Organizer: Asia Society New York
Type/Location: In Person
Myanmar protesters cheer while holding photos of democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during a gathering at the United Nations on February 1, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Description:
It has been four years since Myanmar's fledgling economic and political transition was halted by a violent military coup. The country remains mired in a 75-year civil war that rages on between ethnic armed groups, Myanmar's military, and in recent years a civil defense force. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the aftermath of the coup and millions have been displaced. The effects of COVID, economic collapse and isolation, and ongoing warfare haven't stopped the resilience or resistance of Myanmar's people and its deposed elected government.
Join us for a conversation on the current situation in Myanmar, prospects for positive change from within, and recommendations for the international community. Speakers include Sean Turnell, a long-time economic advisor to Myanmar's democratically elected government and Aung San Suu Kyi; he was imprisoned for nearly 2 years alongside Myanmar's democratic leaders in the aftermath of the coup. Joining him in conversation is Priscilla Clapp, former Chief of Mission to the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, and Asia Society Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Debra Eisenman.
About the Speakers:
Sean Turnell has been a senior analyst at the Reserve Bank of Australia, a Professor of Economics at Macquarie University, a consultant to a range of international institutions (including the IMF and World Bank), and is currently a Senior Fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. From 2016 to 2021 he served as economic adviser to Myanmar’s democratic government. Following the military coup that took place in Myanmar in February 2021, Sean was imprisoned alongside Myanmar’s democratic leadership. After 650 days of incarceration and severe ill-treatment, he was finally released in November 2022. Sean has written extensively on macroeconomic policymaking, economic reform, and the role of financial institutions in economic development, with a special focus on Australia, Myanmar, and the Indo-Pacific. His book on Myanmar’s monetary and financial history, Fiery Dragons, was published in 2009. In 2023 Penguin published Sean’s book on his experience of being a captive in Myanmar, An Unlikely Prisoner. His new book on economic reform in Myanmar, The Best Laid Plans, has also just been published by Penguin/Lowy Institute.
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun is the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations. While serving as Ambassador, the Myanmar military staged a coup; Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun represents the overthrown civilian government.
Prior to his appointment in New York, he was Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva, as well as the Conference on Disarmament. He concurrently served as Ambassador to Switzerland, as well as Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization and to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Since 1993, he has held a range of Government positions in Myanmar, as well as diplomatic postings in Indonesia, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States.
Priscilla Clapp is a retired minister-counselor in the U.S. Foreign Service. During her 30-year career with the U.S. Government, she served as Chief of Mission and Permanent Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Burma (1999-2002), Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in South Africa (1993-96), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Refugee Programs (1989-1993), Deputy Political Counselor in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (1986-88), and Chief of Political-Military Affairs in the U.S. Embassy in Japan (1981-85). She also worked on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff, in the East Asian, Political Military and International Organizations bureaus, and with the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. She has served as a Senior Advisor to the Asia Society's work on Myanmar, leading track II dialogues and authoring multiple reports. She is a frequent media commentator and the author of numerous publications on Burma and U.S.-Burma policy with USIP, the Brookings Institution, the East-West Center, Australia National University, the National Bureau of Asian Research, Singapore’s ISEAS, and others.
Debra Eisenman is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Asia Society and Founding Director and Senior Fellow of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI). As EVP and COO, Debra oversees the operations and strategy of the Society, as well as the global network of centers. Prior to this role, she was Managing Director of ASPI, where she led and oversaw initiatives on development, governance, sustainability, and security challenges throughout Asia, with a particular focus on Myanmar and Iran. In 2018, she authored the ASPI report, Reconciling Expectations with Reality in a Transitioning Myanmar.
Registration:
To attend the event in person, please purchase tickets here.