I came across an interesting article over at the Freedom Institute recently, concerning the need to rethink our strategic approach to Burma. You can read the full text here: Myanmar: Time for a rethink. The article made a few salient points, namely, that sanctions alone aren’t working, and the conflicting approaches of various nations are counterproductive. Which is, I suppose, what most of us have come to realise, isn’t it? But still, I find it encouraging that there seems to be some kind of dialogue/discourse developing on the topic.

But, I also find the article interesting for other reasons as well, in particular the way it represents a typical outsider/western viewpoint on the problems in Burma. As tends to be the case with outside perspectives, it can miss important details that are obvious from the inside. As tends to be the case with ‘Western’ perspectives, it takes a somewhat short-sighted view of the history and politics of the region. Coming from ‘modern’ nations, where our national identity tends to be linked more with the present and future than the past, we often forget the depth of history in Asia, and the importance it plays in the minds of the people. Don’t get me wrong, the author of the aforementioned article is obviously intelligent, and its a decent piece, but I will still proceed to poke holes in it.   more »