Burma

A former British Crown Colony, Burma became an independent state with a parliamentary form of government on January 4, 1948. In June 1989, it formally changed its name to Myanmar. Currently, it is in the process of democratization but is ruled by a military-aligned government.  

The central government has a contentious relationship with ethnic groups, which have been calling for autonomy or secession for their regions since the country's independence. Since 1990, the regime has...