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COMMENTARY
Turning Burma into Next Asian Tiger No Simple Task
By KYAW ZWA MOE Tuesday, February 21, 2012


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Speaking to her supporters in Hlegu, a town that has a large military presence, she said that the army and the people must work together to address the many challenges Burma faces. 

Even if Burma does achieve that ever-elusive goal of national reconciliation, many daunting tasks lie ahead before the country can finally begin to realize its full potential.

Recently, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz highlighted one when he visited Burma and reported that the government had come closer to deciding how to simplify its perversely complex exchange rate regime, which has been a drag on the economy for decades.

But this is just one of the more pressing issues that must be addressed. Among the many others are a lack of infrastructure, a primitive banking system, the desperate need for land reforms and a dire shortage of people qualified to seriously tackle any of these problems.

On the plus side, the US has decided to relax its sanctions on Burma to allow the World Bank to provide some much-needed expertise. But even if Washington is sufficiently impressed with Burma's handling of the election to take further measures to end its isolation, it could take years to fully remove all of the sanctions now in place.

In the meantime, we can all applaud Suu Kyi's “simple ambition” for what it is: a vision of what is possible for Burma, if only it can get its act together and start making the right choices for its own future.



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COMMENTS (9)
 
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Mg Min Nway Wrote:
27/02/2012
As long as unqualified junta's military men were not being removed from top posts Burma will never be a tiger.

This junta's men are just like pigs and never enough of eating everything.

chris jericho Wrote:
24/02/2012
@ tocharian - if you are implying people of burma as in burmen ONLY, your statement may hold water. otherwise, i am sure it is going to need more than what yingyang said to bring the ethnic minorities back to your hold again. what they have suffered under the burmen rule is beyond reconciliation by words.

Patriot Wrote:
24/02/2012
This is the crucial moment of Myanmar transiting towards a fully democratic country. As usual there will be strong resistance within Myanmar as well as from neighbouring country(s) against the change. Politicians and people need to be patient during this transition period. The process should not be too slow or too fast. We are lucky that we have a great leader as well as strong supporters. Be united and displined yourself.

Moe Aung Wrote:
24/02/2012
Dennis is right since we've seen how the Asian Tigers fared during times of economic crises, or the Celtic Tiger for that matter. Cubs compared with the big cats of the West, and we've also seen how these big beasts have fared over the last five years.

This elitist ambition is all well and good but could easily turn out to be even less promising to the public than Stalin and Mao claiming to catch up and beat the West. Trickle-down is not all it's cracked up to be.

tocharian Wrote:
23/02/2012
@YingYing
you said: "Burma has no tradition of business in the history" and "until the country is disappear from the map of globe"

That's exactly the kind of talk that will make the people of Burma unite. So please go on and make those kind of comments. It's good for Burma lol

YingYing Wrote:
22/02/2012
Burma has no tradition of business in the history, always isolated between India and China. Don't be glad about "scholars"'s praises
too much. As long as ethnic problems aren't solved, no "miracle" will happen, until the country is disappear from the map of globe.

tocharian Wrote:
22/02/2012
This Mandalay "obstruction campaign" probably has to do with the convoluted ties that some junta cronies have with the Chines Mafia that rules most of Mandalay's (and Myitkyina's) businesses, including land.
Suu Kyi's "simple ambition" should be to get rid of all these corrupt Chinese businessmen running wild in Burma first, before this cheap talk about being "the most properous country in ASEAN within the next 10 years".
Occupy Mandalay!

Oo Maung Gyi Wrote:
22/02/2012
I agree with Nobel Prize winner economist Joseph Stiglitz who highlighted Burma exchange rate and poor banking system. There is still solution for the exchange rate and land reforms. Once Aung San Suu Kyi is in parliament positive answer can find out, at this moment we can say this much only how to make the country inorder. Since there are many hard liners in the present cabinet, difficult to show all right path, because these peoples are copiers waitin g the chances.

Dennis Wrote:
22/02/2012
"On the plus side, the US has decided to relax its sanctions on Burma to allow the World Bank to provide some much-needed expertise."--This is a loaded statement that uncritically accepts impending neoliberal structural 'reforms'. I hope, for the sake of people in Burma, that a robust discussion on the limitations and failures of World Bank 'expertise' will take place. Such reforms can easily lead to perpetuating poverty, disparity and an entrenched elite selling the myth of becoming the next Asian tiger to the people and international community.

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