Introduction: "Since November 2010 there have been a series of political developments in Burma, many of which have variously been hailed as ?new?, ?unprecedented? and ?progress?. In August 2011 the slow drip of ?positive? developments became a steady stream, with a number of initiatives which have gained positive publicity for the dictatorship. While some remain cautious, there is an increasing perception that something new is happening in Burma. Once again, many governments are arguing that now is not the time to increase pressure for reform or for an improvement in human rights. They argue that we must wait and see what happens. Some are even arguing for some existing measures to be relaxed. This is despite the fact that on the ground in Burma, the human rights situation has deteriorated, most significantly with the increase of rape and gang rape of ethnic minority women committed by the Burmese Army. The dictatorship in Burma has a long track record of lying, and of dangling the prospect of impending change to the international community, in order to avoid increased pressure, or to try to get pressure relaxed. This briefing paper assesses whether events in Burma in the past year really are new. Are recent events in Burma a sign that real change is on the way at last? Or is this more spin and propaganda from the dictatorship, designed to relax international pressure while maintaining their grip on power?"