With Dr Patrick Meehan.
After decades of military rule, Myanmar’s 2010 General Election inspired hopes that Myanmar was embarking upon a ‘triple transition’: from authoritarian military rule to democratic governance, from a centrally directed economy to a market-oriented economy, and from 60 years of conflict to peace. The election of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2015, following a landslide victory for her National League for Democracy (NLD) Party, led to renewed hopes that a peaceful resolution could be found to the country’s longstanding armed conflict. Yet the country’s ethnically-diverse border areas have experienced some of the worst violence for more than twenty-five years, notably the devastating army-led attacks against the country’s Rohingya population and renewed fighting in the northeast of the country in Kachin State and Northern Shan State. Focusing predominantly on northern Myanmar, this talk explores why peacebuilding efforts continue to face huge challenges despite the country’s democratic transition and formal peace process. Patrick Meehan is His research explores the dynamics of violence, conflict and development, and engages specifically with the relationship between drugs and processes of statebuilding and peacebuilding, with a primary focus on Myanmar’s borderlands with China and Thailand. He has also conducted research for the UK Government (Stabilisation Unit), the World Bank, Conciliation Resources and Christian Aid.