Final Thoughts About Burmanization

This last chapter highlights what Tony Waters learned from writing and working with his student Saw Eh Htoo, as well as his PhD students from Myanmar. Among the things learned are first that Buddhist political societies are not completely analogous to Greek Demos, Israeli Tribes, or Canadian Federalism; Myanmar needs to be evaluated on its own terms. Second, liberal education and schooling are not the same thing; after all General Ne Win expanded the schooling systems rapidly, which turned out to be an excellent mechanisms for the spread of authoritarianism. Third, Benedict Anderson’s ideas about nationalism and “imagined communities,” and Max Weber’s ideas about Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft speak to the concern of students from Myanmar. Fourth, they emphasize that Buddhism is important for understanding Myanmar, even if they themselves are Christian, or secular. Fifth, Myanmar’s students are acutely aware of power outside the government structures that Westerners typically focus on. Temples, churches, ethnic groups, liberation groups, and others are also important.