Winning by Process: The State and Neutralization of Ethnic Minorities in Myanmar

The peace process in Myanmar stalled from 2011 to 2021 despite a liberalizing regime, a national ceasefire agreement, and a multilateral peace dialogue between the state and ethnic minorities. Winning by Process argues that stalled conflicts are more than pauses or stalemates, and the state's ability to gain advantage by manipulating the rules of negotiation, bargaining process, and sites of power and resources can shift the balance of power in negotiations.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Winning by Process is a book that delves into the question of why the peace process in Myanmar, a country with a liberalizing regime, a national ceasefire agreement, and a multilateral peace dialogue between the state and ethnic minorities, stalled from 2011 to 2021. The book argues that stalled conflicts are not merely pauses or stalemates but represent the state's ability to gain advantage by manipulating the rules of negotiation, bargaining processes, and power and resource sites.

In Myanmar, the state employed five strategies to gain through the process: locking in, sequencing, layering, outflanking, and outgunning. These strategies allowed the state to neutralize ethnic minority groups and continue to impose their vision of a centralized state, despite appearing to support federalism.

The Myanmar case serves as a powerful example of how process can shift the balance of power in negotiations intended to bring an end to civil war. During the last decade, the Myanmar state and military controlled the process, neutralized ethnic minority groups, and continued to impose their vision of a centralized state, despite appearing to support federalism.

This book provides valuable insights into the dynamics of peace processes and the strategies that states can employ to achieve their goals. It is a must-read for policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Weight: 406g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501764684