Dossier: Elections in Myanmar

Creator: Tayzar44. CC-BY-SA 2.0

On 8 November 2015, a new Parliament will be elected after decades of military rule in Myanmar. The elections will decide how the reform process of the past five years will be continued and whether the people of Myanmar can benefit. This dossier will accompany the next months until a new government is formed by offering policy and economic analysis.

After the elections

What are the prospects for the next Myanmar government?

Peace, federalism, development, and poverty - this is the interlinked "cluster", which has to be at the top of the NLD’s agenda. On Aung San Suu Kyi's political challenges in the coming years.

By Khin Zaw Win

Myanmar: A democratic landslide

Myanmar has a decades-long history of brutal ethnic conflicts. In view of this the party of democratic struggle did unexpectedly well in last year’s election.

By Nicholas Farrelly

Myanmar needs more than a new government

The people of Myanmar have collectively placed their faith in the NLD. The party will have to go on - even beyond Aung San Suu Kyi’s lifetime. A commentary.

By Khin Zaw Win

Podcast

Overview

A Primer on Myanmar’s Elections of 2015

What is at stake? Will the elections be free? Who is competing and how does the electoral process work? Our FAQ on the most democratic elections since 1960 in Myanmar.

By Khin Zaw Win

Comment

Myanmar Elections: Coups, Competition, and Compromise

Myanmar and its power elites do not have experience with electoral politics. That makes Myanmar’s elections exciting, and at the same time risky.

By Zeya Thu

Video

DVB TV is an independent broadcaster with offices in Yangon, Mandalay, and Chiang Mai. For the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung they have made a short movie about the upcoming elections in Myanmar.

Interview

"The NLD will win the elections"

On November 8, Myanmar votes for a new parliament. What do the parties stand for and what can they change? An interview with Sui Khar, Joint Secretary-General of the Chin National Front.

By Rual Lian Thang, Dr Sui Khar

Study

The State of Myanmar’s Reforms on the Eve of the 2015 Elections

Myanmar prepares for the second nation-wide poll in 25 years. The elections in November 2015 promise to be a watershed for the country’s democratisation.

By Marco Bünte

pictures

Elections in Myanmar

Afghanistan: Environment and Ressource Policy

The following article on opportunities and challenges in the mining sector in Afghanistan illustrates the situation in the country at large.

By Jost Pachaly, Angela Stanzel

Time for a Pushback in Media Spaces

Digital, online and social-media avenues undoubtedly offer an alternative or complementary channel for news, because of the inherent difficulty in censoring these spaces. Their wide reach and levels of engagement have saved lives during disasters or emergencies.

Open Season for Professional Media?

Journalists sued for espionage in Cambodia, and for using drones or supposedly violating the official secrets act in Myanmar. News outlets faced with financial penalties steep enough to cause them to go under, as it did in Cambodia. Media organizations in the Philippines repeatedly described as ‘fake news’ outlets by government officials chafing at critical reporting.

By Johanna Son

App-learning on Khmer Rouge history: an internet-based multimedia application

Many young Cambodians have little knowledge about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. The Bophana Center developed an app that provides free access to these historical events.

By Sopheap Chea, Duong Keo

IT giants in China: a tough business

China suffers from draconian internet regulations, but enjoys a prosperous marketplace; it attracts IT giants from the United States and Europe, but it has also expelled some of them.

By Sophie Ping Sun

Re-thinking media reform in Southeast Asia: promoting a participatory approach

Instead of top-down reforms for the media, the countries in Southeast Asia need policies that prioritize the public’s interests.

By Gayathry Venkiteswaran

Introduction

Our Work in Asia

The aim of our projects in Asia is to support the democratisation of the region and promote the recognition of human rights. Our work also focuses on promoting environmental sustainability and social justice.

Video: Urvashi Butalia on Women's Rights in India

Recordings

Southasian Perspecitves on the West
with Pankaj Mishra (Historian) and Nadeem Aslam (Writer) on September 12th, 2014

Dossier: Elections in Myanmar