For the third year running Burma’s position on the annual Failed States Index rose, indicating declining conditions inside the country and strengthening claims that Burma is, in fact, a failed state.

Burma’s cumulative score in the 2007 rankings worsened by 2.6 percent, boosting its positional ranking from 18 to 14, just one position behind North Korea. In 2005 Burma polled 23.

The country received exceptionally poor scores in the categories of Group Grievance and Delegitimization of the State, acknowledging the plight of ethnic and fringe communities and focusing attention on the undemocratic nature of governance by the military junta.

However its lowest score was reserved for Human Rights, receiving a mark of 9.8 out of 10 and bested only by Sudan.

Of the 60 worst countries on the list of 177, Burma did receive the best score in terms of External Intervention. Yet this only further signifies that Burma’s current dire position is largely of its own making.

Foreign Policy magazine, distributor of the Index, lays a good portion of the blame for failure at the doorstep of the poor government. “Though many events-natural disasters, economic shocks, an influx of refugees from a neighboring country-can lead to state failure, few are as decisive or as deadly as bad leadership.”

“In order for the country’s situation to improve, the junta will have to follow through with the promised political reforms, including opening up the political system and freeing Aung San Suu Kyi. It must also institute sweeping economic reforms, including reduced government and military intervention in the economy,” according to the Fund for Peace, conductor of the survey.

Sudan topped the list for the second consecutive year.