AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Feb 24, 2014) - Stratfor, known globally for the company's in-depth geopolitical analysis and forecasting, today released its newest editorial series focusing on Myanmar, a nation in the midst of an unprecedented national unification effort following decades of international isolation.
In Myanmar Strives for Unity, Stratfor examines key regional dynamics facing the Southeast Asian nation as it moves closer to its core geopolitical imperative of national integration.
"The political and economic opening of Myanmar that began in 2010 offers an opportunity for the country to re-emerge as a key link in Asian trade and connectivity, but also risks plunging the nation back into internal disarray," said Rodger Baker, Stratfor's vice president of Asia-Pacific analysis. "It's a country fighting centrifugal force, with a historical tendency toward Balkanization. Transitioning from a relatively fractured territory into an actual nation that unites all its citizens under one flag comes with strong constraints and a great amount of complexity."
Listen to additional commentary from Stratfor's Rodger Baker on the geopolitics of Myanmar at www.stratfor.com/video/series-preview-myanmar-strives-unity.
Part one of Stratfor's four-part series provides an overview of the history and geography of Myanmar and how the two have interacted in the geopolitics of the country. The piece further explores the challenges of governing Myanmar, whose fractured geography, porous border and deep ethnic divisions, along with other regional influences, have contributed to insurgencies that have plagued the Southeast Asian nation for more than 60 years.
Additional pieces in Stratfor's Myanmar series will cover:
- The deepening divisions between Myanmar's military power and political power, and their competing political ambitions ahead of the country's 2015 general elections;
- How Myanmar's re-emergence impacts its relationships with neighboring countries including China, India and Thailand; and
- A detailed discussion of Myanmar's strategic importance to China, the significance of the Sino-Myanmar border, and the impact of an open Myanmar on China's broader geopolitical interests.
In 2013, Stratfor identified Myanmar as one of 16 emerging countries best poised to succeed China as the country approaches the limits of its low-wage, high-growth era, which has defined its three-decade rise. As a Post-China 16 (PC16) country, Stratfor asserts that Myanmar has the potential to become a major economy in Southeast Asia and a global driver of manufacturing growth. For additional perspective and more information on purchasing Stratfor's PC16 report, please visit The PC16: Identifying China's Successors.
Read part one of Stratfor's "Myanmar Strives for Unity" editorial series here: http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/myanmar-confronts-its-geography
About Stratfor
Stratfor is a leading geopolitical intelligence firm that provides strategic analysis and forecasting to individuals and organizations around the world. By placing global events in a geopolitical framework, the company helps customers and subscribers anticipate opportunities and better understand the broader impact of regional and international developments. Full analysis on global events and more details on the company can be found on Stratfor's website at www.stratfor.com.