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Myanmar

Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Expanding the ISIS Brand
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Feb 19, 2018
The National Interest
Since its founding, the Islamic State has consistently expanded and contracted in order to achieve its objectives. To discern how ISIS might continue to expand, it makes sense to trace Al Qaeda's trajectory, which followed a similar pattern in the 2000s.
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Refugees
commentary
How the U.S. Can Help Resolve the Rohingya Crisis
Jonah Blank, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Jan 5, 2018
Foreign Affairs
By accepting responsibility for reintegrating the Rohingya refugees, Myanmar has provided an opening to prevent an epic tragedy. Will the United States and the international community take advantage of it?
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Aung San Suu Kyi's Trip to China: Sino-Myanmar Relations as the Countdown to the November Elections Begins
Cristina L. Garafola @CLGarafola
Aug 10, 2015
China-US Focus
For Aung San Suu Kyi and the rest of the National League for Democracy (NLD) delegation, meeting with Chinese leadership provided a forum for bilateral engagement with one of Myanmar's most important neighbors in the region, relations that will expand given the NLD's likely success at the polls in November.
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Myanmar
commentary
Myanmar's Slow Path to Democracy
Peter Chalk
Nov 16, 2014
al Jazeera
The U.S. and its allies must act decisively and provide a strong foundation for Myanmar's long-term transformation. A failure to carefully guide the country's successful transition to a civilian rule would be a missed opportunity for the Obama administration and, more important, for Myanmar's 51 million citizens.
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Myanmar
commentary
Who's Bombing Myanmar?
Jonah Blank
Oct 30, 2013
CNN
After a half-century of hermetic authoritarianism, Myanmar's re-entry into the world community has been one of the biggest (and most optimistic) stories in Asia. Yet an upswing in ethnic and religious conflict could put Myanmar's progress at risk.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
U.S. Sanctions Against Myanmar Need to Go
Peter Chalk
Oct 2, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Washington now has to ask itself whether its goals can best be met with these restrictions in place or whether it is time to recognize the fundamental changes that are taking place in Myanmar and forge a new relationship with its leaders based on full government-to-government relations, writes Peter Chalk.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Obama's Burmese Gamble
Jonah Blank
Jul 10, 2013
Project Syndicate
A year ago, the United States and Myanmar (Burma) did not even have ambassadors in each other's capitals. In May, President Thein Sein became the first leader from Myanmar to visit the White House in nearly a half-century. Has Obama's administration been too quick to embrace what was one of the world's most repressive regimes?
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Religion and Civil Society
commentary
Obama and Myanmar (Burma): Four Points About Conflict There
Jonah Blank
Nov 20, 2012
Christian Science Monitor
We can expect to see continued jockeying for scarce resources among vulnerable populations around the globe, attempts by majority communities to disenfranchise powerless minority groups, and episodes of extreme weather to blow away any notion that disasters—whether natural, man-made, or both—can't happen here, writes Jonah Blank.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Obama Trip Could Be Bellwether for U.S.-Asia Relations
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Nov 15, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Specific areas of focus for President Obama's visit are likely to include expanding trade and investment opportunities for U.S. businesses in Southeast Asia, increasing defense cooperation with Thailand, and offers of disaster recovery assistance to Burma in the wake of its recent earthquake, writes Scott Harold.
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China
commentary
China's Responsibility to Protect
David C. Gompert
Jun 17, 2008
Washington Post
Of all countries remiss in their responsibility to protect human rights, China bears special scrutiny because of its influence with the Myanmar and Sudanese regimes, writes David C. Gompert.
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commentary
Be Tougher on Burma Than China
William H. Overholt
Jul 4, 2003
Asian Wall Street Journal
commentaries by RAND Staff: insightful commentaries on current events, published in newspapers, magazines and journals worldwide.
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