After nearly half a century of isolation, stagnation and iron-fisted rule by one of the developing world's last remaining military dictatorships, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has instituted a dramatic series of political and economic reforms. These changes, instituted during the past year by a civilian government run by a former general, indicate that the military may be willing to hand over power voluntarily -- a scenario that few could have predicted as little as a year ago. Equally surprising, Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's world-famous, pro-democracy dissident and opposition leader, was recently elected to Parliament and has greeted the reforms with "cautious optimism." Western powers have responded to the nascent reforms by suspending economic and political sanctions and are beginning to invest in the desperately poor but resource-rich nation of 55 million people. However, Myanmar faces a challenging future -- especially in its treatment of ethnic minorities.

Robert Kiener is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in the London Sunday Times, The Cristian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Time Life Books, Asia Inc. and other publications. For more than two decades he lived and worked as an editor and correspondent in Guam, Hong Kong, England and Canada and is now based in the United States. He frequently travels to Asia to report on international issues. He holds a M.A. in Asian Studies from Hong Kong University and an M.Phil. in international relations from Cambridge University.