First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

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.

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