Overview: A Land in Transition

Ethnic conflict and political stasis have been at the heart of Myanmar's legacy of underachievement in social and economic development since independence from Great Britain in 1948. The two crises are interlinked and stand in contradiction to the many expectations at independence that Myanmar, a land of abundant human and natural resources, would have the most prosperous future of any of its neighbours. However, with an estimated per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of just US$300 in 1999, a recent United Nations (UN) study concluded that Myanmar was the poorest country in Asia in terms of purchasing power parity at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Furthermore, in a fast-developing region, it is increasingly recognized that the twin ethnic and political crises in Myanmar have significant international dimensions. Located on a strategic crossroads in Asia, Myanmar reflects its heritage as a land of vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity. But such geopolitical complexities also place nationality issues in Myanmar in the front-line of regional developments. For not only do ethnic minorities constitute an estimated third of Myanmar's 53 million population, they also inhabit all the borderlands with the neighbouring countries of China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Laos. With an international frontier-line of 3,650 miles, Myanmar's border territories make up around half its total landmass. All have been the scenes of modern-day conflict in some of the longest running insurgencies in the world.

As a result, it can be concluded from both internal and external experiences since independence that, rather than being marginal or secondary issues, ethnic peace and political inclusiveness in Myanmar are integral preconditions for sustainable development and economic progress in the new century.

At present, under the military State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government, Myanmar is engaged in its third different era of political transition following the British departure.