Myanmar Meanderings

Taylor becomes a partisan provocateur with such formulations as “alleged human rights violations.” Any astute observer of the past two decades of Burmese military rule would conclude that widespread repression was a hallmark, not a hypothetical, feature of the state. Taylor barely acknowledges this fact, let alone analyses it, demonstrating his lack of interest in human security over regime security.

The author cautions us from the outset to avoid reading this book if it induces “apoplexy,” as if he is expecting or knowingly provoking a backlash. Still, I urge you: read on, critique, learn, debate and do better—perhaps that’s the best approach to Taylor’s work.   

David Scott Mathieson is Burma Researcher in the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.