A Historical Note on Economic Reforms in Myanmar, 2006 To 2016

This historical note seeks to provide some markers for economists and policymakers interested in Myanmar's woeful experience over seven decades when it fell from being one of the most prosperous and promising countries in East Asia at the end of World War II to one of the poorest now.The most encouraging period of economic progress after Burma's independence in 1948 was the decade of quasi-democratic governance under the Thein Sein administration from 2011 to 2016 and the National League for Democracy (NLD) administration (led by Aung San Suu Kyi) from 2016 to 2021. On 1 February 2021, a military coup plunged the country back into another chaotic period of civil strife and economic suffering, with no end in sight.For people interested in Myanmar's future, it is important to examine the foundations for the economic policy reforms that sparked Myanmar's joyful economic rise beginning in 2011, assess these reforms as they were carried out during the two administrations, and consider how they may have contributed to the coup in 2021