This workshop aims to bring academics from across disciplines with expertise in Myanmar, constitutional transitions, legitimacy and conflict studies, among others, to discuss critical questions about the future of state and non-state institutions in Myanmar and the meanings, interpretations and implications for the concept of legitimacy and constitutional transitions.
Participants are encouraged to prepare a one- or two-page discussion or position paper, which will inform the structure of the sessions. The workshop will be organised into three themes:
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Representation and democracy
Western political theory tends to hold that political legitimacy derives from the consent of the people, which is expressed through free and fair elections. But this notion is challenged in conflict and transitional situations, where elections are not or no longer possible.
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Human rights
The protection of human rights is considered by many, including key international actors, to be a necessary condition for a legitimate government. A state that routinely breaches human rights or needs to use coercion to enforce laws and regulations undermines or fails to achieve the consent of the people, and its legitimacy may be brought into question.
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Sub-state legitimacy
In conflict situations, key actors claim legitimacy on the basis of de facto control and because it provides important outputs, like security, services, and infrastructure. They may also appeal to tradition and precedent.
Building on these themes, participants are encouraged to consider questions such as:
- What other (non-Western) theoretical bases are there for political legitimacy?
- What is, or should be, the basis of legitimacy in Myanmar and conflict situations?
- How does, or should, the basis of legitimacy change during a constitutional settlement process?
- How can legitimacy be (re)conceptualised in such circumstances?
- How can issues over contested legitimacy be addressed, and what are the pathways forward?
- What are the ways or processes by which the post-revolution constitution may be considered legitimate (and by whom)?
- How can democratic legitimacy be restored or maintained when new elections cannot be held?
Participants may also develop their own questions in response to these themes and their areas of expertise.