Narrating Democracy in Myanmar

Tamas Wells is a Research Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on meanings of democracy, governance, freedom and accountability in Southeast Asia and the role of international aid agencies. Before entering academia, he worked in Myanmar for six years with various NGOs - including Save the Children - on governance, public health and civil society strengthening programs.

"One year after the military coup, this book still offers an insightful window into the dynamism and contradictions of contemporary Burmese political thought [...]" - Giulia Garbagni, London School of Economics and Political Science, May 2022 "Through a new perspective, Narrating Democracy in Myanmar sheds new light on the diverse narratives of the post-coup democracy in Myanmar. The author’s arguments make it a timely and valuable read for scholars interested in the dynamics of democracy in post-coup Myanmar. This book deserves to be read by a wide scholarly community." - Kai Chen, Asian Studies Review, May 2022 "The insights from this well-researched and important book are not least relevant to the grim situation in today’s Myanmar. [...] this book provides some important lessons for how to understand and deal with the various political actors in Myanmar. [...] scholars, analysts, donors and diplomats will, with the help of this book, be better equipped to navigate between the various political players in the country, and from the back seat, steadily support the drivers of democratization and freedom in Myanmar." - Marte Nilsen, Asian Journal of Social Science, Vol. 50, Iss. 4

• 1/ Introduction Other struggles for democracy Narrating democracy Book overview 2/ Elucidating the meaning of democracy through narrative An 'ideal type' of democracy? Revisiting the 'essential contestability' of democracy Interpretivism and meanings of democracy Using narrative analysis to elucidate meanings of democracy Conclusion 3/ Toward the 'Ocean of Democracy'? The British colonial administration, the thakin and contests over meanings of democracy in late colonial Burma British Colonial Administration and the 'Ocean of Democracy' Burmese Independence Leaders and Counter Narratives Conclusion 4/ Burma after independence: From moral to 'disciplined' democracy Unity, moral democracy and the leadership of the AFPFL Military socialism The road to 'disciplined democracy' 1988-2011 under General Than Shwe The opposition movement Conclusion 5/ A liberal narrative The challenge of division and personalised politics The vision of democratic procedures and liberal values The strategy of capacity building Conclusion 6/ A benevolence narrative The challenge of moral failure The vision of sedana The strategy of moral education and building of discipline Conclusion 7/ An equality narrative The challenge of hierarchy The vision of equality The strategy of cultural reform Conclusion 8/ Exposing the political use of narratives Narratives of democracy as instruments of power The overt and covert nature of conceptual politics Conclusion 9/ Beyond an 'ideal type': Implications for democracy promotion The implications of other struggles for democracy Conclusion 10/ Playing different games: Myanmar's future challenges Prospects for a benevolent democracy beyond 2020 The future of democracy promotion and governance reform in Myanmar Other struggles for democracy References Index