The Study On Myanmar’s Political Transition Since Its Independence

In 1948 when the British colonial rule in Myanmar ended, the political elites started the building of modern political state. They imitated the former colonists by setting up western-style parliamentary democratic mechanism. However, the flaws of the parliamentary system, as well as the ethnic tussling edged Myanmar into a politically defunct, economically static country. In 1962, General Ne Win staged a coup d’etat, abandoning the previous parliamentary system, and Myanmar entered a Burma Socialist Programme Party-led tranche charactered by centralism, omnipotent control over the society. During the Ne Win era, Myanmar became one of the least developed countries. The 1988 students movement ended Myanmar’s socialism, previewed an authoritarian regime of military junta. The junta drafted a 7-step roadmap, convened the National Convention, wrote the 2008 constitution, and held the 2010 multi-party general election. In 2011, a civilian government took office, marking the transition from authoritarian polity to democracy. The 2015 general election was held under the monitoring of the international community, and NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory. It has gained the power to form a new government. This is a turning point since Myanmar’s independence, acritical event in Myanmar’s political development. On this basis, the dissertation will study the issue of Myanmar’s political transition, so as to provide a subject of reference for the developing countries.This dissertation will analyze the three political transitions since Myanmar’s independence, explore the issues and problem of the political system. On this basis, this dissertation attempts to reveal, analyze and reason the uniqueness of Myanmar political transition. In respect of the content and structure, this dissertation follows a clue with historical event as turning point, and narrates them in a tier of turning points, planning of the political system, and the strengthening of the institution. The first transition takes the 1962 coup d’ etat as the turning point, which incurred the transition from parliamentary democracy toward despotism. The second transition has 1988 student movement as the turning point, which incurred the transition from despotism toward authoritarian regime. The third transition takes 2011 inauguration of the civilian government as the turning point, which incurred authoritarian regime toward democracy.This dissertation argues that (1) Myanmar’s political transition has gone through a spiral process, with the following polity correcting the default of the previous one. (2) The cause of the transition is the crisis of legitimacy. In U Nu Era, the political elites attacked each other in the parliament, making most people lose confidence in the parliamentary democracy. Ne Win tried to strengthen his regime through "negative legitimacy" and "ideological legitimacy". Than Shwe attempted to do it by "performance legitimacy" and setting up constitutional system. However when the political system fails to promote economic development, and resolve social conflicts, the legitimacy will be questioned and antagonized by the people, thus the transition will be inevitable. (3) The army plays a leading role in the transitions. As the most modern organization in Myanmar society, the army controls all resources of politics, economy and society, and initiated three political transitions while controlling its process. In future, the army will still play an important role on the stage. Peace process is the priority for a new regime in transition. (4) The three transitions have not promoted nation-state building, yet ethnic problems exert influential impact on the transitions. The dissertation concludes by previewing NLD’s policy, stressing that NLD will provide a lapidary opportunity for Myanmar’s strengthening of democracy, and set a model for the transition of the developing countries.