Mary P. Callahan is Associate Professor and Director of the International Studies Program at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

"While Burma's military government presents the outside world with various road maps to democracy and the possibility of a return to civilian rule, Mary Callahan, a professor at the University of Washington, presents in her excellent study . . . the reasons why the Burmese generals are so resistant to political reform. . . . Callahan describes the mentality of today's Burmese military rulers, with its legacy of distrust between them and the population. . . . In other countries . . . , military rule was always short-lived, and nonmilitary social forces . . . managed to survive periods of repression. In contrast, Callahan points out, there are no reports that anyone inside Burma's armed forces 'is questioning the propriety of treating citizens as enemies.' Even a compromise with the opposition would be seen as a capitulation, so the army simply manipulates the course of events to perpetuate military rule, not to change the way in which the country is ruled."—Bertil Linter, Far Eastern Economic Review, January 29, 2004

Mary P. Callahan is Associate Professor and Director of the International Studies Program at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

"While Burma's military government presents the outside world with various road maps to democracy and the possibility of a return to civilian rule, Mary Callahan, a professor at the University of Washington, presents in her excellent study . . . the reasons why the Burmese generals are so resistant to political reform. . . . Callahan describes the mentality of today's Burmese military rulers, with its legacy of distrust between them and the population. . . . In other countries . . . , military rule was always short-lived, and nonmilitary social forces . . . managed to survive periods of repression. In contrast, Callahan points out, there are no reports that anyone inside Burma's armed forces 'is questioning the propriety of treating citizens as enemies.' Even a compromise with the opposition would be seen as a capitulation, so the army simply manipulates the course of events to perpetuate military rule, not to change the way in which the country is ruled."—Bertil Linter, Far Eastern Economic Review, January 29, 2004

Mary P. Callahan is Associate Professor and Director of the International Studies Program at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

"While Burma's military government presents the outside world with various road maps to democracy and the possibility of a return to civilian rule, Mary Callahan, a professor at the University of Washington, presents in her excellent study . . . the reasons why the Burmese generals are so resistant to political reform. . . . Callahan describes the mentality of today's Burmese military rulers, with its legacy of distrust between them and the population. . . . In other countries . . . , military rule was always short-lived, and nonmilitary social forces . . . managed to survive periods of repression. In contrast, Callahan points out, there are no reports that anyone inside Burma's armed forces 'is questioning the propriety of treating citizens as enemies.' Even a compromise with the opposition would be seen as a capitulation, so the army simply manipulates the course of events to perpetuate military rule, not to change the way in which the country is ruled."—Bertil Linter, Far Eastern Economic Review, January 29, 2004