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Mission to Burma

STANDARD: National Standards for History (The National Center for History in the Schools) Era 10, Standard 1: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present). Understands recent developments in foreign and domestic politics. Standard 1B: The student understands major foreign policy initiatives.

This lesson accompanies the article for student reading on the next page.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this article, students will learn about:
• The dictatorship that has ruled Burma since 1988.
• The Obama Administration’s pro-engagement policy.
• Recent efforts by Burma’s leadership to ease tensions with the United States.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Should the United States change its policy toward Burma?

TALKING POINTS:

• What led to U.S. and EU sanctions against Burma?
• How effective have these sanctions been?
• Why is the United States planning to visit Burma now?
• How would President Obama’s policy of engagement change relations with Burma?

PRE-READING:

Have students examine the map of Burma and the surrounding region. Discuss Burma’s location in Asia. Ask students what countries in the region they recognize. Have students share what they know about the countries shown on the map.

DURING READING:

Have students read “Sanctions on Burma.” Discuss the purpose of sanctions. Have students reflect on times when punishments are effective versus when they are ineffective. Ask students what they think about the sanctions imposed on Burma. Have they been effective?

AFTER READING:

Divide the class into pairs or small groups and have them discuss the pros and cons of the president’s new policy of engagement. Have each pair or group share their findings with the class.

ANSWERS TO GLOBE GALLOPERS

1. Create a map key with a symbol that identifies the countries that purchase natural gas from Burma. The key should include a symbol that depicts the purchase of natural gas. 2. Mark that symbol in the appropriate countries. Check that students have marked China and Thailand.

ANSWERS TO READERS RESPOND

1. Give two examples of how Burma’s government has discouraged opposition to its rule. It arrested the leader of the National League for Democracy when that group won elections in 1990 so that it could not gain power. Pro-democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in 2007 were crushed by the army, killing dozens.

2. Compare the policy of sanctions with the policy of engagement. The U.S. and EU sanctions policy was intended to isolate Burma in the hope of bringing about change. The policy of engagement has the same goal of change, but instead of isolating the country the policy will open discussions with its leaders.

3. Do you agree more with the opinion of Congressman Rohrabacher or Senator Webb? Explain. Answers will vary, but should mention specific points made by each man.

4. Do you think that Burma is “softening”? Why? Possible answers: Yes; talks have already begun between officials of Burma and the United States, the ruling junta is allowing elections next year for the first time since 1990, the rulers allowed U.S. officials to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. No; although Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with foreign officials, the junta recently extended her prison sentence. Also, the junta’s senior general warned political parties not to do anything that could harm the interests of the state.

Article for student reading is on the next page.

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