37 Years and Counting: Why Has Myanmar’s Democracy Struggle Taken So Long?

It has been 37 years since the 1988 Democracy Uprising. For more than three decades, the people of Myanmar have been fighting to restore the democracy stolen from them by military dictators. And yet, after all this time, true democracy remains out of reach.

Why has it taken this long?

To find the answer, we must examine the different methods the people of Myanmar have used in their struggle—and why these efforts have so often been thwarted.