Myanmar's other struggles for democracy: conceptual contests in the Burmese democracy movement

Abstract

Democracy inspires many social movements around the world. Yet there is no consensus about its meaning. This thesis examines the Burmese democracy movement in the years leading up to the 2015 election victory of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. I argue that attention to the ways democracy was given meaning amongst activists, opposition leaders and aid workers in Myanmar reveals important conceptual contests. These were struggles not between military elites and the Burmese democracy movement but within the democracy movement, and with its Western supporters – what I have described as ‘other’ struggles for democracy. The concept of narrative can unlock new perspectives o..