In his former work, Burma in the Family oj Nations, Dr. Maung Maung has already gained an international reputation as a student of public affairs in Burma; in this new book he earns fresh laurels. It is mainly in two parts. In Part I he traces the genesis of the Constitution and in Part II he explains it. The first part outlines the constitutional progress of Burma under British rule, the changes under Dr. Ba Maw during the Japanese occupation, and further developments until the attainment of independence by the Anti Fascist People's Freedom League. Nowhere else can one find such a clear and comprehensive account of the political evolution of Burma since 1931, doubly significant by the Saya San rebellion and the birth of the Thakin movement; its value is enhanced by the reproduction of three documents not otherwise readily accessible: the interim Constitution under the Japanese; the Panglong Agreement, in which the Hill Peoples undertook to co-operate in framing the Constitution for the Union of Burma; and the original draft Constitution which the AFPFL published in May 1947 for consideration by the Constituent Assembly.

Contemporary Myanmar faces a number of political challenges, and it is unclear how other nations should act in relation to the country. Prioritizing the opinions of local citizens and reading them against the latest scholarship on this issue, Ian Holliday affirms the importance of foreign interests in Myanmar's democratic awakening, yet only through committed, grassroots strategies of engagement encompassing foreign states, international aid agencies, and global corporations. Holliday supports his argument by using multiple sources and theories, particularly ones that take historical events, contemporary political and social investigations, and global justice literature into account, as well as studies that focus on the effects of democratic transition, the aid industry, and socially responsible corporate investing and sanctions. One of the only volumes to apply broad-ranging global justice theories to a real-world nation in flux, Burma Redux will appeal to professionals researching Burma/Myanmar; political advisers and advocacy groups; nonspecialists interested in Southeast Asian politics and society and the local and international problems posed by pariah states; general readers who seek a richer understanding of the country beyond journalistic accounts; and the Burmese people themselves—both within the country and in diaspora. Burma Redux is also the first book-length study on the nation to be completed after the contentious general elections of 2010.

Aung San Suu Kyi is a world-renowned, inspirational symbol of Burmese resistance and courage. Released in 2010 after spending fifteen of the previous twenty-one years under house arrest, she emerged into a Burma that has finally begun to court democracy, and many are now looking to her to lead the country. But is it possible for Suu Kyi to mend the deep divisions in Burmese society? Who are the groups that make up Burma’s face of resistance? What is it they are fighting for? And how can she unite these disparate factions into one cohesive group to take on the current regime in the elections scheduled for 2015? Former political activist and exile Aung Zaw explores these questions in the context of his own experiences, and sheds light on those people who have fought alongside Suu Kyi for decades in Burma’s resistance movement. The book profiles key members of the National League for Democracy, examines the background of prominent activists involved in the 1988 student uprising, and focuses on the next generation of democracy leaders. From an insider’s perspective, Aung Zaw demystifies the volatile state of contemporary Burmese politics and the background of Burma’s current president, Thein Sein, and poses questions about the ongoing debate of international sanctions versus investment in the light of Burma’s untapped natural resources. The Face of Resistance is a timely and succinct reminder that despite international accolades, Burma is far from free. What Others are Saying “This book indeed gives a face to the resistance against Burma’s dictatorship. Brilliantly written, it should be read by everyone interested in contemporary Burma and its ongoing struggle for democracy.” —Bertil Lintner

Civilized Rebels compares in depth four very well-known literary and political figures, who all opposed arrogant regimes and became prisoners. Through comparative biographies of Oscar Wilde, Jean Améry, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, it explores the long-term process of the retreat of the West from global power since the late nineteenth century, relating this to the decline and fall of the British Empire and the trauma surrounding Brexit. Drawing on rich empirical materials to examine themes of forced displacement, war, poverty, imprisonment and the threat of humiliation, the book reveals how these highly civilized rebels penetrated their opponents’ mind-sets, while also providing a sophisticated analysis of how their struggles fitted into the larger world picture. Methodologically and theoretically innovative, and written in a lively and accessible style, Civilized Rebels will appeal to scholars across a range of disciplines, with interests in globalization, historical international relations, postcolonial and subaltern studies, comparative biographical studies, European studies, the sociology of emotions and historical sociology.

This book analyses the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a powerful actor in International Relations by examining how the ASEAN community has evolved, looking specifically at its relationship with the EU with regards to human rights. The book adds to important contemporary debates within constructivist theory, shedding light on the need for ‘critical’ constructivism that emphasises language and contestation and what that may entail. On an empirical level, it challenges the idea of an 'EU-centrism,' demonstrating how ASEAN is the major driving force behind its human rights and community aspirations, as well as within the ASEAN-EU relationship. Furthermore, this book engages with the introspection surrounding constructivism by addressing the trouble with 'norms,' and instead unpacking the relationship between ASEAN and the EU to show language power in play. In particular, the book looks at how language, or rather coercive language, helps us ‘see’ contestation in action, something that researchers sympathetic towards the idea of ASEAN’s ‘resistance’ have been unable to show through a focus on norms. Tracing the evolution of the ASEAN community and human rights aspirations in a new light, showing how exactly the EU remains an inspiration, but not a model, and more interestingly how ASEAN demonstrates power in the relationship, the book will be of interest to academics working on Asian Studies, European Studies, International Relations Theory and human rights.

Freedom from Fear - collected writings from the Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi's collected writings - edited by her late husband, whom the ruling military junta prevented from visiting Burma as he was dying of cancer - reflects her greatest hopes and fears for her fellow Burmese people, and her concern about the need for international co-operation in the continuing fight for Burma's freedom. Bringing together her most powerful speeches, letters and interviews, this remarkable collection gives a voice to Burma's 'woman of destiny', whose fate remains in the hands of her enemies. Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the world's greatest living defenders of freedom and democracy, and an inspiration to millions worldwide. This book sits alongside Nelson Mandela's memoir Long Walk to Freedom. 'This book is bound to become a classic for a new generation of Asians who value democracy even more highly than Westerners do, simply because they are deprived of the basic freedoms that Westerners take for granted'The New York Times 'Aung San Suu Kyi's extraordinary achievement has been to confront the regime peacefully, reasonably and persuasively... [in] one of the most laudable continuing acts of political courage' Financial Times 'Such is the depth of passion and learning that she brings to her writings about national identity and its links with culture and language that she has attracted the admiration of intellectuals around the world' Sunday Times Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. She was placed under house arrest in Rangoon in 1989, where she remained for almost 15 of the 21 years until her release in 2010, becoming one of the world's most prominent political prisoners. She is also the author of Letters from Burma.