With investments by Japan and Japanese companies — as well as their American and European counterparts — on the rise in the once-pariah state of Burma (also known as Myanmar), it is worth asking how much the country has really changed since the days of military rule. One issue, in particular, that should be of great interest to Japan and the rest of East Asia is the extent of Burma's military relations with North Korea.
Even as progress continues on a range of political and economic fronts, the latest news reports from Burma make clear that significant human rights concerns remain across many of the states that make up this troubled union.
Recent military activities in Burma's southern Kachin State have displaced thousands of villagers, and flare-ups in sectarian violence just weeks ago in Rakhine State have left numerous people dead not far from one of the nation's top beach destinations.