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Myanmar, once again?

March 09, 2021

Following the 8 November election, some of the losing candidates appear to have planned protests and even a court case about their perception that the election process was full of ‘irregularities’ and ‘fraud’. They vowed to confront the Election Commission in court. Their prolonged agitation inspired and enabled the senior General to warn that there must be changes in the process. Then in the early morning of 1 February, when Parliament was reassembling, he had Ang San Suu Kyi and a number of election-winners arrested. Day by day the restrictions of a martial law were put into place, restrictions quite familiar to people over 30 but a shock to the 15 year olds who expected something quite different. Will this look like the martial law which lasted 49 years, starting from 1962?

Speaker

Robert Anderson works on the tension between development and sustainability, and particularly how conflict resulting from this tension can be successfully negotiated with better long-term outcomes. He has been guiding and funding a project in Myanmar since 2000 through which a network of young environmentalists is preparing to play a policy-making role. He is also a founder of a new graduate Program in Environmental Studies at the University of Yangon, with the assistance of IDRC. He has been visiting Myanmar since 1962. Having taught at SFU since 1977, he is a founder of the Development & Sustainability Program in the Faculty of Environment. He is also a professor emeritus in SFU’s School of Communication. He was awarded a PhD in anthropology by the University of Chicago in 1971.

Sponsors

Date
Tuesday March 9, 2021

Time
4:30 - 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time

Place
Online

Supported by

  • School of Communication
  • School for International Studies
  • Institute for the Humanities