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Theory and Research Design Read chapter Read first chapter

2020 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

8. Myanmar: Initial Improvements Facing Setbacks

Authors : Anthony Staddon, Gabriela Thompson

Published in: Anti-Corruption Evidence

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This chapter reports the findings of an empirical study into legislative oversight in Myanmar, with particular emphasis on the Hluttaw’s oversight of the anti-corruption framework. The study evaluated the impact of contextual factors, external oversight institutions and internal oversight tools using data collected from interviews with key national stakeholders. Our research highlights the difficulty of entrenching a system of oversight in a controlled political culture that restricts the application of formal internal and external oversight tools and is reluctant to engage in the specific issue of corruption. The chapter concludes by identifying recommendations for action with the objective of strengthening oversight and anti-corruption measures in Myanmar.

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previous chapter Parliamentary Oversight and Corruption in the Caribbean: Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada Compared
next chapter Motivation of MPs and Political Will
Footnotes
1
The data was collected initially by interviewer-led questionnaires completed by 36 respondents, 12 from each of the following categories: MP, media representatives and representatives of CSOs. Attempts to interview similar numbers of parliamentary staff were unsuccessful and we were also unable to interview military representatives. A literature search on oversight and anti-corruption efforts in Myanmar was also conducted.
 
2
The Pyithu Hluttaw, the lower house, consists of 440 Hluttaw, 330 of which are elected and 110 nominated by the Commander-in-Chief from Defence Services personnel (Article 109). The Amyotha Hluttaw, the upper-house, is comprised of 224 Hluttaw representatives, 12 elected from each Region and State (totalling 168) and 56 nominated by the Commander-in-Chief from Defence Services personnel (Article 141).
 
3
The NLD won 135 of 168 and 255 of 330 contestable seats in the upper and lower houses respectively (BBC 2015; The Guardian 2015).
 
4
At the Region and State level, members of parliament can be ministers and Chief Ministers. When appointed, the ministers retain their parliamentary seats and have the full voting rights. This acts as a serious impediment for effective oversight of government actions.
 
5
The PAC is one of four standing committees established in each of the assemblies of the Parliament of Myanmar and the two PACs also form a joint committee of the two houses (unlike Thailand and Indonesia where they serve the lower House). The joint committee is formed of equal numbers of members from PACs of the lower and upper house. It is chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the combined house.
 
6
One example is that of Myo Yan Naung Thein who was imprisoned in 2016 for calling for the resignation of the military Chief Senior-General in an online post (Mizzima 2016; Myanmar Times 2016; Frontier Myanmar 2017).
 
7
An example given was that of the murder of Soe Moe Tun who was beaten to death whilst investigating illegal logging (Article 19 2016; VOA 2016; Reuters 2016).
 
8
Our research allowed us to meet with a number of active CSOs including the Open Myanmar Initiative, a body which promotes the right to information and education; Spectrum, a sustainable Development Knowledge Network; the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business; and the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA), a national network of civil society actors and individuals examining economic, political and social reform issues and to advocate for transparency and accountability of governance in Myanmar.
 
9
After an investigation carried out by the New York Times, Kyaw Win was forced to admit publicly that his PhD certificate had been purchased from a fake university online, disqualifying him from being nominated (BBC 2016).
 
10
The Research Services provide a confidential enquiry service and research briefings on legislation and topical political subjects.
 
11
The Economist (2017) reports for example that ‘the old house churned out on average more than twice as many laws per session, asked substantially more questions of the government and passed almost four times as many motions to the executive’.
 
12
The growing refugee crisis involving the Rohingya people in Myanmar’s western region of Rakhine falls outside of the scope of this chapter.
 
Literature
Economist, The (2017). A No-Talking Shop, London: UK, 3 June 2017.
Global Witness (2015). Jade: Myanmar’s “Bid State Secret” London, Global Witness.
Hendrix, C. & Noland, M. (2015), Myanmar: Cross-Cutting Governance Challenges, East-West Center Working Papers, Innovation and Economic Growth Series
Stapenhurst, F. (2011). Legislative oversight and curbing corruption: Parliamentarianism and presidentialism revisited (unpublished thesis). Canberra, Australia: Australian National University.
Transparency International (2017b), People and Corruption: Asia Pacific, Global Corruption Barometer, February 2017, accessed at file:///C:/Users/gabrielat/Downloads/2017_GCB_AsiaPacific_EN.pdf
Metadata
Title
Myanmar: Initial Improvements Facing Setbacks
Authors
Anthony Staddon
Gabriela Thompson
Copyright Year
2020
Book
Anti-Corruption Evidence

Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14139-4

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-14140-0

Copyright Year: 2020

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14140-0_8

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