Description

In Myanmar, research has long been associated with challenges and questions in terms of ethics and practice. With a history of successive authoritarian regimes and earlier colonial occupation setting the stage for more extractive research relationships, researchers—both international and domestic—have continued to conduct research in the face of harsh restrictions. In addition, university research ethics processes are not necessarily able to adapt to the complexity of fieldwork in dynamic contexts, with international fieldwork a noted challenge.  Since the military coup in February 2021 ended a decade of more democratic rule in Myanmar, these questions have become more acute. How can and should international researchers engage in Myanmar when the state has been captured by an illegitimate military regime? What ethical responsibilities do researchers, and especially international researchers, have when working on Myanmar or other authoritarian contexts? What practical approaches to research can be used in a context of restricted access and high risks for researchers? How can foreign researchers engage productively with scholars and practitioners in and from Myanmar, in ways that benefit people in and from Myanmar and while ‘doing no harm’? What are the priority areas for future / additional research and impact? And most fundamentally, what value does academic research bring to Myanmar’s people in these extraordinarily challenging times, and how can this value be enhanced? This panel discussion will address key questions about the ethics and practice of research in Myanmar, through a moderated discussion among expert panel members and other participants.