As you know, after opening up in 2011 with a new civilian government, international community has been eying on the Myanmar’s transition, how she will continue her democratic process, and in which way she will diversify her foreign relations. And being isolated for many decades, Myanmar realized that it’s time to change, to reintegrate into international community for the development of our country. With this aim in her mind, Myanmar opened up her new chapter in her relations by transforming the country into democratic system with 7-step of roadmap. Since then, international media frequently refer Myanmar’s democratic transition as Myanmar’s spring. And this process has created challenges and opportunities due to need of balancing among major powers. As Myanmar assumes ASEAN Chairmanship of 2014, the focus on country’s foreign policy or orientation will come under further scrutiny. So in this context, my presentation will try to answer how Myanmar will stand and play her foreign policy under new government.

Let me give you an overview of Myanmar’s foreign policy. Some terminologies such as neutralism, positive neutralism, non-alignment, independence and active foreign policies can be seen in Myanmar’s foreign policy because Myanmar has consistently attire to the foreign policy of Neutralism, with some variations debating on international and domestic policies since the abandons. When we look back on this foreign policy, we can see its foreign policy has been based on the liberal tradition that the state will stand on its own and follow the international principles of peaceful settlement of dispute. However, the leaders’perceptions of changing international and domestic politics made foreign policy implementations on the realist idea, that is taking side or grouping with other states to balance the powers likely to interfere Myanmar’s national affairs.

When Myanmar achieved its independence (1948-1962), she practice“Independent neutrality”as a workable foreign policy. But when BSPP come to be in charge, its foreign policy of“Positive Neutrality”came to be known as independent foreign policy. The changes in terminology only reflect the ware that Myanmar’s foreign policy was being implemented in accordance with the changing conditions in the world. So Myanmar government emphasized selfreliance and has no willing to play an active role in international affairs. In 1988 when SLORC/SPD came to power, the hierarchies of core foreign policy objectives were to enhance security, economic development and prosperity, promote peaceful and equitable world order. To serve the domestic politicalsecurity, its foreign policy has focused on persuading the neighbors to adopt clear policies of non-interference in order to quell the government’s confrontation with ethnic insurgencies along the border. And receiving assistance such as soft loans from international financial institutions has also halted. So Myanmar’s foreign policy has served to promote economy cooperation with neighboring economies to supplement national development. Another in is the international recognition. The search for the international recognition has been seen through Myanmar’s member ship in regional institutions. That’s why Myanmar would like to take part in regional organizations like ASEAN and so on.

Let me continue with the foreign policy under U Thein Sein’s Administration.Some scholars comment on Myanmar’s foreign policy that our policy is to reestablish relations with US to gain the reputation in ASEAN and to balance China’s excessive involvement in Myanmar by practicing peaceful coexistence principles.As you know the Liberalist assumptions in case of foreign policy that international politics is characterized by harmony among international actors. So our president has mentioned that the aim of President’s foreign policy is to to live peacefully with the rest of the world and not only to rebuild a sound relationship with the West but also to develop and maintain better ties with other Asian countries, especially ASEAN members. Therefore the approach of our foreign policy under president U Thein Sein is to highlight a reorientation of foreign policy by opening to the west to bring about economic modernization and to close the gap to the other countries in the region.

Let me give some explanation about New Myanmar’s foreign policy which is based on National Interest, Goals &Strategy in Implementing FP.

After taking office in March 2011, the new administration has made efforts to maintain two wishes of Myanmar entire people which is peace & stability and to develop the country with strong economy. So these wishes will be performed with tree major duties, which are nation’s transitionbuilding new nation and improvement of whole Myanmar. But the economic development calls for three basic principles which are environmentally sustainable, socially sustainable and economically sustainable. The reforms paved the way for the new government’s role in its foreign relations and also leads to the impacts on its foreign policy orientation.

I would also like to talk some about Myanmar’s Reform & Foreign Policy Directions. When Myanmar opened a new era of social political change, the US has changed its policy towards Myanmar. Obama administration initiated comprehensive policy review towards new Myanmar with the adoption of a more pragmatic policy also known as the policy of engagement. So Myanmar’s reproachment with US shows the new policy orientation, but it did not deviated from the essence of our foreign policy practice. With the moment of Myanmar’s democratic transition, the west, east pledged to implement B2B transaction and offer technical assistance. Taking this opportunity, president U Thein Sein visited five EU members in March 2013. Credibility is the major factor in easing the relations between Myanmar and EU countries when reform measures are translated into success. Different political systems and other factors such as human rights conditions in the past 20 years did ice up relations between Myanmar and the majority of the Paris Club Members. After reforming, Myanmar gained duty free to European markets under the term of everything but arms. And the generalize for preferences (150:54) allowed Myanmar to pay lower tariffs on some of the exports to EU. And because of these reforms, Myanmar could also reduce debt with help of Paris Club countries to take Myanmar out of LDC list.

The changes of direction brought worry for China and the existing interest in the country and its strategic plans for the future. In the last decade, Myanmar has become heavily reliant on China both as a provider and as a source of raw materials. And China in turn has embraced Myanmarfor its own strategic reasons including the need for natural gas and access to north Indian Ocean. So this mutual reliance has allowed China to maintain influence on Myanmar’s politics. To illustrate Myanmar’s friend relations with China, President U Thein Sein immediately visited China after assuming the presidency and the comprehensive strategic partnership were then signed. But many analysts criticized that this partnership has dropped as realistic policy goal. They continued to warn that the normalization of Myanmar-US relations was found to threaten China’s security and damage M-C cooperation and indirectly hurt the security of Chinese border and energy transportation route. So Myanmar’s political transition has created opportunities and challenges in engaging her foreign relations because of the need to balance major powers.

About Myanmar’s relation with ASEAN, as chair of ASEAN, Myanmar definitely provides crucial recognition of ASEAN and international communities for Myanmar’s reform process. Myanmar’s assuming of ASEAN chairmanship in 2014 help prompted the country further on its political reform. Myanmar’s exercise of its independent and active foreign policy will come to the fore in 2014. The world’s attention will be emphasized on New Myanmar’s ability to steer discussion among ASEAN members.

In my conclusion I would like to say that Changes in the application of Myanmar foreign policy can be found. Successive Myanmar governments have changed the strategy of implementation in its foreign policy in accordance with the changing international situations to promote the national interests. The main essence of Myanmar’s foreign policy remains unchanged. Sometimes Myanmar pursued an active involvement strategy in international affairs to promote their national interests and sometimes followed a low-involvement giving priority to the national peace, stability and security. Under president U Thein Sein, New Myanmar takes an independent stand, decides each issue according to its merits in keeping with its own national interests. The new administration implemented an ambitious program of sweeping reforms to end isolation & integrate country economy with global system.