The Burmese military regime under President Thein Sein has been promoting democratization of the country since Myanmar’s last multi-party elections in 2010. I have previously argued that the elections were designed to prolong military supremacy rule in civilian guise. They were regarded by many as technically flawed but brought a nominally civilian government to power for the first time in fifty years. The new government has introduced several policy changes including abolishing direct censorship, reaching peace deals, allowing demonstrations, releasing political prisoners, welcoming back exiles, allowing private newspapers in any language, and the creation of labor organizations, but they are weak and have a limited impact on political change. The army continues playing an official role in governance and enjoys complete immunity from civilian control and justice. Western governments consider the changes introduced by the new government a sign of democratization, and as a result, they are lifting sanctions and normalizing aid and trade relations, despite serious ongoing abuses. This sends out the wrong message. It is important to remain critical when faced with the changes and reforms and not turn a blind eye to the quality of the reforms. Most of them do not meet international standards and are often misleading. Undeniably, Myanmar has started the process of liberalization, however, has not reached democratization yet. The aim of this paper is to bring clarity to a general myth that the democratization process of Myanmar is underway. While it is true that people now have basic rights, these rights need grow and develop until the changes are complete. Transitions may begin and never be completed, although a new authoritarian regime does not assume power. The approach used in this article is both descriptive and analytical, and offers a comprehensive review of the recent reforms, as well as an assessment of the degree of change they bring to the general population in Myanmar.
