The case above also shows contestation in decision-making about how external assistance is used and how villages should engage with the government on important issues such as land. This, too, is not unique to this village. From an outsider’s perspective, village advocacy efforts against external actors are often perceived as unifying with consensus among villagers on approaches to be taken. In pursuing grievances against external actors, villagers tended to put to one side the tensions that exist at the village level. However, contestation exists within villages, too. In a number of the land confiscation cases highlighted throughout the research, villagers perceived village tract administrators or village leaders to have played a role in facilitating transactions that resulted in confiscation. The research has documented similar local-level disputes that arise over the distribution of development resources either from donors and NGOs or the increasing government support.

Finally, the case above shows the increasing complexity introduced by improved communication networks as different parties can voice contending views and complain more prominently. The case highlights how strengthened information flows can be drawn on by different groups to further entrench opposing views and, on occasions, escalate disputes. Similar contests exist, for example, in villages around the Special Economic Zone in Rakhine State, where local activists with access to information from civil society networks at the township level often present rather differing views to those presented by village officials and obtained from government meetings.

We would argue that, overall, local contestation has yet to manifest itself. The transition process and the focus on the relationship of citizens and the state has meant that, for the interim, local tensions are being put to one side while parties focus on external grievances. However, given the prevalence of divergent views locally, once engagement with the state is normalized, these tensions have the potential to take more prominence. Going forward, forging strategies for anticipating and responding effectively (and equitably) to these tensions must be a priority issue.

7. Conclusions: Implications for Policy, Practice and Research Myanmar’s transition has been remarkable. A military government transferred power peacefully to a democratically elected one, Myanmar’s relations with the international community have opened up, the economy has grown, and domestic and foreign investment has increased. The government is in the midst of complex peace negotiations with several ethnic armed organizations. To date, most analysis of this transition has centered on national-level dynamics.

This paper has explored the implications of the transition for social institutions at the local level. Wholesale social transformation is a perennial and vexing challenge for poor and rich countries alike. With 70 percent of Myanmar’s population living in rural villages, understanding how the national reforms are being managed locally and how citizens are engaging in and shaping the reform process will be crucial. The paper has sought to provide a first step in this direction by drawing on a unique and extensive data set to analyze how governance reforms are changing the life experiences of people in rural communities and altering the social contract between citizens and the state.

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