Author:
Cockett, Richard, author.
Imprint:New Haven ; London : Yale University Press, [2015]
Descriptionxviii, 275 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
Note:Introduction: The Burmese mosaic -- "A world at its zenith" : Rangoon, commerce and colonialism -- The generals' revenge -- Burmanisation -- Under enemy occupation : the test of the Kachin -- The catastrophe of drugs : the Karen and Shan -- An embarrassment of poverty : Burma's collapse -- The Lady's not for turning : the challenge of the NLD -- Change from the top : Than Shwe to Thein Sein -- A new "great game" : the geopolitics of change -- Burma's future and the ghosts of the plural society.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-262) and index.
Note:"Burma is one of the largest countries in Southeast Asia and was once one of its richest. Under successive military regimes, however, the country eventually ended up as one of the poorest countries in Asia, a byword for repression and ethnic violence. Richard Cockett spent years in the region as a correspondent for The Economist and witnessed firsthand the vicious sectarian politics of the Burmese government, and later, also, its surprising attempts at political and social reform. Cockett's enlightening history, from the colonial era on, explains how Burma descended into decades of civil war and authoritarian government. Taking advantage of the opening up of the country since 2011, Cockett has interviewed hundreds of former political prisoners, guerilla fighters, ministers, monks, and others to give a vivid account of life under one of the most brutal regimes in the world. In many cases, this is the first time that they have been able to tell their stories to the outside world. Cockett also explains why the regime has started to reform, and why these reforms will not go as far as many people had hoped. This is the most rounded survey to date of this volatile Asian nation"-- Provided by publisher.
