The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma (the remainder of this article will continue to call it Myanmar except when using a direct quote), is a country nestled in Southeast Asia. It had a relatively short independent life, formerly under British rule. Since its independence, Myanmar has spent much of its life under military rule. Its leaders having deliberately cut themselves off from the Western world, the country has spent years suffering sanctions from the European Union and the United States for its various human rights violations. In 2007, the Saffron Revolution put Myanmar in the spotlight. Thousands of monks took to the streets to speak out against the tyrannical military government (McGeown, 2008). The government's harshness and its actions against its people lit up the world stage. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis put this country back in the spotlight, killing more than seventy-five thousand people (“Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis”, 2011). Aid coming into the country was met with resistance. When the military regime relinquished control of the government almost overnight, President Thein Sein was democratically elected in 2010 and took office in 2011. This brought change to Myanmar, becoming a more democratic and peaceful country. nation and freeing many political prisoners including the famous Aung San Suu Kyi. Relations with Western countries began, and due to the perceived positive changes in the country, sanctions were lifted from the European Union and the United States. President Obama became the first president to visit the country (“Obama lauds aung,” 2012) and President Thein Sein visited the United States. Despite all these positive changes, human rights violations persist in the country...... middle of paper...... in the rest of the world has increased rapidly, as has interest from the rest the world for him. The country's external interactions and the country's stability depend on the conflict taking place on its borders. If Myanmar wants to become a global player, it must resolve these conflicts in a timely manner. Caution is also needed as many humanitarian monitoring groups are closely monitoring the situation, particularly in the Rakhine region. President Thein Sein must take care of those the country considers stateless and must work with his neighbors on this issue. Foreign actors must also exercise caution. Presumably, Myanmar could close its doors as quickly as they opened. The world will continue to keep an eye on whether Myanmar maintains democratic government and will be particularly careful during the upcoming elections. 2015..