Burma Underground

Dear Guardian,

The Editor — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:05:26 -0700

I see you have an article up about a vineyard in Shan State. It was a somewhat interesting article, though to be honest I'm not really a wine person, so I didn't find the details terribly interesting. But I wanted to talk to you about that title. I mean really, are you serious? I'm sure some editor there was like, "Get it? FER-menting a revolution! Hah!" Someone must have thought it was clever, because you actually printed it. Now, don't get me wrong, I often enjoy a good pun myself, but here's the thing - "ferments a revolution in Burma" isn't funny. It's kind of offensive.

Urgent Appeal

The Editor — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:00:00 -0700

I received an email update the other day concerning the case of the four Kachin girls who were first gang raped by SPDC soldiers and then imprisoned because the story was leaked to the press.

The appeal below was also published at the Kachin News, although I'm not sure where it originated apart from the OMCT- and I couldn't find the original on that website. I'm posting here not only because it's an important case, but because the appeal includes the contact addresses, phone numbers, and emails of several key Burmese officials. I'm sure many people, and hopefully spambots, will be able to put this information to good use.

Nuclear Burma

The Editor — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:11:11 -0800

Dictator Watch now has an article up on speculations about the Junta's involvement in the proliferation of nuclear technology (NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION AND BURMA: THE HIDDEN CONNECTION). It's no secret that Burma has cultivated close ties with other 'rogue' states, like North Korea and Iran. They are also known to have purchased missiles from China, North Korea, Ukraine, and Russia. Despite the lack of enemies or potential conflicts beyond their own borders.

Gambari and the Lion

The Editor — Fri, 26 May 2006 17:19:13 -0700

After a three day visit to Burma last week, UN Under Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari seems positive that the junta was ready to 'begin a new chapter in its relationship with the international community.'

During the visit, Gambari met with the nation's top brass, including General Than Shwe, to whom he passed a letter from Kofi Annan urging him to release Aung San Suu Kyi. Perhaps most surprising to everyone, was that he was also allowed to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself, the first official visit she's been allowed in years.

Many, including Gambari, have hailed this meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi as a sign that the oppressive junta is 'opening up', and may even be willing to release the democratic leader on Saturday, when her term of house arrest is up once again.

Burma - They've got a party goin' on...

The Editor — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:16:21 -0700

Newsweek has a cringe inducing article from a Mr. Joe Cochrane regarding his visit to Rangoon for the New Year Festival. It's titled, Techno Revolution. The title doesn't immediately reveal the inanity of the article, although you might be able to guess what's coming. The page's descriptive title is "Burma: Despite Military Junta, Partying Goes On". Reading it seriously made my head hurt. If I ever meet Joe Cochrane in person, I'd have to put the smack down for the following quote: "People with a rudimentary understanding of the place think it’s only authoritarian rule, forced labor and gross human rights abuses around the clock. But that’s only one side of the story. Despite its endless woes, Burma is also a pretty happening place, as I learned last week."

Sneaky Bastards are up to Something...

The Editor — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 02:08:38 -0700

The sequence of events happening over the last few months has made it apparent that the Burmese junta is up to something. From stepping up their counterinsurgencies to denouncing the NLD and Daw Suu Kyi as irrelevant, it seems they are taking steps to consolidate and/or extend their power over the beleugered nation. It also seems that they are still suffering from the delusion that people can't see through their thinly veiled propaganda and lies, but knowing they are full of shite is cold comfort when witnessing bits of their evil plan for dominion slowly roll forth.

Burma Wide Web

The Editor — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 01:31:42 -0700

It probably comes as no surprise that as far as internet censorship goes, the Burmese junta is one of the most restrictive in the world. Current figures put internet usage within the country at .6%, which is primarily dial-up. The vast majority of people must access the internet through cafes, which are also obliged to report on their clients' usage - as they also do in China.

The Open Net Initiative has released a detailed report on internet censorship in the country. You can read the full report here: http://www.opennetinitiative.net/studies/burma

There are primarily two ISP's within the country, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and Bagan Cybertech, which is a semi-private company. The report indicates that the country has begun switching over to a 'Fortiguard', a filter and firewall product from Fortinet - a US company. Fortinet's spokesperson says that the company only sells to resalers, and therefore was unaware that they're product had been purchased by the Junta. However, the ONI researchers had this to say on the matter:

Shwe Gas

The Editor — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 04:32:25 -0700

Exploration is well under way by Daewoo of the natural gas feilds off the coast of Arakan State in western Burma. Arakan State borders Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal, and is home to the Arakanese (Rakhine) and the Rohingya, Burma's muslim minority. Read about it here: History of Arakan State.

For the last several months, I've been editing stories via email every day for Narinjara News, covering Arakan State. The stories are brief, and come plainly stating news that should all rights be shocking. Its been through bits and peices in these articles that I've learned about this place and the people there. Its only been with today's article on the Shwe Gas project, and my subsequent decision to finally google something, that the sequence of news events as they've been coming to me have seemed to coalesced into a disturbing pattern.

Daewoo stands to earn an annual profit of $100 million from the project. Here's what the people of Arakan state have gotten lately:

Education Schmeducation

The Editor — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 23:04:23 -0700

The Burmese Junta has been doing an excellent job of ensuring there will be no more student uprising. Heck, if there are no students, there can't be an uprising! Ridiculously low teacher salaries, government controlled curricula and costs of tuition have made it so that only those with connections to the military can get a decent education in Burma. Everyone else is left to choose between their schooling and their livelihood.

Here's an excellent article on education in Kachin State, from Irrawaddy Magazine.

Breaking News

The Editor — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 07:38:09 -0700

The SPDC recently announced (again) that the National Coalition Government of Burma (NCGB - in exile), the All Burma Students' Democratic Front and the Shan State Army are illegal. Any and all members of said organizations and their leaders are subject to arrest and imprisonment.

In other news, the sky is blue and pigs can't fly.

Martian Rumours

The Editor — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 09:07:26 -0700

Rumours began circulating last week that there was a coup in Burma. Not a coup to be particularly excited about, mind you, as it was suspected the Junta's number two man, Maung Aye, had ousted General Than Shwe - who himself had seized power in an overthrow of General Khin Nyunt. But, as far as news goes, a coup is nothing to shake a stick at. For a few days at least, news agencies and the Thai intelligence were all abuzz trying get confirmation. Except for the paper which ran the original story, (which I haven't found, by the way) few Burma watchers ever believed it was true. Although unusual fluctuations in the exchange rate and price of gold in Burma did give some pause - it seems merely that the rumor was wreaking a bit of havoc in Yangon as well.