The term civil society started to gain worldwide prominence as a political force during the widespread collapse of authoritarianism in the mid-1970s and 1980s. With this extensive demise of...Show moreThe term civil society started to gain worldwide prominence as a political force during the widespread collapse of authoritarianism in the mid-1970s and 1980s. With this extensive demise of dictatorships across the globe, Burma became an increasingly isolated regime in the wake of mass democratisation. This thesis will analyse civil society within Burma in a holistic manner, utilising three distinct levels of analysis. The theoretical framework will introduce conceptualisations of civil society in the context of varying political regimes such as authoritarianism and democracy, introducing prominent theories postulated by Antonio Gramsci and Alexis de Tocqueville. The general political history of Burma will be dissected through the lens of civil society, in order to examine the environment within which civil society organisations were forced to develop. Lastly, specific case studies on three civil society organisations operating during or as a result of heightened public discontent, specifically during the 1988 and 2007 uprisings, will determine whether civil society in Burma was forced to develop a Gramscian frame or a Tocquevillean frame.Show less
After the 1990 elections, Myanmar has received attention from the international community. The United Nations (UN) has also been sending special envoys to find a peaceful and democratic outcome....Show moreAfter the 1990 elections, Myanmar has received attention from the international community. The United Nations (UN) has also been sending special envoys to find a peaceful and democratic outcome. Since 1995 four UN envoys have visited Myanmar on numerous visits. Since 2011, a quasi-civilian government headed by president Thein Sein controls the country and several reforms have been implemented. Moreover, Aung San Suu Kyi has returned to the political arena after being under house arrest for 15 years. Moreover, the role of the UN in Myanmar has been widely discussed. To what extent did the UN envoys influence the situation? Which mediation strategies were adopted? This paper researches the UN mediation processes that have occurred between 1992 and 2013 in Myanmar.Show less
Aung San Suu Kyi is a symbolic and cosmopolitan norm entrepreneur, which has been promoting democracy in Burma from 1988. This status made her popular among the Burmese and appealed to the United...Show moreAung San Suu Kyi is a symbolic and cosmopolitan norm entrepreneur, which has been promoting democracy in Burma from 1988. This status made her popular among the Burmese and appealed to the United States. Her popularity became apparent when Aung San Suu Kyi's party won the elections in 1990. However, despite this victory, she was unable to start the process of democratization until 2010. This thesis will argue that this was the result of the historical and culturale context which in 1990 influenced the military regime in such a way that the elite perceived the promotion for democracy as a threat to their political power and reduced the openness and responsiveness to the democratic norm of the political opportunity structures. In 2010 the historical context changed, as a result of the increased Chinese influence, which became uncomfortable for the Burmese regime. In order to remain in power, they realized that they had to find a new ally to support their military regime. This ally was found in the United States, but their support came at a prize; the regime had to democratize. Due to the cultural context which had remained the same, the regime only defected to the idea of democracy, instead of changing its attitude towards the democratic norm. Subsequently, contested elections were organized of which the regime acknowledged the results and consequently this led to the start of the process of democratization.Show less
