Myanmar’s Crisis: What are the Stakes?
MYANMAR STUDIES PROGRAMME WEBINAR
About the Webinar
Sixty days after the military in Myanmar seized power, ousting the elected government and parliamentary representatives and later nullifying the results of the 2020 general election, the situation of the Myanmar people protesting against military rule continues to be desperate. Security forces brutally repressed protests across the nation on 27 March 2021, while the military celebrated the 76th Armed Forces Day with pomp and ceremony in Naypyitaw. The mounting death toll, now over 500, includes children and adults. With more violent crackdowns and incidents imminent in upcoming days, the relationship between the military and the civilian populace in Myanmar has reached the worst possible condition, with high stakes for both sides to prevail. This webinar will discuss Myanmar’s political and social crisis in the context of the state of terror and loathing of “national politics” in Myanmar, and the constitutional implications of the Feb 1 coup.
About the Speakers
Nick Cheesman is a Fellow at the Australian National University. He is a scholar of the politics of law and policing in mainland Southeast Asia, in particular, Myanmar. Presently, he holds an Australian Research Council grant to document where, when and how torture occurs in Myanmar and Thailand. Through this research, he aims to reinterpret the relationship between violence and the state. In his spare time he hosts the New Books in Southeast Asian Studies channel of the New Books Network.
Melissa Crouch is Professor and Associate Dean (Research) at the Law School, UNSW, Sydney, Australia. She established and runs the Southeast Asia Law & Policy Forum at UNSW Law. Her research contributes to the field of comparative constitutional law; law and society; and law and religion. Melissa is Chief Investigator on an ARC Discovery Grant on “Constitutional Change in Authoritarian Regimes” (2018-2021). Melissa’s book on The Constitution of Myanmar (2019) was shortlisted for the Australian Legal Research Awards inaugural book award. Melissa has worked with local and international organisations with a focus on constitutional and administrative law reforms and legal education in Southeast Asia.
Registration
This webinar will be delivered online entirely. You can join the webinar at the specified date and time using devices (computer, phone, or tablet) with internet connection.
Please register here to receive your unique link for joining the webinar.
Limited spaces only, register early to avoid disappointment.
To join the webinar,
- Install the Zoom client onto your computer or download the app on your mobile device.
- Click on the unique link in your email.
If you have questions for the speakers, please key in your questions via the Q&A, stating your name and affiliation. The moderator will field them to the speakers during the Q&A session.