Since 2011, Myanmar has been one of the main countries to draw international attention.
Before that year, international news coverage on the country was mostly related to
oppression and political turmoil caused by military dictatorship. However, after 2011, the
reasons were quite different. Several political and legal reforms brought by the civilian-led
government, although backed by the military group, have made a drastic shift of international
climate towards the country. Still, there is cautious scepticism on the real intention of
these reforms, which included releasing Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and a massive
number of political prisoners from prison, relaxing censorship and legalizing trade unions.
All these changes were welcomed by international society and rewarded by cancelation
of all actions implemented by mostly US and European countries. These reforms
turned the country from a problematic country under military dictatorship to an attractive
one for investment with natural resources and cheap labours. The reforms also brought
about new dynamics in society: trade union legalization has had a big impact on workplace
and led to mushrooming labour unions.
Together with government efforts to lure foreign investment through various measures
including favourable legislation for foreign capital, foreign direct investment has increased
dramatically in a short period. In order to secure an advantageous political position in the
2015 election against a prominent political rival, Aung San Suu Kyi, President Thein Sein
has pushed liberal economic policies such as the Foreign Investment Law enacted in 2012
in the hope of getting positive outcomes such as increasing jobs and rapid economic
growth in a short time.
The increasing number of companies boosted by foreign investment together with legalization
of trade unions has brought the promulgation of labour organisations. More than
670 labour organisations have been registered in the 2 years since the implementation of
the law (Wilson, 2013).