Global Perspectives

The last time I travelled to Myanmar was in June 2006. I was travelling in Shan State at a time when the ruling military government was presiding over a plummeting economy, had silenced iconic democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and was engaged in a devastating conflict against many of Myanmar’s ethnic groups. Access to the country for foreigners was very difficult, much less the presence of foreign iNGOs. The refusal to allow foreign aid agencies to assist the survivors of the deadly Cyclone Nargis – which killed 130,000 mostly farmers in the Irrawaddy Delta in 2008 – was just one example. The prospect of a transition from military rule where the people could take control of their own development seemed a distant hope. Many of the challenges faced by Myanmar still persist today but I would not have predicted the degree of change since my last visit. General Than Shwe’s rule has given way to a new leader, President Thein Sein, who has ushered in a period of reform since 2011. Control...