Narrating Democracy in Myanmar

This book analyses what Myanmar’s struggle for democracy has signified to Burmese activists and democratic leaders, and to their international allies. In doing so, it explores how understanding contested meanings of democracy helps make sense of the country’s tortuous path since Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won historic elections in 2015. Using Burmese and English language sources, Narrating Democracy in Myanmar reveals how the country’s ongoing struggles for democracy exist not only in opposition to Burmese military elites, but also within networks of local activists and democratic leaders, and international aid workers.

Wells Tamas :

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