Southeast Asia

Students [protesting in Myanmar] object to the National Education Law vesting too much control over education in the central government's hands through the creation of a government-controlled National Education Commission and Higher Education Cooperation Committee, which have wide-ranging powers.

The issue of education and educational reform is a particularly thorny one given Myanmar’s history. Students have been responsible for leading many of the country’s main protests, such as in 1988, 1996 and 1998. Students were also involved in the monk-led Saffron Revolution of 2007. For 10 out of the 12 years between 1988 and 2000, Yangon’s universities were closed.

The excessive use of force by the police [against student protesters], at best, indicates poor training and, at worst, suggests a possible return to the heavy handed approach of Myanmar's not-so-distant past.

The Myanmar government must condemn the excessive use of force [by police] and take firm action against those responsible. It will also have to meet students' broader concerns. A failure to properly handle these protests risks them snowballing into broader ones concerning the government's ability and willingness to bring about positive and lasting change.

The [Myanmar] government has already picked most of the low-hanging fruit [of democratic reform] and difficult structural reforms remain.