We examined EU development support to Myanmar/Burma and concluded that it had been partially effective. The EU played a leading role in supporting development priorities and allocated significant funding to the country. However, we report on shortcomings in the Commission's assessment of needs and in the implementation of EU assistance. On the basis of the observations in this report, the Court formulates a number of recommendations designed to improve the management of the development aid.
This book analyses European foreign policy as the activity of the European Union (EU) as a global actor and explores its efforts to raise its visibility in Southeast Asia through its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Myanmar. Contributors examine the EU’s engagement in a process of dynamic consolidation of its relationship with Asia and the Pacific region. They shed light on how interregional relations with ASEAN and interactions with Myanmar can be viewed as a perfect opportunity to promote the EU’s presence in the region. Chapters examine the EU’s efforts to inspire Myanmar to connect with security cooperation and Myanmar’s engagement with the EU to diversify its foreign relations with China. The book also explores the extent to which the EU has failed regarding the Rohingya crisis and whether the EU’s effort to support the peace process in Myanmar has been beneficial. A timely and important contribution to the growing literature on the EU’s role in the world and its relations with East and Southeast Asia, this book will be of interest to academics in the field of International Relations, European Politics and Foreign Policy, Comparative Regionalism, East Asian and Southeast Asian Studies.
"Is Burma really coming in from the cold? How Europe can help. On 1st April Burma will hold parliamentary elections that are likely to see opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi win a seat. The country is undergoing swift political and societal changes after decades of military rule, and the government says the reforms are 'irreversible'. Some now argue that the EU needs to lift all its sanctions right away. Aung San Suu Kyi's election is a momentous event, yet it risks diverting attention from many unresolved issues. Some political prisoners remain in jail, forced labour is still a serious problem, and fighting continues in several states. The European Union has a unique chance to ensure that Burma's reforms to take root. In a new ECFR publication, 'How the EU can support reform in Burma', Jonas Parello Plesner argues that the EU should adopt a coherent approach that involves: Gradually lifting sanctions in line with clear, agreed benchmarks. Lifting sanctions too quickly would result in the EU losing its leverage and means to support Burmese reformers. Visa bans on the government have already been lifted, but further lifting needs to be gradual, and follow verifiable, irreversible signs of reform -- Offering institutional capacity building & development assistance to support progress towards benchmarks and increase the numbers of Burmese that benefit from reform. Development assistance should be linked to governance standards and to dialogue with civil society and the authorities -- Shaping a new, sustainable business approach for foreign investment. An EU-Burma business summit involving European businesses and NGOs should agree high and accountable standards to encourage a 'race to the top' for business entry in Burma. This should be expanded to include business partners in ASEAN, US, Japan and China. Jonas argues that such measures are necessary to ensure that reform is genuine and has solid foundations. He says there are four reasons to be wary of Burmese government claims that the reforms are irreversible : Political: the reformers' political position is insecure, and other key powerbrokers see further deep reforms as against their interests -- Legal: reforming laws (especially through a relatively new parliament) takes time and is very complex -- Historical: earlier openings have been followed by crackdowns and renewed isolation -- Practical: The reforms so far don't affect the military's role behind the scenes. The military is still deeply entrenched, holds 25% of parliamentary seats and wields an effective veto over constitutional amendments"--Publisher's description.
The official web site of the European Commission's representative in Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, the Lao PDR, Malaysia and Thailand, offering information about the delegation's activities and news of current events. The delegation, based in Bangkok, maintains regular contacts with national authorities for matters such as trade, economic co-operation and technical assistance, and is also one of the main sources of information on the European Union. Much of the delegation's work lies in managing European Union-funded projects, which involves co-operating closely with governments, non-governmental organizations, business groups and private associations. Such projects have been established in many areas including education, health, rural development and economic co-operation.
A genuine democracy movement lives in Burma, but it continues to be brutally suppressed by the ruling military government. In 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led by Aung San Suu Kyi-won 82 percent of the seats in a multiparty parliamentary election. The regime ignored the elections and the democratically elected representatives never took office. Aung San Suu Kyi, who was imprisoned after violent government-orchestrated attacks on democracy supporters on May 30, 2003, has spent more than half of the past fourteen years under house arrest. Burma remains one of the most tightly controlled dictatorships in the world. Recognizing that democracy and the NLD cannot survive in Burma without the help of the United Sates and the international community, the Council-sponsored Independent Task Force on Burma sounds a clarion call for change. In response to the governments recent crackdown on the democratic opposition, the Task Force urges the United Nations to call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, and to impose sanctions on Burma, including bans both on new investment in Burma and on the importation of goods produced in Burma. The Task Force report also offers specific recommendations for U.S. policy in four areas: humanitarian assistance; promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law; narcotics control policy; and refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons. Led by Mathea Falco, president of Drug Strategies and former assistant secretary of state for international narcotics matters, this bipartisan Task Force comprises members with a wide range of experience in international business, law, government, media, academia, publichealth, and human rights advocacy, among other areas. Its recommendations are intended to inform U.S. government action as well as to increase U.S. cooperation with other countries, especially in Asia, to bring about a long overdue political, economic, and social transformation of Burma.
Examines internal issues of Myanmar, also known as Burma, as well as the country's relations with its neighbors and the United States, discussing the Obama administration's policy of "pragmatic engagement," which links the removal of sanctions to implementation of greater freedom and respect of human rights. Original.
An insider's account of Romania's emergence from communism control In the 1970s American attorney Alfred H. Moses was approached on the streets of Bucharest by young Jews seeking help to emigrate to Israel. This became the author's mission until the communist regime fell in 1989. Before that Moses had met periodically with Romania's communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, to persuade him to allow increased Jewish emigration. This experience deepened Moses's interest in Romania—an interest that culminated in his serving as U.S. ambassador to the country from 1994 to 1997 during the Clinton administration. The ambassador's time of service in Romania came just a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. During this period Romania faced economic paralysis and was still buried in the rubble of communism. Over the next three years Moses helped nurture Romania's nascent democratic institutions, promoted privatization of Romania's economy, and shepherded Romania on the path toward full integration with Western institutions. Through frequent press conferences, speeches, and writings in the Romanian and Western press and in his meetings with Romanian officials at the highest level, he stated in plain language the steps Romania needed to take before it could be accepted in the West as a free and democratic country. Bucharest Diary: An American Ambassador's Journey is filled with firsthand stories, including colorful anecdotes, of the diplomacy, both public and private, that helped Romania recover from four decades of communist rule and, eventually, become a member of both NATO and the European Union. Romania still struggles today with the consequences of its history, but it has reached many of its post-communist goals, which Ambassador Moses championed at a crucial time. This book will be of special interest to readers of history and public affairs—in particular those interested in Jewish life under communist rule in Eastern Europe and how the United States and its Western partners helped rebuild an important country devastated by communism.
This book is one of four volumes on a major empirical migration study by leading Thai migration specialists from Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok) for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This volume examines the protracted refugee situation at the Thai–Myanmar border. Displaced persons are kept in closed settlements, and this has limited their self-reliance. A resettlement program has been implemented and many refugees have been accepted in resettlement countries. Repatriation is not recommended as a durable solution unless Myanmar becomes a safe place for return. Funding and intervention policies of international organizations and NGOs vary. Donors prefer to switch humanitarian assistance to development aid. The book provides realistic policy recommendations for a durable solution for refugees at the borders. Practitioners and policymakers from governments, international organizations and NGOs will benefit from its findings. The volume is also helpful for anyone studying forced migration and its denouement in the globalized age.
After 3 years of historic reforms, Myanmar has entered a pivotal stage in its socioeconomic development. Natural, cultural, and demographic advantages are positioning the country for long-term success, but many challenges and potential pitfalls lie ahead. This publication examines how to leverage the opportunities and offers solutions to the challenges. For Myanmar to achieve its economic transition, considerable investments will have to be made in infrastructure and developing human capital, and progress made on building institutional capacity, a regulatory environment for the private sector to flourish, and a modern finance sector. In all reform efforts, the government should embrace good governance, and strive for inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and regionally connected growth. Ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared broadly and regionally balanced stands out in a crowded development agenda.
