Myanmar’s general elections, scheduled for early November this year, could mark a watershed in the country’s transition from military dictatorship to parliamentary democracy.

The political and economic transformation underway in Myanmar is an important strategic opportunity for the United States and Japan, given the country’s potential impact on the establishment of a stable and prosperous order in Asia based on democratic values and market-based economic policies.

Transitioning Myanmar from authoritarianism to democracy and from a planned to a market economy brings unprecedented political, social, and economic difficulties.

Myanmar’s political and economic reforms under President Thein Sein have raised hopes and expectations at home and abroad. But Myanmar’s challenges remain formidable.