At Large in Burma

The lack of academic engagement with Myanmar is a pity since, as Shelby Tucker8217;s Burma: The Curse of Independence reveals, there is a virtual minefield of unexplored or partially-explored research areas that are both intellectually exciting and politically relevant. But as he points out, for most Europeans and Americans too, not unlike most Indians, Burma is 8216;8216;either a void or a sequence of random pictures contrasting Good and Evil 8212; Aung San in uniform, wise, stoical and dignified; his brave and heroic daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, in various poses but always wearing flowers in her hair and often addressing a crowd8230;.8217;8217;

On the surface, the story of modern Burma may seem not unlike that of many other countries in Asia and Africa. The main elements are remarkably familiar: various ethnic, linguistic and other divisions in a deeply heterogeneous land; imperialist domination exacerbating the differences; and failed post-independence nationalist experiments giving way to praetorian rule. And yet Myanmar8217;s story is also a saga of a unique tragedy; of a country which had the potential and in which the possibilities were open for carving out a alternative, less unfortunate future.

Shelby Tucker has emerged as one of the leading new Burma specialists. Burma: The Curse of Independence is his second book on the country. His earlier, Among Insurgents: Walking Through Burma received high praise, and while the book under review has more than a trace of self-indulgence and idiosyncrasy, it is an invaluable guide to understanding contemporary Burma. I found the account of the Aung San8217;s life and death particularly engrossing. In contrast to the 8216;8216;near-universal8217;8217; beatification of Aung San, Tucker presents a nuanced picture of a complex, but nevertheless remarkable man. And Tucker suggests, in contrast to past evidence and present claims, that the masterminds behind Aung San8217;s assassination in 1947 were probably from within his own circle, including New Win who effectively ruled Burma until 1988.

While much of Tucker8217;s book is steeped in realism, his prognosis for the future is characteristically idealistic. Unlike those who believe that neither persuasion, nor coercion or cooperation will make the military regime change its character, Tucker argues for a more assertive international policy to undermine the junta. At a time when much of the world has begun to 8216;8216;constructively engage8217;8217; the generals, it seems unlikely that such a policy will find many takers. Tucker is probably on target, however, in believing that a mere return to civilian rule will not end Burma8217;s troubles. For 8216;8216;half a century of torching villages, herding people into concentration camps, using them as human mine sweepers, poisoning crops, raping women8230; has replaced what was mere distrust with a legacy of profound and intense hatred, compounded by enduring problems of corruption, ambition, greed and mendacity.8217;8217; And he may, therefore, may be prudent in concluding that 8216;8216;ultimately Burma8217;s fate is not a man8217;s gift. It is a matter of prayer.8217;8217;