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On December 26, 2023, Ivan Zaitsev, Junior Research Fellow of the Center of the Indo-Pacific Region took part in the XI All-Russian Scientific Conference "History of Oriental Studies: Traditions and Modernity".

The event was organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Ivan Zaitsev made a report "Understanding Modernity through the Prism of History: the Contribution of Russian Orientalists to the Study of the Ideology of the Regime of General Ne Win (1962-1988) in Burma" in the framework of Section 10 "History and Historiography of the Modern East".

It was noted in the presentation that the era of the first military regime in the history of the country –   the rule of General Ne Win (1962-1988) – contributed to the formation of a special political culture and ideology of the Burmese military, which saw itself as the only force with the legitimate right to preserve the territorial unity of the country. General Ne Win's regime is the logical predecessor of several Burmese military regimes (1988-2011; 2021-present), which makes its study important for understanding the current political situation in the country. The contribution of Russian orientalists to the study of the ideology of General Ne Win's regime was assessed. Attention was focused on the works of Alexander Aghajanian, Igor Vsevolodov, Vasily Vasiliev, Nikolay Listopadov, and Larisa Tsekhanova. Particular attention is paid to the formation of the regime's ideology; interpretation of the ideas of socialism; attitude towards democracy; reasons for the manifestation of xenophobia; as well as the influence of traditional culture on the ideology of the regime. The report summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the works of the listed authors, and assesses the significance of the findings for understanding contemporary political processes in Burma (Myanmar).