Introduction
Haiti is a nation that has not yet fully recovered from the devastation that was caused by the earthquake that occurred in 2010. Over 200,000 individuals lost their lives due to the earthquake, and many more were rendered homeless and unable to get necessities like food, water, and shelter (Messner, 2019). The nation is still fighting an uphill battle to reconstruct, and many of its citizens live in poverty.
A civil war has been raging in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar for many years. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes due to the violence, which has also caused immense misery. In addition to these problems, the nation is one of the poorest in the world and is struggling economically. Haiti and Myanmar are two very different countries in many important respects. First, Haiti is still rebuilding after the devastation caused by a natural calamity, while Myanmar is in the middle of a civil conflict. Second, Haiti is far better financially than Myanmar (Messner, 2019). Thirdly, whereas just a few hundred thousand people have been displaced in Haiti, millions in Myanmar have been forced to flee their homes. Lastly, in contrast to Haiti, Myanmar is struggling economically, whereas Haiti is not.
Despite these disparities, there are certain things that the two nations have in common. Both nations are vulnerable and have seen enormous suffering throughout their histories. In addition, both nations are underdeveloped and have had difficulty recovering from years of violent strife. The two nations were compared using an approach that is the most similar to that used to compare Haiti and Myanmar (Messner, 2019). The comparative study method with the most similar designs selects two nations with comparable political, economic, and social environments. To comprehend the similarities and differences between the two nations, this approach is utilized to compare them.
The Research Question
The study topic is as follows: What variables contribute to the difference between Haiti and Myanmar in terms of their level of fragility? The issue that has to be answered by the study is as follows: in what ways are Myanmar and Haiti comparable to one another? The similarities and differences between Myanmar and Haiti will be compared and contrasted in response to the research topic. In particular, it will analyze the similarities and differences between the two nations concerning their political unrest, violence, and poverty levels.
Similarities between Haiti and Myanmar
There have been several similarities between the two nations. First, Haiti and Myanmar are ranked eighth and tenth on the Fragile States Index. More than sixty percent of Myanmar’s population and more than eighty percent of Haiti’s population live below the poverty line (Zhang et al., 2018). Myanmar has more than 100,000 displaced persons, whereas Haiti has over 200,000. (Messner, 2019). Myanmar is recognized as the third most corrupt nation in the world, while Haiti is eighth. Both nations are economically undeveloped, with Myanmar rated second worst in the world and Haiti seventh-worst.
In Myanmar and Haiti, most people lack access to economic opportunities. Haiti is even worse in this regard. Due to a lack of opportunity, people cannot escape the cycle of poverty into which they were born, resulting in high levels of poverty (Messner, 2019). Violence is prevalent in Myanmar and Haiti, resulting in population displacement and aggravating the country’s already severe poverty. Corruption is pervasive in both countries; thus, economic progress is hindered, and the gap between the affluent and poor grows. Low economic development in Myanmar and Haiti significantly limits economic prospects and entrenches poverty.
In addition, due to their respective political structures’ volatility, Haiti and Myanmar are confronted with several formidable barriers. Poverty and unemployment, for example, are difficulties shared by both countries. In recent years, both countries have had several political and social problems (Lemay, 2019). It has led to significant abuses of human rights and a reduction in the quality of life for a substantial number of individuals. Based on these characteristics, it is plausible to infer that poverty, violence, and corruption contribute to state fragility. Countries with high levels of poverty, violence, and limited economic growth are more likely to be fragile states since many countries lack the means to preserve peace and provide for their population. Additionally, corruption affects the effective management and growth of these states.
Differences between Haiti and Myanmar
Although Haiti and Myanmar are regarded as fragile states, several notable differences between the two countries contribute to the explanation of the spectrum of state fragility. One of the most crucial differences between the two situations is how much blood was lost. There is no such fighting in Haiti, in contrast to the destruction in Myanmar, which is quite a distance away. The differential in the quantities of violent acts that have been perpetrated is one of the leading causes of the increased degree of state fragility found in Myanmar. Other significant contributions include the following: These two countries differ in several important ways, with their economic development as one of the most noticeable. Compared to Haiti, Myanmar has a far greater rate of poverty. These factors may be partially explained by the sanctions that have kept Myanmar’s economy isolated from the rest of the world’s economies for such a protracted period (Kyaw et al., 2022). Geographically isolated from the rest of the world, Myanmar has been unable to develop its economy to its full potential, contributing to the country’s high political instability.
The economy of Haiti, on the other hand, has traditionally remained far more open than the economies of any other Caribbean country. Despite being relatively poor, Haiti is not quite as far from the rest of the world as Myanmar (Oxford Analytica, 2022). Haiti has been able to expand its economy somewhat as a consequence of this situation, even though the country continues to exist in a state of extreme poverty due to this situation. The level of violence prevalent in each nation also plays a significant role in highlighting the disparity between Myanmar and Haiti in terms of how unstable each of their distinct states is. Myanmar has a lengthy history of internal and external conflicts with its close neighbors and inside its boundaries. A significant number of individuals have fled the country due to this violence, which has also negatively impacted the country’s economy. Although the nation has not seen as much conflict as Myanmar, Haiti has a history of murder. Given that Myanmar is a much larger country than Haiti and has a much more complex political structure, the difference in the levels of violence is likely related. Both of these elements lead to Myanmar’s much greater complexity.
Finally, yet importantly, Myanmar has far greater corruption compared to Haiti, which adds to the severity gap between the two nations’ various levels of political turmoil. A common misconception is that Haiti is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and Myanmar is one of the countries with the most significant levels of corruption. One of the nations with the greatest percentages of severe poverty in the world is Haiti (Oxford Analytica, 2022). This gap is undoubtedly caused by the fact that Haiti is a democracy in contrast to Myanmar, which has authoritarian governance. A totalitarian regime rules Myanmar; corruption is often more pervasive in dictatorships than in democracies. This is probably because there are fewer systems in place to hold rulers accountable for their deeds.
The degree to which each nation has built democratic institutions is a crucial factor that sets them apart. Comparatively speaking, Myanmar’s government is described as authoritarian, whereas Haiti’s is seen as democratic. The various governance systems inside each state are another critical factor that leads to the wide range of degrees of state fragility. The most significant contrast between the two nations is that Haiti is a democracy, whereas a military dictatorship rules Myanmar.
The Myanmar government will have more power due to these changes than before, but the nation as a whole will become less stable. Comparing Haiti and Myanmar’s economic growth reveals a significant gap between the two nations. This discrepancy is primarily due to Haiti’s lack of comparable natural resources to Myanmar’s wealth of such resources. On the other hand, authoritarian regimes are typically more prone to disintegrating than democratic governments due to the absence of accountability and transparency in these administrations. This is because transparent and accountable systems are in place in democratic administrations. The stark difference between the various types of administrations presently in power in Myanmar is one of the main elements contributing to the country’s high level of political unpredictability.
Conclusion
In summary, the fundamental disparities between Haiti and Myanmar explain the inequities between the two countries in terms of their susceptibility to collapse. Myanmar, sometimes known as Burma, is one of these states that may be found in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is a state that is more fragile than Haiti because of the greater level of violence that exists there, the lower level of economic growth that exists there, and the authoritarian control that exists there. All of these factors contribute to the instability that exists in Myanmar. Due to the interaction of the three factors mentioned earlier, Myanmar’s state is now in a more precarious position. The present situation in Myanmar, which is defined by a higher level of insecurity at the state level, was brought about by the accumulation of all of these different elements, each of which had a role in its growth.
In addition, progress has been made toward a better understanding of the many different kinds of states and the varying degrees to which they are susceptible. As a result of this new information, the hypothesis has been rephrased so that it more accurately reflects the significance of the determinants of violence, economic development, and the kind of regime that governs a country, all of which contribute to the fragile nature of a state. This was done to reflect better the significance of the determinants of violence, economic development, and the kind of regime that governs a country. Haiti and Myanmar are two countries often used to illustrate how unstable specific political systems may be (Messner, 2019). Both countries have several similarities, but they also have significant differences that make each more susceptible to danger. For example, the possibility of natural disasters in Haiti is higher, but political instability in Myanmar is higher. In addition, Haiti is afflicted by a more extreme example of poverty and inequality, while a more prevalent kind of corruption afflicts Myanmar. These distinct features have contributed directly to the problematic situation both nations now find themselves in, which is uncertain and hazardous.
The Caribbean country of Haiti and the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar have some similarities, yet, there are also many fundamental contrasts between the two countries. Despite their differences, Haiti and Myanmar can be described as fragile nations. Both are in danger of collapsing, and the administrations of both countries do not have the resources required to provide even the most basic services for the people in their respective countries (Nolte, 2019). This major problem affects both countries, and steps must be taken to solve it as soon as possible to mitigate the problems. Haiti and Myanmar are now dealing with challenging conditions that need urgent attention and a speedy response from the international community. Both countries’ governments need to collaborate to improve their respective political systems, fortify their economy, and reduce the number of people living in poverty. Both countries must increase the aid they provide to those requiring it.
References
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Lemay-Hébert, N. (2019). From saving failed states to managing risks: Reinterpreting fragility through resilience. In Governance and political adaptation in fragile states. Palgrave Macmillan.
Messner, J. J. (2019). Fragile states index 2020 – Annual report. Fragile states index 2020 – Annual Report. Web.
Nolte, I. M. (2019). Heterogeneous partnerships in a fragile environment: A study of motives for collaboration in Myanmar. In Nonprofit policy forum. De Gruyter (Vol. 10, Ser. 2). De Gruyter.
Oxford Analytica (2022), “Instability will hinder any economic recovery in Haiti”, Expert Briefings. Web.
Zhang, S., Chen, J., Wu, H. N., & Ye, S. (2018). How states become fragile: Relevancy of state fragility and climate change. In E3S Web of Conferences. EDP Sciences.