Myanmar: Winds of Change?
VIEW EVENT DETAILSLuncheon panel discussion with:
John Bray, Control Risks
Mary Callahan, University of Washington
KhinZaw Win, Tampadipa Institute
Ian Holliday, University of Hong Kong (Moderator)
As opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi takes her seat in a legislature dominated by former members of the military junta, there is a palpable sense of optimism within Myanmar. The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner's entry into parliament came a month after her party's landslide victory in national by-elections during some of the most sweeping changes in Myanmar since a military coup 50 years ago. Will her parliamentary debut be a catalyst for further reform by the government of President Thein Sein? Will Daw Suu be able to deliver on her commitment to real democratic change? Now that most economic sanctions are being suspended, what lies in store for Myanmar’s economic development?
PANELISTS
John Bray, Director (Analysis), Control Risks
Mr. Bray is a political risk specialist with nearly 30 years experience in South, Southeast and East Asia. A veteran commentator on the national and international politics of Myanmar, his publications include Burma:The Politics of Constructive Engagement. Currently based in Japan, Mr. Bray has an MA in History from the University of Cambridge.
Mary Callahan, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Washington
Dr. Callahan teaches Southeast Asian history and international studies, and has also taught at UCLA and the Naval Postgraduate School. She is the author of Making Enemies: War and Statebuilding in Burma. Dr. Callahan graduated from Pennsylvania State University, received her MSc from the London School of Economics, and her PhD from Cornell University.
Khin Zaw Win, Director, Tampadipa Institute
He was a prisoner of conscience between 1994 and 2005 for "seditious writings" and his human rights work. He works on capacity building and policy advocacy for civil society organizations. His recent publications include The Overture of a Transition. Mr. Khin took the Master in Public Policy program at the National University of Singapore.
Ian Holliday, Professor of Politics, University of Hong Kong
Professor Holliday's research focuses on political development and reform inside Myanmar and political engagement confronting actors in the wider world. In 2011, he published Burma Redux: Global Justice and the Quest for Political Reform in Myanmar. He was educated at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. (Moderator)