Invasion on Burma

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Project Name: What should we do to invade over Burma? Answer the question by using the orientalist methodology from your reading of Edward W. Said’s Orientalism. Project Objective: Although Burma, a country in Southeast Asia, was at times divided into independent states, a series of monarchs attempted to establish their absolute rule, with varying degrees of success. Eventually, an expansionist British Government took advantage of Burma's political instability. After three Anglo-Burmese wars over a period of 60 years, the British completed their colonization of the country in 1886; Burma was immediately annexed as a province of British India. Hailed as the architect of Burma's new-found independence by the majority of Burmese, Aung San was able to negotiate an agreement in January 1947 with the British, under which Burma would be granted total independence from Britain, and Burma was finally granted independence on January 4, 1948. Burma also has had the experience of being invaded by countries like Japan, China and Thailand. This project will focus on the present condition of Burma and the reasons for further invasion on this country described and analyzed from an orientalist’s perspective. Orientalism and Orientalist: Edward W. Said, in his groundbreaking book, Orientalism, defined Orientalism as the acceptance in the West of “the basic distinction between East and West as the starting point for elaborate theories, epics, novels, social descriptions, and political accounts concerning the Orient, its people, customs, ‘mind,’ destiny and so on.”According to Said, Orientalism dates from the period of European Enlightenment and colonization of the Arab World. Orientalism provided a rationalization for European colonialism based on a self-serving history in which “the West” constructed “the East” as extremely different and inferior, and therefore in need
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