The pendulum of non-alignment: Charting Myanmar's great power diplomacy (2011–2021)*

Passeri, Andrea and Marston, Hunter (2022) The pendulum of non-alignment: Charting Myanmar's great power diplomacy (2011–2021)*. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 41 (2). 188 -213. ISSN 1868-1034, DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/18681034221081858.

Full text not available from this repository.
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/18681034221081858

Abstract

Since independence, Myanmar has prioritised a non-aligned foreign policy to preserve autonomy in the international arena. Yet, it has done so in contrasting and sometimes opposite ways. Historically, Myanmar's great power diplomacy has resembled a pendulum swinging between two ideal types: ‘positive non-alignment’ and ‘negative neutralism’. The former represents a proactive blend of non-aligned behaviour that seeks to assert independence by achieving a diversified range of international partnerships, whereas the latter endeavours to accomplish the same goal through diplomatic disengagement and self-aloofness. This article analyses Myanmar's shifting recourse to opposite archetypes of alignment by examining its foreign policy between 2011 and 2021. Building upon a comprehensive theoretical classification of different forms of non-alignment, the analysis contends that Myanmar's evolving great power diplomacy is ultimately rooted in oscillating degrees of political legitimation held by its leaders, which pushed them to alternatively tilt towards positive non-alignment or negative neutralism. © The Author(s) 2022.

Item Type: Article
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Additional Information: All Open Access, Gold Open Access
Uncontrolled Keywords: great power diplomacy; Myanmar; non-alignment; political authority
Subjects: J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences > Department of International & Strategic Studies
Depositing User: Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim
Date Deposited: 15 Jul 2024 00:33
Last Modified: 15 Jul 2024 00:33
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/43814

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item