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How Myanmar's Economic Reforms After 2010 Got Started
I had an exceptional inside view of "Myanmar Egress", a Third Force mediating between the democracy movement and the military.
Jun 22 min read


Myanmar Update, December 2024
Some good news about Parami U but Myanmar remains in chaos due to the ongoing conscription. Some modest territorial gains by the opposition.
Dec 17, 20245 min read


Nine Students from War-Torn Burma in Washington DC
Nine rising Juniors from Parami University had internships in Washington DC this summer with nine great organizations. This is their story.
Nov 4, 202410 min read


A Radical Approach to Acquiring Land for Major Projects
In December 2015, I presented a paper at a conference in Hong Kong on a radical approach to developing a site in Myanmar as a new city.
Aug 28, 202453 min read


Myanmar Update June 2024
There is only bad news in this update. The military junta started conscripting men for the army, plunging the country into chaos.
Jun 1, 20246 min read


Myanmar Update December 2023
A surprising turn in the conflict in Burma gets priority in this Update; meanwhile all is going well at Parami University.
Dec 5, 20235 min read


Myanmar Update June 2023
The Parami University story continues to amaze; the mess in Myanmar continues to
distress all who hope for an end to the junta’s brutality.
Jun 19, 20235 min read


Myanmar Update November 2022
There is good news about Parami U, but the Mess in Myanmar has gotten messier.
Nov 13, 20224 min read


Myanmar Update (July 2022)
A lot has happened since my last update, which was sent out on 19 December 2021. Here's the bad news followed by the good news.
Jul 16, 20225 min read


Myanmar Update (December 2021)
I try to send updates to family and friends at least twice a year covering the ongoing conflict and progress in building Parami University.
Dec 1, 20214 min read


Peace and war in Myanmar
In a December 2019 blog post for Brookings, three months before the Covid-19 pandemic, I wrote about the coexistence of peace and war.
Dec 6, 20192 min read


Myanmar economy grows despite refugee crisis
In a January 2018 blog post for Brookings, I noted how strong the economy is despite the ethnic cleansing operation against the Rohingya.
Jan 18, 20185 min read


On the ground in Myanmar: The Rohingya crisis and a clash of values
In a November 2017 blog post for Brookings, returning from a visit to Myanmar, I wrote about US policy in reaction to the Rohingya crisis.
Nov 29, 20174 min read


The humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya in Myanmar
In a Brookings podcast in September 2017, I was interviewed about the merciless ethnic cleansing operation against the Rohingya in August.
Sep 20, 20171 min read


No simple solution to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar
In a September 2017 blog post for Brookings, I tried to explain the complex origins of the Rohingya crisis in a Q and A format.
Sep 13, 20175 min read


Aung San Suu Kyi and the Rohingya
In an August 2017 Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post, I wrote that it’s wrong to blame Aung San Suu Kyi for the Rohingya crisis.
Aug 23, 20171 min read


Peace in Myanmar depends on settling centuries-old ethnic conflicts
In a March 2017 blog post for Brookings, I put Aung San Suu Kyi’s peace process in the context of Myanmar’s decades long civil war.
Mar 20, 20175 min read


Burma’s leader can’t help Rohingya minority until she consolidates power
In this Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post, I explained why Aung San Suu Kyi lacked the power to stop mistreatment of the Rohingya.
Nov 26, 20161 min read


Lessons for Myanmar in Indonesian politics
For the East Asia Forum, I wrote that “consolidating power”, a key to President Jokowi’s success, would be key for Aung San Suu Kyi too.
Nov 22, 20163 min read


Myanmar’s fast-paced mobile phone rollout
In this Brookings blog post, I described the unprecedented growth of mobile telephones, skipping 2G technology for a 3G smart phone system.
Oct 19, 20163 min read
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