The resounding victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) in the national elections in November 2015 ushered in what many hailed as a new era for Myanmar, after more than a half-century of military and semi-military rule. This talk focuses on how the rise of the NLD government and its de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has transformed the political landscape, and highlights key opportunities and challenges confronting the party and Myanmar’s overall transition to democracy.
Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung is chair and professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Thawnghmung’s research areas are on Myanmar/Southeast Asian politics, ethnic politics, and political economy.