Democracy Lab Weekly Brief, January 19, 2016

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Thant Myint-U argues that Burma must find a new approach to its relationship with China to make good on the promises of its democratic opening.

Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez reports on the conflict between Venezuela’s opposition-dominated parliament and President Maduro’s chavista government.

Christian Caryl foresees an era in which both democratic and authoritarian governments struggle to placate their increasingly disaffected citizens.

Jessica Anderson urges a new approach to running the world’s overburdened refugee camps.

And now for this week’s recommended reads:

In the new issue of the Journal of Democracy, Leonardo Arriola and Terrence Lyons report on Ethiopia’s not very democratic presidential election, Alina Mungiu-Pippidi passes on lessons learned in the fight against corruption, and Christopher Walker explains how autocrats have used soft power tools to strengthen their own rule.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Carl Schreck investigates the mysterious illness of Vladimir Kara-Murza, the latest Kremlin critic to suffer from an apparent poisoning. 

The Economist sums up the dismal state of governance in the Arab world five years after the Arab Spring.

Writing for Project Syndicate, Ngaire Woods explains why the World Bank matters — and how to save it.

For the Atlantic Council’s New Atlanticist blog, Halya Coynash explains why Ukraine’s efforts to reform its prosecutor’s office have proven so disappointing.

For Latin America Goes Global, Chris Sabatini and Amy Williams survey the stances of Latin American governments on civil and human rights.

For Reuters, Hnin Yadana Zaw and Antoni Slodkowski report that Aung San Suu Kyi has made a last-minute decision to join the peace talks with Burma’s ethnic rebel groups.

For Syria Comment, Aron Lund lists the ten most important Syrian developments in 2015.

And finally, a new poll released by IRI shows that Tunisians are highly pessimistic about their economy, putting the Arab Spring’s only success into question.

In the photo, Tunisian police stand guard during a rally on January 14, 2016 on Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution.

Photo credit: FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images