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A chapter of the book "Southeast Asian Affairs 2009" is presented. It explores the events in Myanmar in 2008 including the constitutional referendum, the lack of progress related to the case of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the casualties that resulted from Cyclone Nargis. It highlights the country's lack of a meteorological system and the exceptional strength of the natural calamity that resulted to thousands of people dead, devastated houses and flooded agricultural lands.

The article looks at the foreign trade of Myanmar under its military government. It is stated that the country's exports had grown consistently for 13 consecutive years until fiscal year 2002-2003 before falling in the following year, however, they recovered to $3.55 billion in 2002-2006. Meanwhile, the imports outpaced the exports throughout the 1990s that resulted to large deficits but starting 2002-2003, the deficit had turned into a surplus.

The article presents a reprint of the article "Mapping the Contours of Human Security Challenges in Myanmar," by Tin Maung Maung Than, which appeared in the previous issue of "MYANMAR: State, Society and Ethnicity." It discusses the human rights and democracy issues, narcotics issue as well as ethnic issues to explore the vulnerablities of the people of Myanmar to threats which are no less deserving of policy sensitivity and response.

Chapter 8 of the book "International Migration in Southeast Asia" is presented. It explores the risks of the Myanmar-Thailand border on forced migration. It highlights the issue of forced migration and distinct groups of forced and undocumented migrants in the specific political geographic context of the borderlands.