Everyday Justice in Myanmar

Everyday Justice in Myanmar

Author: Helene Maria Kyed

Publisher: Nias Studies in Asian Topics

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9788776942823

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This volume explores how ordinary people in present-day Myanmar obtain justice and resolve disputes and crimes in a time of contested transition in government, politics, society, and the economy. Its empirical questions serve as a lens to analyze the wider dynamics of state making, the role of identity politics, and the constitution of authority in a country emerging from decades of military rule and civil war. Based on a unique collection of ethnographic studies with ordinary people’s experiences to the fore, its contributions illustrate that legal pluralism exists in urban as well as rural contexts: from the cities of Yangon and Mawlamyine to the Naga hills, the Pa-O self-administered zone, the Thai refugee camps, and villages in the Karen and Mon states. In all of these places, the official state system is only one among many avenues for people seeking resolution in criminal and civil cases. Indeed, a common practice is to evade the state whenever possible. Most people prefer local and informal resolutions, and therefore the main actors consulted in everyday justice are village elders, local administrators, religious leaders, spiritual actors, and the justice systems or individual members of ethnic organizations. Prevailing are also a range of alternative understandings of (in)justice, misfortunes, and disputes that differ from those of the state-legal system. These alternatives are based on different cultural norms, religious beliefs, and forms of identification. Despite the ongoing transition in Myanmar, the long history of military rule and conflicts based on ethnic divisions continue to foster a mistrust in the state and an orientation towards ‘the local’ in everyday justice. The book explores these forms of state evasion and what it means more broadly for state–society relations in the current transition.


Book Synopsis Everyday Justice in Myanmar by : Helene Maria Kyed

Download or read book Everyday Justice in Myanmar written by Helene Maria Kyed and published by Nias Studies in Asian Topics. This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explores how ordinary people in present-day Myanmar obtain justice and resolve disputes and crimes in a time of contested transition in government, politics, society, and the economy. Its empirical questions serve as a lens to analyze the wider dynamics of state making, the role of identity politics, and the constitution of authority in a country emerging from decades of military rule and civil war. Based on a unique collection of ethnographic studies with ordinary people’s experiences to the fore, its contributions illustrate that legal pluralism exists in urban as well as rural contexts: from the cities of Yangon and Mawlamyine to the Naga hills, the Pa-O self-administered zone, the Thai refugee camps, and villages in the Karen and Mon states. In all of these places, the official state system is only one among many avenues for people seeking resolution in criminal and civil cases. Indeed, a common practice is to evade the state whenever possible. Most people prefer local and informal resolutions, and therefore the main actors consulted in everyday justice are village elders, local administrators, religious leaders, spiritual actors, and the justice systems or individual members of ethnic organizations. Prevailing are also a range of alternative understandings of (in)justice, misfortunes, and disputes that differ from those of the state-legal system. These alternatives are based on different cultural norms, religious beliefs, and forms of identification. Despite the ongoing transition in Myanmar, the long history of military rule and conflicts based on ethnic divisions continue to foster a mistrust in the state and an orientation towards ‘the local’ in everyday justice. The book explores these forms of state evasion and what it means more broadly for state–society relations in the current transition.


The Significance of Everyday Access to Justice in Myanmar’s Transition to Democracy

The Significance of Everyday Access to Justice in Myanmar’s Transition to Democracy

Author: Helene Maria Kyed

Publisher: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute

Published: 2019-06-13

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 9814843857

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Legal pluralism in Myanmar is a reality that is not sufficiently recognized. A lack of recognition of and clear mandates for the informal justice providers, along with the absence of coordination between these providers and the judiciary, present critical challenges to local dispute resolution and informal legal systems. This results in a high level of unpredictability and insecurity concerning the justice outcomes and in the underreporting of cases. The lack of jurisdictional clarity represents an even greater challenge in areas of mixed control and where numerous armed actors are present. Discussion of reform of the justice sector in Myanmar and debates surrounding peace negotiations and the role of the ethnic armed groups in service provision are separated. This situation reinforces the divide between ceasefire areas and the rest of the country and raises concern that the improvement of justice systems will leave conflict-affected populations behind. Recognition of and support for community-based dispute resolution are crucial to reducing the escalation of conflict at the local level. Justice systems like those of ethnic armed groups can contribute significantly to stability and order at times when the official system has limited territorial reach and is mistrusted by civilians.


Book Synopsis The Significance of Everyday Access to Justice in Myanmar’s Transition to Democracy by : Helene Maria Kyed

Download or read book The Significance of Everyday Access to Justice in Myanmar’s Transition to Democracy written by Helene Maria Kyed and published by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. This book was released on 2019-06-13 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legal pluralism in Myanmar is a reality that is not sufficiently recognized. A lack of recognition of and clear mandates for the informal justice providers, along with the absence of coordination between these providers and the judiciary, present critical challenges to local dispute resolution and informal legal systems. This results in a high level of unpredictability and insecurity concerning the justice outcomes and in the underreporting of cases. The lack of jurisdictional clarity represents an even greater challenge in areas of mixed control and where numerous armed actors are present. Discussion of reform of the justice sector in Myanmar and debates surrounding peace negotiations and the role of the ethnic armed groups in service provision are separated. This situation reinforces the divide between ceasefire areas and the rest of the country and raises concern that the improvement of justice systems will leave conflict-affected populations behind. Recognition of and support for community-based dispute resolution are crucial to reducing the escalation of conflict at the local level. Justice systems like those of ethnic armed groups can contribute significantly to stability and order at times when the official system has limited territorial reach and is mistrusted by civilians.


The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century

The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century

Author: Thant Myint-U

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2019-11-12

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1324003308

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How did one of the world’s "buzzy hotspots" (Fodor’s 2013) become one of the top ten places to avoid (Fodor’s 2018)? Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma’s population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster, and the dark legacies of colonial rule. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. World leaders such as Barack Obama ushered in waves of international support. Progress seemed inevitable. As historian, former diplomat, and presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U saw the cracks forming. In this insider’s diagnosis of a country at a breaking point, he dissects how a singularly predatory economic system, fast-rising inequality, disintegrating state institutions, the impact of new social media, the rise of China next door, climate change, and deep-seated feelings around race, religion, and national identity all came together to challenge the incipient democracy. Interracial violence soared and a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fixed international attention. Myint-U explains how and why this happened, and details an unsettling prognosis for the future. Burma is today a fragile stage for nearly all the world’s problems. Are democracy and an economy that genuinely serves all its people possible in Burma? In clear and urgent prose, Myint-U explores this question—a concern not just for the Burmese but for the rest of the world—warning of the possible collapse of this nation of 55 million while suggesting a fresh agenda for change.


Book Synopsis The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century by : Thant Myint-U

Download or read book The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century written by Thant Myint-U and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2019-11-12 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did one of the world’s "buzzy hotspots" (Fodor’s 2013) become one of the top ten places to avoid (Fodor’s 2018)? Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma’s population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster, and the dark legacies of colonial rule. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. World leaders such as Barack Obama ushered in waves of international support. Progress seemed inevitable. As historian, former diplomat, and presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U saw the cracks forming. In this insider’s diagnosis of a country at a breaking point, he dissects how a singularly predatory economic system, fast-rising inequality, disintegrating state institutions, the impact of new social media, the rise of China next door, climate change, and deep-seated feelings around race, religion, and national identity all came together to challenge the incipient democracy. Interracial violence soared and a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fixed international attention. Myint-U explains how and why this happened, and details an unsettling prognosis for the future. Burma is today a fragile stage for nearly all the world’s problems. Are democracy and an economy that genuinely serves all its people possible in Burma? In clear and urgent prose, Myint-U explores this question—a concern not just for the Burmese but for the rest of the world—warning of the possible collapse of this nation of 55 million while suggesting a fresh agenda for change.


Opposing the Rule of Law

Opposing the Rule of Law

Author: Nick Cheesman

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2015-03-12

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1107083184

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A striking new analysis of Myanmar's court system, revealing how the rule of law is 'lexically present but semantically absent'.


Book Synopsis Opposing the Rule of Law by : Nick Cheesman

Download or read book Opposing the Rule of Law written by Nick Cheesman and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-12 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A striking new analysis of Myanmar's court system, revealing how the rule of law is 'lexically present but semantically absent'.


Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar

Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar

Author: Mary Shepard Wong

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-06-02

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1350184098

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Bringing together scholars and educators based in Myanmar, the USA, the UK, Denmark, and Thailand, this book presents new perspectives and research on the struggle for social justice and peace in Myanmar at this critical juncture. It shows how actors from diverse backgrounds and regions of Myanmar are drawing from their identities, evoking their agency, and using critical pedagogy to advance social justice and peace. The chapters provide the compelling life stories of the authors, specific examples of what they are doing, and insights of how their work might be applied to other contexts. The topics discussed include addressing structural violence, peace curriculum development, identity-based conflict, teaching the history of the country, promoting inclusion, civic education, critical pedagogy, teacher agency, and agendas of research funding for peacebuilding. The foreword and afterword, written by well-known scholars of Myanmar, address the relevance and importance of the book vis-a-vis the current social and political crisis following the February 2021 military coup.


Book Synopsis Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar by : Mary Shepard Wong

Download or read book Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar written by Mary Shepard Wong and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-06-02 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together scholars and educators based in Myanmar, the USA, the UK, Denmark, and Thailand, this book presents new perspectives and research on the struggle for social justice and peace in Myanmar at this critical juncture. It shows how actors from diverse backgrounds and regions of Myanmar are drawing from their identities, evoking their agency, and using critical pedagogy to advance social justice and peace. The chapters provide the compelling life stories of the authors, specific examples of what they are doing, and insights of how their work might be applied to other contexts. The topics discussed include addressing structural violence, peace curriculum development, identity-based conflict, teaching the history of the country, promoting inclusion, civic education, critical pedagogy, teacher agency, and agendas of research funding for peacebuilding. The foreword and afterword, written by well-known scholars of Myanmar, address the relevance and importance of the book vis-a-vis the current social and political crisis following the February 2021 military coup.


Passage to Burma

Passage to Burma

Author: Scott Stulberg

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-10-23

Total Pages: 126

ISBN-13: 1628735236

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It is a charming and satisfying thing that there are still places in this world where magic seems to pervade the sights, smells, and sounds of a place more than the trappings of the so-called modern world. For more than ten years Scott Stulberg has made multiple pilgrimages to Burma (sometimes called Myanmar) to capture this sense of magic with his cameras. The result of those pilgrimages is captured here in a collection of images that display the heart and soul of this magnificent country. Burma is a place of dreams. Bagan, where two thousand pagodas carved from the native rock occupy an area one-sixth the size of Washington, DC. Mandalay, an exercise in calm and chaos that seduces the eye in every direction. Inle Lake, where small villages cluster along the water like mussels clinging to the rocky shore. Mrauk, a place so remote that tourists are a curious rarity. And Yangon, (once Rangoon), a tropical coastal city that still bears the trappings of colonial rule along its shady avenues. And around every corner of this country of contrasts are Burma’s Buddhist monks in their distinct saffron robes. Their warmth and openness have come to symbolize this amazing country. Passage to Burma is Stulberg’s photographic tribute to this remarkable place. It is a country in transition, yet with a timeless quality to it that is captured beautifully in the images in this book. “This is Burma,” wrote Ruyard Kipling, “it is quite unlike any place you know about.”


Book Synopsis Passage to Burma by : Scott Stulberg

Download or read book Passage to Burma written by Scott Stulberg and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-10-23 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is a charming and satisfying thing that there are still places in this world where magic seems to pervade the sights, smells, and sounds of a place more than the trappings of the so-called modern world. For more than ten years Scott Stulberg has made multiple pilgrimages to Burma (sometimes called Myanmar) to capture this sense of magic with his cameras. The result of those pilgrimages is captured here in a collection of images that display the heart and soul of this magnificent country. Burma is a place of dreams. Bagan, where two thousand pagodas carved from the native rock occupy an area one-sixth the size of Washington, DC. Mandalay, an exercise in calm and chaos that seduces the eye in every direction. Inle Lake, where small villages cluster along the water like mussels clinging to the rocky shore. Mrauk, a place so remote that tourists are a curious rarity. And Yangon, (once Rangoon), a tropical coastal city that still bears the trappings of colonial rule along its shady avenues. And around every corner of this country of contrasts are Burma’s Buddhist monks in their distinct saffron robes. Their warmth and openness have come to symbolize this amazing country. Passage to Burma is Stulberg’s photographic tribute to this remarkable place. It is a country in transition, yet with a timeless quality to it that is captured beautifully in the images in this book. “This is Burma,” wrote Ruyard Kipling, “it is quite unlike any place you know about.”


Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma

Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma

Author: Ralph

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2020-02-15

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1501746960

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Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is about commitment to an ideal, individual survival and the universality of the human experience. A memoir of two tenacious souls, it sheds light on why Burma/Myanmar's decades-long pursuit for a peaceful and democratic future has been elusive. Simply put, the aspirations of Burma's ethnic nationalities for self-determination within a genuine federal union runs counter to the idea of a unitary state orchestrated and run by the dominant majority Burmans, or Bamar. This seemingly intractable dilemma of opposing visions for Burma is personified in the story of Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera, two prominent ethnic Karen leaders who lived—and eventually left—"the Longest War," leaving the reader with insights on the cultural, social, and political challenges facing other non-Burman ethnic nationalities. Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is also about the ordinariness and universality of the challenges increasingly faced by diaspora communities around the world today. Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera's day to day lives—how they fell in love, married, had children—while trying to survive in a precarious war zone—and how they had to adapt to their new lives as refugees and immigrants in Australia will resound with many.


Book Synopsis Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma by : Ralph

Download or read book Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma written by Ralph and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-15 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is about commitment to an ideal, individual survival and the universality of the human experience. A memoir of two tenacious souls, it sheds light on why Burma/Myanmar's decades-long pursuit for a peaceful and democratic future has been elusive. Simply put, the aspirations of Burma's ethnic nationalities for self-determination within a genuine federal union runs counter to the idea of a unitary state orchestrated and run by the dominant majority Burmans, or Bamar. This seemingly intractable dilemma of opposing visions for Burma is personified in the story of Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera, two prominent ethnic Karen leaders who lived—and eventually left—"the Longest War," leaving the reader with insights on the cultural, social, and political challenges facing other non-Burman ethnic nationalities. Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is also about the ordinariness and universality of the challenges increasingly faced by diaspora communities around the world today. Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera's day to day lives—how they fell in love, married, had children—while trying to survive in a precarious war zone—and how they had to adapt to their new lives as refugees and immigrants in Australia will resound with many.


Myanmar Transformed?

Myanmar Transformed?

Author: Chit Win

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 9789814818551

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The triumph of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy at the 2015 election was supposed to mark the consolidation of a reformist trajectory for Myanmar society. What has followed has not proved so straightforward. This book takes stock of the mutations, continuities and fractures at the heart of today's political and economic transformations. We ask: What has changed under a democratically elected government? Where are the obstacles to reform? And is there scope to foster a more prosperous and inclusive Myanmar? With the peace process faltering, over 1 million people displaced by recent violence, and ongoing army dominance in key areas of decision-making, the chapters in this volume identify areas of possible reform within the constraints of Myanmar's hybrid civil-military governance arrangements. This latest volume in the Myanmar Update Series from the Australian National University continues a long tradition of intense, critical engagement with political, economic and social questions in one of Southeast Asia's most complicated countries. At a time of great uncertainty and anxiety, the 13 chapters of Myanmar Transformed? offer new and alternative ways to understand Myanmar and its people.


Book Synopsis Myanmar Transformed? by : Chit Win

Download or read book Myanmar Transformed? written by Chit Win and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The triumph of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy at the 2015 election was supposed to mark the consolidation of a reformist trajectory for Myanmar society. What has followed has not proved so straightforward. This book takes stock of the mutations, continuities and fractures at the heart of today's political and economic transformations. We ask: What has changed under a democratically elected government? Where are the obstacles to reform? And is there scope to foster a more prosperous and inclusive Myanmar? With the peace process faltering, over 1 million people displaced by recent violence, and ongoing army dominance in key areas of decision-making, the chapters in this volume identify areas of possible reform within the constraints of Myanmar's hybrid civil-military governance arrangements. This latest volume in the Myanmar Update Series from the Australian National University continues a long tradition of intense, critical engagement with political, economic and social questions in one of Southeast Asia's most complicated countries. At a time of great uncertainty and anxiety, the 13 chapters of Myanmar Transformed? offer new and alternative ways to understand Myanmar and its people.


Transitional Justice in the Asia-Pacific

Transitional Justice in the Asia-Pacific

Author: Renee Jeffery

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 110704037X

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This is the first book to provide an overview of the processes and practices of transitional justice in the Asia-Pacific region.


Book Synopsis Transitional Justice in the Asia-Pacific by : Renee Jeffery

Download or read book Transitional Justice in the Asia-Pacific written by Renee Jeffery and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to provide an overview of the processes and practices of transitional justice in the Asia-Pacific region.


Dictatorship, Disorder and Decline in Myanmar

Dictatorship, Disorder and Decline in Myanmar

Author: Monique Skidmore

Publisher: ANU E Press

Published: 2008-12-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1921536330

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Mass peaceful protests in Myanmar/Burma in 2007 drew the world's attention to the ongoing problems faced by this country and its oppressed people. In this publication, experts from around the world analyse the reasons for these recent political upheavals, explain how the country's economy, education and health sectors are in perceptible decline, and identify the underlying authoritarian pressures that characterise Myanmar/Burma's military regime.


Book Synopsis Dictatorship, Disorder and Decline in Myanmar by : Monique Skidmore

Download or read book Dictatorship, Disorder and Decline in Myanmar written by Monique Skidmore and published by ANU E Press. This book was released on 2008-12-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mass peaceful protests in Myanmar/Burma in 2007 drew the world's attention to the ongoing problems faced by this country and its oppressed people. In this publication, experts from around the world analyse the reasons for these recent political upheavals, explain how the country's economy, education and health sectors are in perceptible decline, and identify the underlying authoritarian pressures that characterise Myanmar/Burma's military regime.