Thammasat University students are cordially invited to attend the extended Third International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS), held onsite and online, hosted by Chiang Mai University and Mandalay University.

Onsite activities will be from 5 to 7 March 2021; online panel presentations will continue throughout 2021.

The Thammasat University Library collection includes a full and informative selection of books on the history and culture of Myanmar. 

As the Facebook page of the conference explains,

Presentations of interest 

Among accepted abstracts for the conference is one on Max Weber’s Discipline vs. Charisma in Myanmar Political Context.

As many TU students know, Max Weber was a German sociologist, historian, attorney, and political economist, who is seen as one of the most insightful theorists on the development of modern Western society.  Weber’s ideas have profoundly influenced social theory and social research. Despite being recognized as one of the fathers of sociology, Weber never saw himself as a sociologist, but as a historian.

The TU Library also owns several books by and about Max Weber and his contributions to thought. 

The author of Max Weber’s Discipline vs. Charisma in Myanmar Political Context is Professor Mon Mon Myat of Payap University in Chiang Mai. The TU Library collection includes some research that was produced at Payap University. 

The abstract for the presentation follows:

Abstract
As Myanmar has a long history of monarchy rule, British colonial rule and military rule, violence culture rooted in Myanmar’s power politics, which creates conflict setting in precolonial period, colonial period and post-colonial period. We can see “the oppressive nature of rationalized bureaucratic rule”, in German sociologist Max Weber’s term, in all these ruling systems. The highest-level authority being a single individual who has absolute power rules the state. Max Weber described the nature of military discipline: “They are trained to shoot and stop shooting on command. …. individual thought or contemplation is never tolerated in a disciplined force.” The authoritarian rulers made decision with their own mindless “judging machine” according to Weber’s term. All within this system fear punishment from those rulers. Max Weber also described charismatic leadership as “inherently embedded in both emotion and an individual personality.” When Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the assassinated national leader Aung San, first entered Myanmar politics in 1988, she was the beneficiary of her father’s charisma, and millions of supporters accepted her as a national heroine. She plays a significant role in Myanmar politics as the country faced the oppressive authoritarian rule for decades. If we look at Aung San Suu Kyi’s endeavour since the beginning, we can simply see what she’s been trying is to transcend the oppressive nature of totalitarian rule built over fear of people in Myanmar
which is the same way other charismatic leaders Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King did for their nations. It is undeniable that the root cause of all conflicts in Myanmar is fear, fear of losing power and fear of losing dignity and rights of people. This paper will examine how military discipline and chrismatic leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi play in Myanmar’s transition to democracy.

Another presentation of special usefulness for TU students of literature and ASEAN studies is Nature and Behavior of Ancient Myanmar People of Different Eras Illustrated in Myanmar Poems.

This presentation is by Professor Chaw Su Mar Win, Department of Myanmar, University of Yangon and Professor Aung Thaung.

The University of Yangon is the oldest university in Myanmar’s modern education system and the best known university in Myanmar.

Kamayut Township is located in the north central part of Yangon. Kamayut is considered the “college town” of the Yangon.

The abstract for this literary presentation follows:

Abstract
This paper concentrates on how the reflection of nature and behavior of ancient Myanmar people enormously encourages the moral, social and political value of new generations in Myanmar. Whether court poets or hamlet poets, they reflected the beautiful and optimistic life style of ancient Myanmar people. The greatest works of language is in the poems that illustrate the nature and behavior of their subjects. The royal family in the poems is impressive, however the hamlet people in folk poems create the character of the nation. This study points out the nature and behavior of ancient Myanmar people such as their faithfulness, peacefulness, equality, sympathy and patriotism, from royal kings to local citizens, illustrated in Myanmar poems. Although there are many wonderful poems reflecting each behavior, 15 well-known poems are highlighted as examples to express the nature and
behavior of ancient Myanmar people of different areas and how they evoke the ways of living style intellectually and emotionally.

Still another presentation of value among the accepted abstracts is The Endurance of Traditional Beliefs in Buddhist Festivals: A Case
Study of the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Taunggyi, Southern Shan
State, Myanmar as delivered by Professor Aye Aye Aung of the
Department of Anthropology, University of Yangon.

Here is the abstract for that presentation:

Abstract
Taunggyi Hot Air Balloon Festival is the most well-known festival for not only Myanmar ethnic but also foreigners. The festival was established with the meaning of religious belief.
Although, at the beginning of the festival, the number of balloon was only one, year by year celebrating the festival, the number of balloons is increased until over 400. Nowadays, the festival is transnationally celebrated as the traditional handicraft balloon competition. The competitors more and more follow and devote the traditional belief to become the winner of the competition. The youths of both Buddhism and other religion are participating in the
festival with the combination of traditional belief. Thus, the aim of this research is to explore the core performances and the significance manners as traditional beliefs in their festival.
The specific objectives are to explore the traditional belief of the participants, to find out the role and function of traditional belief in festival and to analysis the influences of traditional belief and religious belief of the festival. In this research, qualitative research is used and descriptive study design is applied. Key informant interview and direct observation are important as the research tools for exploring the aim of the research.

(all images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)