Over at the Lowy Institute’s Interpreter, long-time Burma watcher Andrew Selth provides a fascinating reflection on Burmese nationalism and its relationship to the region’s longue durée.
Selth on Burmese nationalism
June 10th, 2009 by Nicholas Farrelly · 1 Comment
Tags: Burma · India · Than Shwe · Trans-Border Issues
1 response so far ↓
1 Victor Reginald // Jun 10, 2009 at 8:04 pm
This assumes, however, that Thibaw is acceptable to the current regime…which, in analyzing the speeches of Senior General Than Shwe is not at all certain, as only ambiguous reference is generally made to the exact “dark” period between the fall of the Konbaung Dynasty and the rise of its prevailing reincarnation. Given that the regime views itself, through official doctrine, as a modernizing force – a strong argument can be made that the present regime dates the critical moment of Konbaung capitulation to 1866 – when the modernist and reformist Prince Kanaung – heir apparent to the throne – was assassinated. If this were to prove the case then the regime would have absolutely no interest in Thibaw and the imagined swap. Though, admittedly, it is still kind of a fun exchange to imagine.
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