Explaining Myanmar's Regime Transition: The Periphery is Central

In 2010, Myanmar (Burma) held its first elections after 22 years of direct military rule. Few compelling explanations for this regime transition have emerged. This article critiques popular accounts and potential explanations generated by theories of authoritarian ‘regime breakdown’ and ‘regime maintenance’. It returns instead to the classical literature on military intervention and withdrawal. Military regimes, when not terminated by internal factionalism or external unrest, typically liberalise once they feel they have sufficiently addressed the crises that prompted their seizure of power. This was the case in Myanmar. The military intervened for fear that political unrest and ethnic-minority separatist insurgencies would destroy Myanmar’s always-fragile territorial integrity and sovereignty. Far from suddenly liberalising in 2010, the regime sought to create a ‘disciplined democracy’ to safeguard its preferred social and political order twice before, but was thwarted by societal opposition. Its success in 2010 stemmed from a strategy of coercive state-building and economic incorporation via ‘ceasefire capitalism’, which weakened and co-opted much of the opposition. Having altered the balance of forces in its favour, the regime felt sufficiently confident to impose its preferred settlement. However, the transition neither reflected total ‘victory’ for the military nor secured a genuine or lasting peace

Image Encryption using AES based Algorithm

Due to the increasing use of images in industrialprocess, it is essential to protect the confidential image datafrom unauthorized access. Image encryption plays a significantrole in the field of information hiding. The security if digitalimages has become increasingly more important in today’shighly computerized and interconnected world. This paperpresent advanced Encryption Standard (AES), adding a keystream generator to AES to ensure improving the encryptionperformance. The main goal of this paper is secured imageencryption process by implementing key stream generator toAES encryption algorithm, which ensures the security of theimage. LFSR key stream generator is used to improving thesecurity of images from unauthorized access

Occurrence of Root and Stem Rot of Durian in Mon State and its Control by Trunk Injection with Phosphorous Acid

Durian (Durio Zibethinus Murr) orchards in Thahton, Pauung, Mudon and Thanphyuzayat Townships. Mon State, were visited during 2000-2001. Root and stem rot disease caused by Phytophthora palmivora was found to be serious and widespread in those durian growing areas. Disease incidence ranged from 16% to 100%. The investigation was undertaken at Kangalay orchard (Mudon Township) and Kyonka orchard (Paung Township), Myanma Agriculture Service, to evaluate the effect of trunk injection of Phosphorous acid and some chemical application in controlling of root and stem rot of durian. Effective control of the disease on 4-year-old durian trees was achieved by injecting 20% Phosphorous acid twice a year. Phosphorous acid injection in combination with Ridomil 25 WP bark paint and Ridomil 5G soil treatment was also found to be effective

New Record on the Occurrence of Cyst Nematode, Heterodera cajani Koshy, 1967 on Sesame, Sesamum indicum in Myanmar

Sesame, Sesamum indicum L. occupies for nearly half of the area sown to oilseed crops in Myanmar. It is cultivated for domestic consumption and export. During 2003, sesame cultivars, Sinyadnar3, Sinyadanar5, Magway7/9 and Khwaylayni grown in Oilseed Crop Research Farm, Department of Agricultural .Research, Magway were found to be heavily infected with Heterodera cyst nematodes. In 2004, cysts were also found from the soil samples collected from the previously infested plots. Infested field showed patches in which the plants were stunted, chlorotic, and caused wilting. When the infected plants were uprooted, curving of tap root, and red-girdling and dark browning of lateral and tap roots were observed. Lemon-shaped cysts were found attaching to the root surface. Young females were white or creamy colour whereas old cysts with eggs were tan colour. A few bullae were found on the posterior portion of the female. Larvae were vermiform with elongate conoid tail. Males were cylindrical or elongated with short tail without bursa. According to the morphological characters of the nematode and disease symptoms of sesame, the nematode was supposed to be identified as Heterodera cajani. There was no report o cyst nematode, Heterodera spp. in Myanmar. The present finding, the occurrence of Heterodera cajani on sesamum, is the first record of Heterodera spp. in Myanmar

Disaster preparedness and resilience at household level in Yangon, Myanmar

Resilience has become important in disaster preparedness and response. Unfortunately, little is known about resilience at the household level. This study presents the results of a survey into individual and household level preparedness to disaster events in Yangon, Myanmar, which is prone to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, flooding, and earthquakes. The study aimed to understand societal resilience and to provide information that could be used to develop a holistic framework. In four different Yangon townships, 440 households were interviewed. The results of the survey indicate how risk preparedness could be improved by specific measures related to the following five factors: (1) increasing the general public's knowledge of first aid and its role in preparedness; (2) improving mobile phone infrastructure and capacity building in its usage so that it can be used for communication during disasters, along with building up a redundant communication structure; (3) better use and organisation of volunteer potential; (4) more specific involvement of religious and public buildings for disaster response; and (5) developing specific measures for improving preparedness in urban areas, where the population often has reduced capacities for coping with food supply insufficiencies due to the high and immediate availability of food, shops and goods in regular times. The findings of this survey have led to specific recommendations for Yangon. The identified measures represent a first step in developing a more general framework. Future research could investigate the transferability of these measures to other areas and thus their suitability as a basis for a framework