The role of civil society in promoting democracy, good governance, peace and national reconciliation in Myanmar

This thesis is a qualitative study investigating and analyzing the role of civil society (CS) in promoting democracy, good governance, peace and national reconciliation in Myanmar. The study reviews the traditional concept of CS and reconceptualizes it to better suit the cultural and political context of Myanmar. The study also identifies different CS actors and groups them into different categories; analyzes challenges, success and constraint in relation to their respective relationship with the people, the state and among themselves. To support the author's hypothesis, field research was conducted in March 2012 in Yangon, Myanmar. The study explores the existence and significance of CS mainly in three different periods in Myanmar modern history; pre-independence (prior to 1948), after independence (1948-2010) and from 2010 election to this date.