Legitimacy, coercion and economic development: A study of the military regime in Burma

In Burma, the military or the Tatmadaw has staged three coups since its independence. As of 1988, the country has been ruled directly by a military junta. Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections, but was denied power by the military regime. After years of on-and-off political arrest, harassment and constant surveillance, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained committed in her peaceful campaign for democratic transition to civilian rule in the country. In May 2003, she was placed under house arrest for the third time. The dominance of the military regime in Burma raises questions on the tenacity of authoritarianism and the use of coercion to remain in power.;What explains the durability of the military regime in Burma? This thesis attempts an answer by applying a structure-agent approach at both the local and international levels to explain the resilience of the various Burmese military regimes in power since 1962. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...