Burma

About this book

Burma has been thrown back to an earlier, more nakedly brutal period of dictatorial excess. Since being defeated overwhelmingly in the 1990 elections, the State Peace and Development Council, a steely military junta despite its name, has repressed dissent, detained Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues, and violated the human rights and civil liberties of countless Burmese. What to do about Burma is a difficult question. This World Peace Foundation book provides an understanding of why answers are hard and a ready solution is not at hand. Its chapters, written by a number of the world's leading authorities on Burma, discuss the country's history and political culture, its economic and trade prospects, the power of the army, ethnic relations, its educational and health crises, and the drug trade.