Lessons for Burma

Burma’s troubled transition is imperiled by the reluctance of the military to loosen its grip. What lessons can the Burmese learn from other East Asian countries that have emerged from military…

Volume 32, Issue 2

Burma: The Generals Strike Back

The military could not bear Aung San Suu Kyi’s enduring popularity and her party’s continued success at the polls. But the generals may have miscalculated how much the people detest…