Abstract
Military dictatorships provide little scope for advancing the human rights of the populations they rule. In this regard, a move towards democracy is surely a step forward in the realisation of human rights. Yet because Myanmar remains in the grey area of quasi-democracy, there is uncertainty about the place and role of human rights. Different actors (the government, the military, the political opposition, ethnic groups) seek different ends. Many are still too traumatised by decades of subjugation to articulate their ideas about what values their society should pursue. The government is still not fully susceptible to criticism from the media or an informed public and thus has limited incentive to be responsive in addressing deprivation and rights violations. In this context, important questions such as how the philosophy of human rights relates to the principles and prelates of Buddhism, or whether and how the human rights priorities of aid agencies and donors are shaping (and perhaps distorting) domestic responses to human rights, have not yet even been asked.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Constitutionalism and Legal Change in Myanmar |
Editors | Andrew Harding, Khin Khin Oo |
Place of Publication | U.K. |
Publisher | Bloomsbury |
Pages | 215-234 |
Number of pages | 20 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781509902118 |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- human rights
- Myanmar