Myanmar

John Southalan is a mediator, barrister, and academic. He first worked with Burmese lawyers, on rule of law and democracy issues in Myanmar (Burma) through the Australian Volunteers Abroad program in 1999 and 2000. Since that time, John has regularly volunteered in legal capacity training programs on the Thai-Burma border (2006-2014) and then in Myanmar (2017-2020). He has also written articles including ‘Burma and the common law? An uncommon question’ (Thailand Law Journal 2006) and ‘Impunity and Judicial Independence’ (Legal Issues on Burma Journal 2004). The country, as a former British colony, has some similar legal legacies to other colonies like Australia. But with great ethnic diversity and a history of military governments, there is a very an uncertain road ahead.