‘Outsourcing the Polity; Non-State Welfare, Inequality and Resistance in Myanmar” offers a new account of social outsourcing and non-state social provisioning in post-independence Myanmar, with clear implications for understanding the post-coup context. Grounded in extensive research during Myanmar’s decade of partial civilian rule (2011–2021), the book examines how ideals and practices of non-state welfare – charity, philanthropy and social provisioning beyond the state – can both sustain democratic resistance and entrench inequality over time.

The book, recently published by Cornell University Press, was launched at SEA Junction on 21 May at 5.30-7.00 pm with a panel discussion. The presentations explored the book in light of the extraordinary resilience of Myanmar’s revolutionary movement since the 2021 military coup and reflect on its relevance for a future New Myanmar. In particular, the panel considered how legacies of autocratic market reform and austerity have shaped the material and ideological basis of the ongoing struggle against dictatorship in Myanmar, including the role of Burmese abroad. The panel is composed of the author and experts as follows:

Panel Moderator

Rosalia Sciortino, Associate Professor, Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) and Director SEA Junction

Panel Speakers

Gerard McCarthy, Author and Assistant Professor, Social Policy & Development at International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (part of Erasmus University of Rotterdam)
Sirada Khemanitthathai, Lecturer, Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University
Arkar Hein, Program Specialist, United States Institute of Peace

Photographer: Chawin Chantalikit and Vanissa Kattiya-Aree