Suu Kyi heading Rule of Law (Myanmar/Burma)

In yet another twist in Burmese politics, Aung San Suu Kyi has been appointed to chair the Hluttaw Rule of Law and Stability. According to an article in The Irrawaddy, the committee oversees the legislature, judiciary, civil service, and media to make sure they conform to the law.

I haven't seen details yet on the staff or much else about the committee's jurisdiction. However, one thing that seemed odd is that many of the MPs selected did not know they would be on the committee until announced. Moreover, the committee contains many key opposition party reformers, which could either alienate the committee from the real sources of power or embolden it to propose dramatic reforms.

Southeast Asian Courts: "To Be Free, or Not to Be?"

I have been reading Dr. Maung Maung's book Burma's Constitution, which focuses on Burma's activist Supreme Court during the late 1940s and 1950s. It reminded me of an odd trend in Southeast Asia: courts in democracies tend to exercise strong judicial review and promote progressive constitutional norms, whereas courts in authoritarian regimes rarely challenge the executive.

At first glance, this might seem obvious. So why is this so surprising?