This is an attempt to study and interpret the Constitution of the Union of Burma which has now passed its tenth year. A constitution read outside the context of constitutional history is incomplete, and I have, therefore, tried to trace the developments which culminated in the constitution; then study its important features with reference, where necessary, to the background in which they took shape and form; and, while studying how the constitution has been working, touch lightly on contemporary events and trends. It is a vast canvas I am trying to cover and what I am able to draw on it would inevitably be sketchy. But I do not write as a historian whose focus is on detail in a narrow area. Rather, having dug and gathered the facts, I trace their sweep in history. The details I willingly and happily leave to the historians, hoping only that my study will be of some use to them, if only as a target for their learned criticism. Some of the events and people I describe are still too near, and a clear perspective is therefore difficult. What is nearest appears biggest, and I often find it tempting to see and accept that Burma's history as a new independent nation began with the students' strike of 1936 or the resistance movement during the Second World War.

In his former work, Burma in the Family oj Nations, Dr. Maung Maung has already gained an international reputation as a student of public affairs in Burma; in this new book he earns fresh laurels. It is mainly in two parts. In Part I he traces the genesis of the Constitution and in Part II he explains it. The first part outlines the constitutional progress of Burma under British rule, the changes under Dr. Ba Maw during the Japanese occupation, and further developments until the attainment of independence by the Anti Fascist People's Freedom League. Nowhere else can one find such a clear and comprehensive account of the political evolution of Burma since 1931, doubly significant by the Saya San rebellion and the birth of the Thakin movement; its value is enhanced by the reproduction of three documents not otherwise readily accessible: the interim Constitution under the Japanese; the Panglong Agreement, in which the Hill Peoples undertook to co-operate in framing the Constitution for the Union of Burma; and the original draft Constitution which the AFPFL published in May 1947 for consideration by the Constituent Assembly.

In two parts: on the Constitution (Sections I-V) and on the Elections of 1974 and the Organizing of the New Government (Sections VI-X). Includes in the final section a commentary of the Constitution at the local level. Contains documents from the English language press, the text of the Constitution as published in English in 1974 and materials on major developments of 1974 such as chronologies on the making of the new Constitution and events relating to the election, a report on the Draft Constitution and information on the elections, the preparations for and results of a national referendum on the new Constitution. Material has been culled from a variety of sources, in particular the government-controlled newspapers, The Working People's Daily and The Guardian, which carry important texts, official government announcements and statements.

This timely and accessible book is the first to provide a thorough analysis of the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar (Burma) in its historical, political and social context. The book identifies and articulates the principles of the Constitution through an in-depth analysis of legal and political processes and practises, particularly since the 1990s. The core argument of this book is that the 2008 Constitution is crucial to the establishment and maintenance of the military-state. The military-state promotes the leadership role of the military in governance based on a set of ideological commitments and a centralised form of organisation based on the concept of the Union. The book develops this argument by demonstrating how the process of constitution-making and the substance of the 2008 Constitution contribute to its lack of credibility and fuel demands for reform. The vision offered by the 2008 Constitution and its associated institutions has been the subject of fierce contestation, not least, for example, due to concerns over the militarisation of the state. This book is animated by debates over fundamental ideas such as the nature of democracy, the possibility of peace and federalism, the relationship between the executive and the legislature, relations between the Union government and sub-national governments, debates over judicial independence and the oversized role of the Tatmadaw (armed forces). Central to the future of the Constitution and the military-state is the role of the Tatmadaw, which will be a key determinant in any potential shift from the present highly centralised, partly-democratic Union to a federal or decentralised democratic system of governance.

This work compiles selected speeches, letters, and statements by the father of Burmese independence, Aung San. The editor's introduction offers an overview of this remarkable man's life, thought, and achievements. The documents included here provide insight into the politics of Aung San—an eminently pragmatic leader focused on attaining both national unity and social harmony—through his own words.

Explores the life of Dr. Maung Maung (1925-94), scholar, soldier, nationalist, internationalist, parliamentarian, public servant, and pioneer amongst post-colonial journalists in Southeast Asia. His life spanned seven decades of political, economic and social turbulence in the country he loved and served, Myanmar.

Myanmar is going through a period of profound - and contested - transition. The country has experienced widespread if sometimes uneven reforms, including the start of a peace process between the government and Myanmar Army, and some two dozen ethnic armed organizations, which had long been fighting for greater autonomy from the militarized and Burman-dominated state. This book brings together chapters by Burmese and foreign experts, and contributions from community and political leaders, who discuss the meaning of citizenship in Myanmar/Burma. The book explores citizenship in relation to three broad categories: issues of identity and conflict; debates around concepts and practices of citizenship; and inter- and intra-community issues, including Buddhist-Muslim relations. This is the first volume to address these issues, understanding and resolving which will be central to Myanmar's continued transition away from violence and authoritarianism.