Dissident Crackdown
The country's pro-democracy movement received a significant setback in November 11, as a judicial tribunal sentenced two-dozen activists to severe prison terms, effectively preventing them from participating in the 2010 general election. The crackdown is not surprising and should lay to rest the authorities' commitment to genuine political reform as part of its seven-step "Roadmap to Democracy." Meanwhile, relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh have become a little frosty given their maritime boundary dispute in the Bay of Bengal - parts of which hold considerable promise for oil and gas reserves. Real GDP growth will remain tepid, and already high inflation could be exacerbated by rice shortages next year. More…