3 - Political and Economic Development of Myanmar: An Overview

Summary

MYANMAR: A BRIEF HISTORY

Before we explore and analyse the accession of Myanmar into ASEAN, it is necessary to understand the political and economic development of the country from a historical perspective. A brief overview of Myanmar's development history is presented below.

The history of Myanmar can be described as one long series of internecine warfare, with development and peace between the wars. There have been independent kingdoms at Arakan (Rakhine), Pegu (Bago), Tavoy (Dawei), Prome (Pyay), Toungoo and Ava (Innwa). The stronger and dominant kingdom varied from time to time. Only under King Anawrahta of Bagan (1044–77), was Myanmar united for the first time. Hence it can be said that Myanmar's nation building began around the 11th century with the establishment of Bamar (formerly known as Burman) hegemony over other indigenous “nations” (Tin Maung Maung Than 2001). According to Aung Thwin (1998), “Considered Burma's most glorious achievement in civilization, it lasted for more than four centuries between the mid-ninth and fourteenth and was a primary force in the history of mainland Southeast Asia during this period (p. 1).”

The second unification occurred in 1539 under the Toungoo King Tabinshwehti, and the third and last dynasty was founded by King Alaungpaya which lasted from 1755 to 1855 when the British occupied the whole country. This dynasty was known as the Konbaung Dynasty and its last king, Thibaw, was deported to India after the British conquest. The economic policy of the Burmese kings was akin to mercantilism.

As a result of the First and the Second Anglo-Burmese Wars, the British annexed Lower Burma in 1852 while Upper Burma was still ruled by Burmese kings. The last two Burmese kings were King Mindon (1852–78) and King Thibaw (1878–85). In 1886, the British again annexed Upper Burma after the third war between the two countries. Britain's reasons for the war included countering the growing influence of France in Burma, the massacres at the royal court over the accession to the throne, the dispute between the king and the Bombay Burma Trading Company and the resulting fine, and to exploit the country's rich natural resources.