The hidden history of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century
University of Copenhagen is pleased to host a public talk by historian, former diplomat, and presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U on his book ‘The hidden history of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century’. Finn Tarp, professor in Development Economics, will moderate the talk.
In his book Thant Myint-U makes an insider’s diagnosis of a country at a breaking point, he dissects how a singularly predatory economic system, fast-rising inequality, disintegrating state institutions, the impact of new social media, the rise of China next door, climate change, and deep-seated feelings around race, religion, and national identity all came together to challenge the incipient democracy. Interracial violence soared and a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fixed international attention. Myint-U explains how and why this happened, and details an unsettling prognosis for the future.
Burma is today a fragile stage for nearly all the world’s problems. Are democracy and an economy that genuinely serves all its people possible in Burma? In clear and urgent prose, Myint-U explores this question―a concern not just for the Burmese but for the rest of the world―warning of the possible collapse of this nation of 55 million while suggesting a fresh agenda for change.
14:30-15:00: Refreshments
15:00-16:00: Talk by Thant Myint-U. Moderator: Finn Tarp
16:00-17:00: Q&A
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
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