November, 2009 - Volume 17 No.8
Nudging the Junta toward Democracy
KYAW ZWA MOE asks what the international community and the opposition can do to ensure that next year’s election puts Burma on the road to genuine political reform.

A State-run ‘Market Economy’
Without the rule of law, there are no guarantees the economy will be free of state interference under the 2008 Constitution. SEAN TURNELL explains why.

Above the Law
Burma’s rulers will continue to lean heavily on the judiciary to impose their vision of “discipline-flourishing democracy,” writes ARNOLD CORSO.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
KAY LATT provides a brief history of Burma’s bewildering array of political parties, most of which have been short-lived.

Free and Fair?
As HTET AUNG outlines conditions that must be met to ensure before the outcome of the 2010 election can be regarded as legitimate.



Playing with Superpowers
Burma’s generals have a history of juggling relations with Washington and Beijing, writes AUNG ZAW.



First the Constitution, then the Election
The 2008 Constitution has no provision for establishing democracy, nor does it enhance the rights of ethnic nationalities, says Arakan leader AYE THAR AUNG.

A United, Collective Voice
RON HOFFMAN, the new Canadian ambassador to Thailand, wants to see an unambiguous Western policy on Burma.



Decision Time
The regime is growing impatient with ethnic groups that have still not decided whether they will participate in next year’s election. HARN YAWNGHWE writes.

No Good Options, Only Less Bad Ones
RICHARD HORSEY urges Burma’s opposition to think strategically about how to deal with the dilemmas posed by the 2010 election.



No Comparison
If Hun Sen really wants to help his friend Thaksin Shinawatra, he should find a more suitable person to compare him with than Aung San Suu Kyi, writes AUNG ZAW.



CULTURE
Mohinga Memories
WITHAYA HUANOK listens as a connoisseur of Burma’s most celebrated food reminisces over a steaming bowlful of noodles.


BOOK REVIEW
The ‘Galapagos Islands of Art’
“Burmese Painting: A Linear and Lateral History,” by Andrew Ranard, is reviewed by JIM ANDREWS.


THE BACK PAGE
Short Skirts Raise Eyebrows in Rangoon
Fashion clashes with culture on the streets of Burma’s biggest city.

Snakes Alive—and they’re Burmese!
Burmese pythons are threatening Florida’s Everglades.



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