lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

293HistoryThe roots of Myanmar’s present complex, tragic situation can be traced backthrough h its convoluted history. Spanning several millennia, Myanmar’s his-tory involves a bewildering cast of people and competing kingdoms.Long before the British took control of Burma in three waves in the19th century, the area was ruled over by several major ethnic groups,with the Bamar only coming into prominence in the 11th century. Britainmanaged the mountainous border regions separately from the fertileplains and delta of central and lower Burma, building on a cultural riftbetween the lowland Bamar and highland ethnic groups that lingers today.Civil war erupted between minority groups after independence in1948, and in pockets of the country the unrest continues today.General Ne Win wrested control from the elected government in 1962and began the world’s longest-running military dictatorship, pursuingxenophobic policies – such as nationalising most of the country's industriesand business, severely curtailing international trade, only allowing24-hour visas for tourists (later extended to a week) and controlling allbooks and magazines allowed into the country – that isolated Burmafrom the rest of the world. State socialism ruined the economy, necessitatingseveral major currency devaluations, the last of which sparkedmass, peaceful street protests in 1988.The prodemocracy marches saw Aung San Suu Kyi emerge as the leaderof the National League for Democracy (NLD). The military used violenceto stop the marches, then, to everyone’s surprise, called a nationalelection. It thought it couldn’t lose. But at the 1990 election the NLD won82% of the assembly seats. The military simply refused to transfer powerand threw many elected politicians into jail.In the years since, Myanmar’s trade with its neighbours (particularlyThailand and China) and its membership of Asean, have enabled thegovernment to withstand increased international scorn and Westernsanctions. The military’s aggressive reaction to the 2007 protests (theOutrage: Burma’sStruggle for Democracyby BertlLintner is oneof several worksby the long-timeBangkok-basedforeign correspondentandBurma expert,exploring themachinationsof Myanmar’smilitarygovernment.850 BCAccording to Burmesechronicles, Abhirajaof the Sakiyan clanfrom India foundsTaguang, 127 milesnorth of Mandalay; hisson travels south andfounds a kingdom atRakhaing (Arakan).3rd centuryBCThe Mon, whomigrated into theAyeyarwady Delta frompresent-day Thailand(and from China beforethat), establish theircapital, Thaton, andhave fi rst contact withBuddhism.1st centuryBCPossible founding ofBeikthano (namedafter the local word forVishnu), a Pyu towneast of current-dayMagwe; it’s believedto have fl ourished forabout 400 years.