Recent international media reports on Myanmar have been dominated by news on the unfolding crisis in the Rakhine state and have been critical of The Lady’s inadequate responses on the Rohingya refugees. But this detracts from the overall narrative of a Myanmar that has committed to opening itself up to the global economy, one with tremendous potential as ASEAN’s last frontier economy.
On 31 October, we held a book launch to celebrate the official release of Member of Parliament and Former Union Minister in the President’s Office, U Soe Thane’s book titled “Myanmar’s Transformation & U Thein Sein: An Insider’s Account by U Soe Thane”.
Having served in the previous Thein Sein administration from 2010 to 2015, U Soe Thane was one of few key architects responsible for Myanmar’s transformation from a military controlled dictatorship to a functioning democracy in a period of less than five years. This political transformation has been the most enduring legacy of President Thein Sein’s government.
“Myanmar had already gone through 26 years of Burmese Way to Socialism under General Ne Win and 23 years of military regime. After 49 years of closed political and socio-economic administration, Thein Sein’s government took a bold step towards a remarkably different governance system, one that is remarkably more open, market-based and democratic.”
Introducing his book, U Soe Thane said that he had learnt much from landmark historic events and from his interactions with other world leaders, which had left a profound impact on him. He believes that his experiences in government and of those who had previously served in the Myanmar government will leave behind many valuable lessons for next generation policy-makers and leaders in Myanmar. That is the main reason why he embarked on the journey to write his book.
U Soe Thane’s book shares how his administration contributed to the peace process, pushed for good and clean governance and planted the seeds of economic reform. It also offers a glimpse into President Thein Sein’s management style and personality, which had much influence on the way the government was run.
Books were sold at the SIIA for $25 a copy, with all proceeds from the book sale going towards a local Burmese charity located in U Soe Thane’s constituency of Kayah state. He said that the charity focuses on supporting the educational expenses of orphans and poor children, which is a cause close to his heart.
More photos are available on our Facebook page here.
