The world now has two Myanmars

The world now has two Myanmars

Walking through the UN General Assembly in New York this year, one of the more striking diplomatic contradictions concerned Myanmar. For most countries represented at the UN, there is little ambiguity about who speaks for the state. Governments appoint ambassadors, ambassadors represent governments and both claim authority over the same country. Myanmar was different. Its presence at the UN exposed a question that runs through the country’s enti…