Foreign Aid for Myanmar's Transition: Capacity Takes Precedence

Myanmar is in the nascent stage of what could possibly become the most extensive transition undertaken by any country in recent history. After twenty-plus years of sanctions, Myanmar is now the darling of the international development community. This paper will investigate the aid programs offered to the Myanmar government to assist in its massive reform effort. This research will focus on answering the following question: With particular reference to capacity development, what conflicts exist between the principles of the international Official Development Assistance (ODA) regime and the realities of development in Myanmar? Utilizing a comparative case studies approach, the findings of this research are that while certain principles of the ODA are not being adhered to, these cases are minimal. In such cases, the logic of capacity development seems to take precedence.