Union+of+Myanmar

Union of Myanmar (Myanmar/ Burma) · **Burma**, officially the **Union of Myanmar**, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland [|Southeast Asia], or [|Indochina]. population of about 55 million, last partial census: 1983 · bordered by the [|People's Republic of China] on the northeast, [|Laos] on the east, [|Thailand] on the southeast, [|Bangladesh] on the west, [|India] on the northwest, and the [|Bay of Bengal] to the southwest with the [|Gulf of Martaban] and [|Andaman Sea] defining its south. · Culture: based on [|Theravada Buddhism] intertwined with [|local elements]. · Military has dominated government since General [|Ne Win] led a coup in 1962 that toppled the civilian government of [|U Nu]. The [|Burmese Way to Socialism] drove the formerly prosperous country into deep poverty. Burma remains under the tight control of the military-led [|State Peace and Development Council]. · Burma is governed by a strict [|military dictatorship]. The current head of state is [|Senior General] [|Than Shwe], who holds the posts of "Chairman of the [|State Peace and Development Council] " and "Commander in Chief of the Defense Services" as well as the Minister of Defence. · [|ASEAN] (**Association of Southeast Asian Nations**) has also stated its frustration with the Union of Myanmar's government. It has formed the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus to address the lack of democratisation in the country. [|[60]] Dramatic change in the country's political situation remains unlikely, due to support from major regional powers such as India, Russia, and, in particular, China. Human Rights Issues:

· [|Human rights in Burma] are a long-standing concern for the international community and human rights organizations. There is general agreement that the military regime in Burma is one of the world's most repressive and abusive regimes. · [|Human Rights Watch] and [|Amnesty International], and the [|American Association for the Advancement of Science] have reported on human rights abuses by the military government. [|[67]] [|[68]] They have claimed that there is no independent [|judiciary] in Burma. The military government restricts Internet access through software-based censorship that limits the material citizens can access on-line. [|[69]] [|[70]] [|Forced labour], [|human trafficking] , and [|child labor] are common. · military is also notorious for rampant use of sexual violence as an instrument of control, including systematic rapes and taking of sex slaves as porters for the military. · There is no freedom of speech, assembly or association, Military officers hold all cabinet positions, and active or retired officers hold all top posts in all ministries. Official corruption is reportedly rampant both at the higher and local levels. · 2007, the U.S. [|Government Accountability Office] (GAO) identified financial and other restrictions that the military government places on international humanitarian assistance. specific efforts of the government to hinder the humanitarian work of international organizations, including restrictions on the free movement of international staff within the country. · Burma's government spends the least percentage of its GDP on health care of any country in the world, and international donor organizations give less to Burma, per capita, than any other country except India. · Christian and Muslim populations do, however, face religious persecution and it is hard, if not impossible, for non-Buddhists to join the army or get government jobs, Military:

· U.S. and European government sanctions against the military government, coupled with boycotts and other direct pressure on corporations by western supporters of the democracy movement, have resulted in the withdrawal from the country of most U.S. and many European companies · Asian corporations have generally remained willing to continue investing in the country and to initiate new investments, particularly in [|natural resource] extraction. The country has close relations with neighboring India and China with several Indian and Chinese companies operating in the country. · received extensive military aid from India and China in the past · armed forces are known as the [|Tatmadaw], which numbers 488,000. The Tatmadaw comprises the [|Army], the [|Navy] , and the [|Air Force]. · country [|ranked twelfth] in the world for its number of active troops in service. [|[12]] The military is very influential in the country, with top cabinet and ministry posts held by [|military officers]. Official figures for military spending are not available. Estimates vary widely because of uncertain exchange rates, but military spending is very high. [|[93]] The country imports most of its weapons from Russia, [|Ukraine], China and India. · country is building a research [|nuclear reactor] near May Myo (Pyin Oo Lwin) with help from Russia. It is one of the signatories of the nuclear [|non-proliferation] pact since 1992 and a member of the [|International Atomic Energy Agency] (IAEA) since 1957.