Description:
"Myanmar gained independence from Britain in 1948 and
functioned as a representative democracy until a military coup in 1962. Myanmar became a military dictatorship, with
the power of the military formally enshrined in the Constitution in 1974. Under the Constitution, the Army is
guaranteed 25% of seats in the upper and lower chamber ?
this provides the military with substantial political power,
and requires their consent for any Constitutional changes. Recent history has seen escalating tensions between the military, ethnic armed groups and pro‐democracy supports,
including the National League for Democracy (NLD). Myanmar
began its democratic transition in 2011 with a nominally
civilian government, ending nearly 50 years of military
rule. In December 2015, the NLD won national elections and become the ruling party in Myanmar. Alongside its political
transition, Myanmar has increased its engagement with other
states, which have in turn lifted sanctions against the country. Ethnic and religious tensions remain high in the country, and result in poor treatment of minorities including Burmese Muslims. 2012 clashes in Rakhine State
?sparked waves of ethno religious violence mostly targeting
the country?s Muslim minority”. In the summer of 2015, treatment of the Rohingya gained international attention
as thousands attempted irregular migration to nearby countries in Southeast Asia in order to escape systemic
violence and persecution..."
Source/publisher:
Carleton University
Date of Publication:
2016-02-04
Date of entry:
2016-04-06
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
240.05 KB