Burma and Japan since 1940 traces the influences of Japan on modern Burma, not least on the military.

Modern Myanmar/Burma is very much a creation of World War II, when the British colony was occupied by the Japanese, and its immediate aftermath. These years saw the rise of Aung San and his assassination, as well as the establishment of military forces by the Japanese (subsequently evolving into today's ruling junta) and a sharp escalation of inter-ethnic anatagonism and violence. Tracing Burma-Japan relations since 1940, this volume will be of value not only for an understanding of post-war Japanese diplomacy and aid programs, but also because it offers new material and insights on the...

While most of Asia s major cities are increasingly homogenized by rapid economic growth and cultural globalization, Rangoon, which is Burma s former capital and largest city, still bears the imprint of a unique and often turbulent history. It is the site of the Shwedagon Pagoda, a focus of Buddhist pilgrimage and devotion since the early second millennium C.E. that continues to play a major role in national life. In 1852, the British occupied Rangoon and made it their colonial capital, building a modern port and administrative center based on western designs. It became the capital of...

Burma (Myanmar) is a Southeast Asian country that is emerging from crisis after more than a half century of hard-line military rule and cultural, diplomatic and economic isolation. With the dissolution of its military regime, the State Peace and Development Council, in 2011, a formally civilian but military-dominated constitutional government was inaugurated. By 2012, Burma s president, retired General Thein Sein, had established a working relationship with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the country s pro-democracy movement since 1988, and after a 2012 by-election she and members of her...