Despite its breathtaking golden pagodas, vibrant culture, and welcoming people, Myanmar stands as a tragic example of how military dictatorship and oppressive governance can stifle a nation. This strategically important and resource-rich nation—located between India and China with a diverse ethnic makeup—once thrived due to its position on major trade routes. However, the socialist economy and the military dictatorship that suppresses individual liberty and economic freedom offers a sobering lesson for those who believe in liberty and limited government.

Independence Era

Following three Anglo-Burmese Wars, which spanned six decades, Burmese territories were incorporated into British India. Subsequently, Burma received separate administrative status in 1937 and ultimately achieved independence in 1948. Following its independence, Myanmar was initially governed by the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL), a broad coalition primarily composed of the Communist Party of Burma, the Socialist Party of Burma, and the Burma National Army (later the Myanmar military). Despite internal tensions, the AFPFL government adopted social democracy, initiating national industrialization. The economic advancement of Myanmar and its potential as an emerging economy were significantly impeded by the Communist Party of Burma’s insurgency, which was rooted in Marxist-Leninist ideology and aimed at the forceful overthrow of the elected AFPFL government. This initial insurgency of the CPB marked the beginning of a protracted civil war that continues in Myanmar and also fostered a political climate susceptible to coups d’état. …

In summary, Myanmar’s economic and political trajectory has been significantly defined by prolonged totalitarian governance and substantial military influence. In 1962, the “Burmese Way to Socialism” under the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) established a state-controlled cooperative economic system. The subsequent military junta—known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) from 1998—initiated a superficial shift towards a neoliberal market economy while preserving its authoritarian and totalitarian characteristics. This transition included the drafting of a constitution that granted immunity to the military, culminating in a partial transfer of power in 2010 with the establishment of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), an affiliate of the military cronies. From 2015 to 2020, Myanmar experienced five years of a neoliberal market economy with a long-term aspiration for a free market economy. However, this progress was abruptly halted by the 2021 coup, which resulted in the reestablishment of a state-cooperative economic model under the ruling military junta.