I Think We're Talking Past Each Other: The Unintended Consequences of Western Interventions in Myanmar

Western interventions in Myanmar, though often framed as democratizing missions, routinely misapprehend the country’s political and cultural realities, exacerbating anti-Western sentiment among its elites. This paper traces how colonial legacies and contemporary policy blunders—from economic sanctions to diaspora favoritism—have entrenched a cycle of resistance, revealing the West’s rhetoric as a catalyst for the very authoritarianism it claims to oppose. By dissecting cases of backfiring aid, diplomatic snubs, and ideological imposition, the study argues that lasting peace requires abandoning paternalism in favor of dialogue grounded in Myanmar’s indigenous frameworks.