Description
Two decades of western censure and sanctions designed to compel the military to relinquish power to an elected government have not only failed, argues Pederson (peace and governance, United Nations U.), but may have done more harm than good to the Burmese people. Having spent much of the past decade in Rangoon, one of the few foreigners in the country, he says more pragmatic, long-term efforts and a gradual process of domestically driven political reform are needed. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Since 1988, when Burma's military rulers crushed a popular uprising, Western governments have promoted democracy as a panacea for the country's manifold development problems. Morten B. Pedersen argues that Western democracy rhetoric has not supplied the solution to these problems. Based on extensive field research, Promoting Human Rights in Burma proposes an alternative model of "critical engagement" that emphasizes more pragmatic efforts to help bring a deeply divided society together and promote socioeconomic development as the basis for longer-term political change.
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