Myanmar as Asia’s First Failed State? Reflections From Interventions in Syria and Libya

About

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has known tyranny more so than it has democracy throughout its post-colonial history, with brief periods of disorderly democratic struggles. The recent coup d’etat has sent the country’s political and economic reforms into rapid turmoil, with the coup council using the old playbook of military propaganda and violent oppression from the late 1980s. However, Myanmar’s society today is vastly different from that of the previous decades, with a younger population that has seen revolutions from the Arab Springs and from across the world, having been exposed to international institutions and the internet.

In this event, the panel will explore the regional and international implications on Myanmar’s potential state collapse, which portends a very large scale humanitarian crisis and a full out civil war. Given that the current developments have also raised the possibility and calls for an international intervention, the panel will discuss what lessons the ‘international community’ could draw from the cases of Syria or Libya on how principled engagement is conducted with the Burmese military. It will also explore the implications of holding the military members accountable through the routes of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as proposed by the government in exile (known as the CRPH) and its international supporters and observers.

Speakers

Charles Petrie OBE (Former UN Assistant Secretary-General, former UN Resident Coordinator for Myanmar)

Dr Alessio Patalano (Reader in East Asian Warfare, Centre for Grand Strategy, Department of War Studies, KCL)

Chair: Anna Tan (Doctoral Student, School of Global Affairs, KCL)