This book examines the trajectory of federalization in Myanmar's political development, evaluating the attitudes of different political actors toward, and negotiation strategies for, designing federalism.
It argues that three factors drive federalization in Myanmar, namely constitutionalization, conflict management, and democratization. The confluence of these forces arrived at a critical juncture in 2011, the start of Myanmar's political transition, leading to significant changes in Myanmar's federation process. By analyzing the changes and continuities in federalism building, the book charts the dynamic pathway toward Myanmar's current federalization, revealing how periods of progress and stagnation reflect varying world views and the individual strategies of prominent political actors.
Offering a systematic conceptual framework on federalism in Myanmar, this will be a useful resource for students and scholars of Political Science, Comparative Politics, and Southeast Asian Politics.
1. Introduction 2. Theories of Federalism and Federalization 3. Historical Background of Myanmar's Federalization 4. Causal Relationships in Myanmar's Federalization 5. Negotiation Mechanisms in Myanmar's Federalization 6. Current Political Development in Myanmar's Federalization 7. Conclusion and Comparison
Biography
Dulyapak Preecharush is an Associate Professor of Asian Studies at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and the Deputy Director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand. He completed his doctorate in Comparative Politics at the University of Hong Kong, with a visiting research fellowship at Cornell University's Southeast Asia Program.
"Though a coup in 2021 ended negotiations for a federated Myanmar, the dream of federalism sustains resistance to dictatorship. Any political solution to the country’s problems depends on its realisation. In The Politics of Federalization in Myanmar Dulyapak Preecharush explains why. Comparative, systematic, thorough—this book is replete with lessons for would-be federalists, and for those who study them."
Nick Cheesman, Australian National University, Australia.
