Civil Society Challenges (HL IB Geography)

Democracy & the Arab Spring

• The Arab Spring was a series of pro-democracy uprisings in several mostly Muslim countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Bahrain

• It began with the Jasmine Revolution in December 2010, when a Tunisian street vendor set himself on fire in protest of the seizing of his vegetable stand by police over failure to obtain a permit

• Street protests in the capital, Tunis, resulted in the hard-line authoritarian President Ben Ali abdicating and fleeing to Saudi Arabia

• The widespread flow of information on the country’s first democratic parliamentary election, held in October 2011, inspired activists in other countries to protest against their own authoritarian governments

• These grassroots movements wanted increased social freedoms and participation in the political process

• However, some of these protests became full-scale civil wars, such as in Libya, Syria and Yemen, with continued restrictions

• The only country to maintain a form of democracy is Tunisia

Evaluation

• Countries with a strong, vocal society are more likely to gain political change than those with a limited middle class

  • Tunisia has a strong civil society and was able to transform and maintain political change

• Widespread media coverage results in less mass violence

  • In Egypt, the BBC and Al Jazeera reduced violence by the government and military

  • But, in Syria, restricted news coverage caused greater violence

• Countries with good access to social media usually gain support for protests

  • In Egypt and Tunisia, the military supported protesters in removing the government, but in Syria, where media is limited, the military contributed to the civil war

Political Change in Myanmar

• Myanmar, formerly Burma, is a majority Buddhist (90%) country with a population of 55.9 million as of Dec 2023

• Myanmar is ethnically diverse, with 135 recognised ethnic groups divided into 8 national groups, with Bamar or Burman being the dominant at 70%

  • The other 7 major groups are Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Mon, Rakhine and Shan

• Many of the ethnic minority groups have faced systematic racism, a lack of representation in government, and abuses by the military

Military rule

• Under British rule, divisions were created among ethnic groups

• After independence in 1948, a mostly democratic Burmese State was formed

• This lasted until 1962, when General Ne Win and his Revolutionary Council led a military coup and held power for the next 26 years under single-party military rule

• After a nationwide popular uprising in 1988, a new junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), was formed

• Under this regime Burma became Myanmar, and decades of military suppression and human rights abuses followed with severe restrictions to movement, work, education, marriage and home ownership

• Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition party, which rose to prominence

• Under the pretence of safety, she spent more than fifteen years under house arrest until 2010

• In 1991, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Suu Kyi while she was still under house arrest

Political change

• In 2007, many anti-government protests broke out

• Under international pressure, the junta began to loosen its control

• In 2008, a new constitution gave the military widespread powers, even under civilian rule

• The military junta officially dissolved in 2011 and established a military-dominated civilian parliament

• Some reforms began, including:

  • Amnesty for political prisoners

  • Less media censorship

  • Policies to encourage foreign investment

• In 2015, Suu Kyi became Myanmar’s leader after a nationwide multiparty election

• But the military still held control over much of the government

• After suffering a major defeat during the 2020 elections, the military launched another coup In February 2021

• They then cracked down on protests

• The opposition formed a shadow government and a fighting force

• This had led to another civil war and humanitarian crisis that could spill over Myanmar’s border

• Once again, Suu Kyi was detained and charged with corruption and other crimes against the country

• Various officials and activists were placed under house arrest

• Peaceful protests erupted nationwide, with people refusing to go to work until the elected government returned to power

• The ousted groups established a parallel government known as the National Unity Government (NUG)

• They also formed an armed division known as the People’s Defence Force

Evaluation

• It has brought groups opposed to the junta together and has:

  • Encouraged greater unity among ethnic groups

  • Created an agenda for a post-junta Myanmar

  • Encouraged support from foreign governments

• The armed resistance groups have united

• But the country's society and economy are still devastated by the civil war