2014 Articles

Legacy of the Fighting Peacock: Analyzing the Role of Student Activism in Burmese Democratic Movements

Koon-Hong, Dan Chan

Historically, student activism played a prominent role in Burmese democratic movements, yet today its role has diminished. This thesis investigates the rise and decline of Burmese student activism along three levels of analysis -- international, state, and civil society -- using over sixty first-hand interviews conducted by the author with student leaders from the past fifty years. It analyzes Burmese student movements through the “dynamics of contention” approach to social movements. Most prominently, the theory of political opportunity structures (POS) is applied to the state-level analysis. The analytical framework follows a chronological order of three phases: 1962 to 1988; 1988 to 2000s; and 2000s to today.