Behind the Teak Curtain, the first fieldwork-based study of Burmese rural politics and development, examines the specific circumstances under which one of the most repressive and authoritative governments in the world enjoys popularity in the countryside. The book analyzes four agricultural policies that have been implemented under the Burmese military regime since 1978, and examines their consequential and varying impacts on rice farmers' attitudes toward central and local authorities. Behind the Teak Curtain provides first-hand information on Burmese rice farmers' conceptualization of political legitimacy, their political goals and priorities, and their relationships with central government authorities and local officials.

Introduction Behind the Teak Curtain, Chapter 1 Authoritarianism and Political Legitimacy Chapter 2 The Rise of Authoritarianism and the Foundations of Rural Support for the Revolutionary Council Chapter 3 Local Administration: Understanding Divergences in Policies and Practices Chapter 4 A View from Below: Who is Responsible for Our Sufferings?: 'Atek-lu' (those from above) or 'Auk-Lu' (those from below)? Chapter 5 The Roots of Silence: Paddy Farmers and Rural Grievance Chapter 6 The Burmese Experience in Comparative Perspective

Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung, a native of Burma, is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She came to the United States in 1990 to pursue her education after the Burmese military government closed down all universities and colleges for fear of students' call for democracy. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from Indiana University-Fort-Wayne, and master's degree in International Relations from Yale University. Her Ph.D in political science is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Behind the Teak Curtain is the product of her one-year field research project in Burma in 1999, and two week- interviews in 2002.