Constitution-making is a defining act of postcolonial states. From the mid-20th century, many countries from Thailand to Myanmar have experienced a rapid turnover in constitutions. By the 21st century, most states have had multiple constitutions, contrary to the prevailing ideal of constitutional endurance.
In postcolonial contexts, there have also been coups and periods of military rule with or without a constitution. My project explores how the legacies of past constitutions affect the process and outcome of the struggle for constitutional democracy. My project focuses on constitutional history in Myanmar.
While at CSEAS, I will be working on a manuscript about constitutional endurance and how past constitutions matter to contemporary reform debates in Myanmar. Based on my extended field research in Myanmar, the manuscript offers a constitutive approach to the relationship between constitutions and societies in the postcolony, with a focus on how periods of military rule and unconstitutional rule shape constitutional futures.
I will also work on an article for the Annual Review of Law & Social Sciences.