Burma Underground

Breaking News of Current Situation Inside Burma!

The Editor — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:51:08 -0700

September 28, 2007

Dear All,

Kindly forgive the brevity and the lack of formatting of the following email. I am now sending this information out as we are now receiving it. As many of you are now aware phone lines have been cut, mobile networks have been disabled, and Internet access has also been disabled. Information, therefore, is now very difficult to obtain and confirm. I therefore am unable to confirm any of that which follows, but my sources are adamant that this is the truth:

Soldiers from LID #66 have turned their weapons against other SPDC soldiers and possibly police in North Okkalappa township in Rangoon and are defending the protesters. At present unsure how many soldiers involved. Some reports cite "heavy shooting" in the area.

Other unconfirmed reports have stated that soldiers from LID #33 in Mandalay have refused orders to act against protesters. Some reports claim that many soldiers remained in their barracks. More recent reports now maintain that soldiers from LID #99 now being sent there to confront them.

Reports of approx. 10,000+ protesters gathering around the Traders Hotel in Rangoon.

Reports of 10,000+ protesters gathering at San Pya Market in Rangoon.

Further reports of approx. 50,000 protestors gathering at the Thein Gyi Market in Rangoon.

According to Mizzima, an unknown number of soldiers from Central Command and South East Command are presently on their way to Rangoon to reinforce SPDC army troops.

Also according to Mizzima, an unknown number of aircraft have been scrambled from "Matehtilar" airbase - probably a reference to Meiktila in Mandalay Division.

According to one journalist, SPDC have turned water cannons against crowds at Sule Pagoda. The report maintains that the water contained some type of chemical. awaiting further information.

Please circulate this information as widely as as quickly as possible.

Regards,

Jason
Research Director
Human Rights Documentation Unit
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma

Myanmar: Lessons for America Part II

The Editor — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:00:00 -0700

By Anonymous

Ignorance
In 1988, when students and monks were massacred in Myanmar, Universities were closed and the education system completed its deterioration. A whole generation of young people were left without a means of education. Many students found ways to teach themselves, but in general the lack of higher education along with the system of memorization used in elementary through secondary levels resulted in a huge loss of the potential human resources of the country. In this way the younger generations were handicapped, taught to accept and internalize the twisted histories and other lies fed to them in state run schools instead of being taught how to use their brains, how to think, and how to question. They were taught fear instead. The news and media surrounding them was always manipulated and controlled by the Junta. Myanmar is a country in which rumors fly as no where else. When the US invaded Iraq this last time, many respectable Burmese sincerely believed that the US had tanks lined up on the border of Myanmar and Thailand, finally coming to free them. In reality, the US government marked Myanmar down on their black-list as a dangerous country harboring evil terrorists out to destroy the American people.

When I look at what the education system in the United States of America has become it doesn’t seem very different from that in Myanmar. We are not being taught how to think but only to accept what we are given. Even at our University levels we are rewarded for parroting back what we are fed. It is now common knowledge that our media is controlled by a few groups whose purpose is to keep us in fear of the outer world. It has just been over the last couple years that the majority of Americans have realized this. Still today, many of us believe everything we see on the news. We are constantly surrounded by commercialism and fed mind-dulling nonsense about what is healthy for our bodies, and then told the opposite the next day. This keeps us all confused and in fear of cancer, terrorists, bad-credit, other religions, fires, tornadoes, you name it, that we dare not think for ourselves any more.

Myanmar: Lessons for America

The Editor — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:00:00 -0700

By Anonymous

While exploring the markets and tea-shops of various cities in Myanmar I have had some interesting discussions with people from all over the country. As we all know, Aung San Su Kyi, Myanmar’s elected President who has been under house arrest for more than a decade, requested that tourists not come to Myanmar in order to boycott the military regime. I have done a lot of low-budget traveling around Myanmar, and I have worked in the tourist industry for extended periods of time. In light of the recent events in Myanmar I am compelled to put forth my perspective, and to pass on what many Burmese citizens from all over Myanmar have discussed with me.

The first time I visited Myanmar was in 1996, the last time I was there was the end of 2006. Please excuse me if the writing is sometimes disjointed as the images I have seen on YouTube of the thousands of Monks marching in the street, brings up strong emotions in me of terror, amazement and vast respect for what they are doing.

Tourism in Myanmar
What I have seen in regards to the tourist industry in Myanmar is that there are basically two categories. The major one being package tour groups. These are generally older people, and they mostly come from Europe—from Italy and Germany. These package tours visit Myanmar for ten days. They go from Inle Lake to Bagan to Ngapali, they stay at the same hotels, eat at the same restaurants and shop at the same tourist shops. They are guided around by the same tour guides and their money does indeed support the military and their cronies. As a result I have seen some incredibly decadent hotels built in these areas of the country in the last five years. This type of tourist never sees the real Myanmar or interacts on the local level with Burmese people. I wouldn’t be surprised if these tour groups had never heard of Aung San Su Kyi or her request not to support the military regime.

Thoughts on the 8-8-88 Uprising

The Editor — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:43:45 -0700

The following is a series of excerpts from the book From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey, by Pascal Khoo Thwe. They were submitted by an anonymous reader for their relevance to the current ongoing protests led by monks in Burma. As the submitter says, "When I re-read these sections, they seemed so pertinent to what is happening now it is scary. It seems history does repeat itself. The BBC seems to have forgotten that protests were also headed by monks in '88, and the military regime had no qualms gunning them down."

The book itself is an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in Burma. Apart from being beautifully written, it offers a native perspective on the country and the political events that have unfolded in the last century - something that is rare among books written on Burma.

Hopefully these passages will provide some valuable insight and inspiration for readers.

Propaganda
In Burma, apart from good and bad news, there was ‘fragrant’ news. The term denoted news that was good but that was given a sarcastic or hostile twist by the regime. The ‘fragrant’ news from the West at that time was of the new computer age, of advanced technologies and of political freedom. People reacted in different ways to the news, but always and necessarily from a position of ignorance. Our teachers could hardly enlighten us, for they both shared the general ignorance and were at the same time obliged to apply the official ideology to the scraps of puzzling information that came their way. The result was an amalgam of the regime’s anti-colonialism and resolutely pre-modern superstition.

Bhamo students start poster campaign

The Editor — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:13:23 -0700

September 19, 2007
From Kachin News Group

Students in Bhamo University have emulated those in Myitkyina University by launching an identical poster movement aimed at the Burmese military junta yesterday. The demands are the same as those of Myitkyina University students in Kachin State.

Over a hundred A-4 size posters were pasted on the key buildings in Bhamo town including four state high schools, Bhamo University, Computer College, Nursing College, government offices and the junta's administrative offices called Ma-Ya-Ka and Ya-Ya-Ka, a student leader told KNG today.

The five-point charter of demands in the students' posters are identical to those put up in Myitkyina-- to roll back oil and essential commodity prices, to immediately stop the Myitsone Hydroelectric Power project, to release all political prisoners and to solve the country's problems by initiating a "Tripartite Dialogue" which should including the ruling junta, political opposition political parties and ethnic leaders.

In Bhamo, the authorities have tightened security and the posters were torn up by security personnel, local students and eyewitnesses said.

This is the first students' movement in Bhamo, the second largest city of Kachin State after the 1988 people's pro-democracy movement in Burma. They will continue with protest against the regime, student leaders said.
Meanwhile, Buddhist monks in Myitkyina continue to be under virtual house arrest and have been kept under tight control inside the rooms of their monasteries to prevent them from protesting against the junta on the orders of Kachin State's Commander Maj-Gen Ohn Myint since Saturday night.

The two main monasteries of Wuntu and Suu Taung Pyi in Myitkyina are being closely watched all the time by the authorities, said local residents.

According to Myitkyina residents, the commander Maj-Gen Ohn Myint is trying to prevent any demonstration in the township.

Undercurrents in Kachin State

The Editor — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:35:58 -0700

Although much of the news recently has been focused on the protests triggered by the fuel price hikes in Burma, there are other events that deserve to not be overlooked. In Kachin State, a protests have unfolded in the form of a poster movement in response to both the price hikes and the closing of the Junta's National Convention.

On September 3rd, the junta finally brought to a close after 14 years the convention to draft an outline for the constitution. During the final round of proposals, the Kachin Independence Organization submitted a 19-point proposal calling for autonomy and a federal governing system, as well as for the ethnic armed groups to be integrated into the national forces. The government's predictable response blocking discussion of the proposal, as well as threats and a continued increase in military posturing in Kachin State, makes it difficult to think the KIO's proposal was anything but calculated.

Protests in Burma

The Editor — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:13:50 -0700

It is fairly obvious that I've been remiss in covering the recent events in Burma. Rest assured I have been following the news closely, though, and will do my best to cover the news of the last month or so.

The initial protests were in response to the junta's surprise 500% increase in fuel prices on August 15th. The subsequent increase in transportation fares meant many people in the cities were left stranded, unable to pay their fares to get to work or school.

ALTSEAN Burma has a detailed report on the protests, as well as an interactive map showing details and locations of the demonstrations.

The first peaceful protests were organized and led by members of the 88 generation student leaders in Rangoon, but as demonstrations spread to the rest of the country, they took on new dimensions. Demonstrations soon became focused not only on the fuel hikes, but also on the heavy-handed tactics of the junta. In Taungup, Arakan, an estimated 1000 people spontaneously joined in a march initiated by 15 NLD members demanding the release of two men arrested during a previous demonstration.

One key aspect of the current situation is the involvement of monks in protesting the government - with the moral authority monks carry in Burma, ongoing opposition and boycotts by the sangha could create an uncontrollable situation for the military regime. on August 28th, 200 monks marched in the streets of Akyab calling for a reduction in fuel prices on behalf of the people. In Pakkoku on September 5th, 500 monks had their demonstration broken up by soldiers firing shots over their heads and attacking several of the men. When authorities later went to apologize for the use of force, they found themselves taken hostage in the monastery and their vehicles being burned.

After the Pakkoku incident, monasteries issued letters demanding officials apologize, and threatening a boycott of the government if they did not also roll back fuel prices - with September 18th given as a deadline.

BNI Online is probably the best place to keep up with the breaking news, as they post articles coming in from several smaller news agencies in the region.

The last few days it's been difficult to keep up with the events unfolding in the lead up to the threatened monks' boycott and protests.

On September 14th, military officials were thrown out of a temple in Phayarkyi quarter by the monks there. Government officials have been approaching abbots and monks around the country to 'encourage' them not to participate in any forthcoming demonstrations. In Akyab, Abbots were forced to join a committee to cooperate with government officials in preventing demonstrations. Other monasteries were asked to keep their monks from traveling to central Burma. In Pegu, 1,800 monks at two monasteries were barred from their morning alms rounds to collect food offerings. The abbots at the two monasteries had previously rejected the junta's request to "take responsibility" if their monks joined in the protests.

Perhaps one of the more disturbing events, in Myityina, Kachin State, several hundred young student monks seemingly disappeared from several monasteries. It now seems that the monks were put under house arrest. According to locals, the young monks, known as koyins, are being forced to stay in their rooms and are being fed by military authorities. Government security forces are stationed both within and near the monasteries, each of which have an estimated 200 koyins in residence. The idea that the government is providing food is perhaps not insignificant, as monks rely on food alms for their sustenance, and the threatened boycott would entail the monks rejecting alms from those associated with the government.

Today an estimated 1,000 monks are marching in Rangoon. The protest started out with 60, and continued to grow despite government efforts to stop it. It remains to be seen how this might continue to unfold in the rest of the country.

Statement on 46th Kachin Independence Revolution Day

The Editor — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 04:00:00 -0800

The Central Committee
Kachin National Organization

Monday February 5th, 2007 marks the 46th anniversary of the Kachin Independence Revolution against ethnocentric Burmese military regime. After more than four score years, we remain to be enslaved under the maniacal of militarism and our basic human rights to live and freedoms to survive are increasingly endangered evermore than the past. KNO has witnessed the build up of troops to an unprecedented level during the cease-fire era, and such action will force us to set another revolt against the Burmanization.

Open Heart Campaign

The Editor — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:06:13 -0800

The 88 Generation Students group kicked off their new campaign, 'Open Heart', on January 4th, the 59th anniversary of Burma's independence from Britian. The campaign will run for one month, and will involve sending out letters and envelopes to the people of Burma - a letter from the 88 Generation Students to Than Shwe, and a message to the people, encouraging them to write their own letters expressing their feelings and troubles and returning them to the activist group in the envelopes to be sent on to the junta.

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.

Burmese Thais and Muslim Karen

The Editor — Mon, 01 May 2006 22:39:30 -0700

I've come across two interesting articles recently that I thought I'd share. The first is from Dr. Habib Siddiqui writing at Burma Digest about the plight of Muslim Karens in Burma. Actually, its just a short post with photos, but I found it particularly interesting as it's the first I've heard of ethnic Karen who are Muslim.

By recent reports from the Free Burma Rangers, nearly 11,000 people have been displaced in the recent SPDC attacks in Karen State. It's not been big in the mainstream press, but there are certian Christian publications which tend to follow the events in eastern Burma, and as one would expect, have been following this most recent tragedy. It typically gets portrayed in the press that the Karen are Christian - a not untrue representation, but also not entirely accurate. I'm not personally fond of human rights issues such as this being given an overtly religious slant, as it tends to marginalize the stories of those who are not of the religion being representated. Christians are being persecuted in Burma, but so is everyone else.

Thaksin Resigns.....Or Does He?

The Editor — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 15:07:05 -0700

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced he was stepping down from his post on April 4th, after months of peaceful but adamant protests in Bangkok. His resignation followed closely on the election, which his party Thai Rak Thai won, but with a much smaller margin of approval than in any previous elections, and in which record numbers of abstention votes were cast in protest. The opposition parties had boycotted the election, essentially making it a referendum on Thaksin's leadership. There were enough abstentions in 39 districts that Thai Rak Thai members were unable to claim victory - parliament will be unable to convene until fresh elections are held in those districts.

Trouble in Siam

The Editor — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 11:15:15 -0800

It seems there has been rising discontent among the people of Thailand recently, as a reported 100,000 came out in Bangkok to call for the Prime Ministers resignation. The protest was led by Sondhi Limthongkul, the media mogul who Thaksin tried to sue for defamation for publishing a letter which accused Thaksin's administration of being rife with corruption. Thaksin had also tried to sue a journalist for implying that he had been passing legislation which benefitted his own family's corporate interests. These lawsuits were dropped after His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej kindly suggested the PM listen to his critics instead of suing them.

The Word from Shan State

The Editor — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 14:48:44 -0800

The Shan Herald Agency for News has reported on a spate of land confiscations recently in Muse Township, near the Chinese border. So far, 175 households have lost about 620 acres of land. By logical deduction, most believe that this land has been taken as part of the 37,000 acres within Muse that have been earmarked for a rubber plantation - as part of the contract farming agreement that was reached last month between Burma and Thailand.

In the December 2 MoU, Burma agreed to reserve 17.5 million acres for Thailand, to be farmed under a contract system managed by Thailand. Burma supplies land and labor, Thailand takes care of infrastructure and ensures workers are underpaid. 17.5 million acres happens to be an area as large as Ireland. Thailand's Agriculture Minister Khun Ying Sudarat Keyuraphan says that it will be a 'win-win' situation. Burma gets jobs and money, Thailand gets cheap labor, sugarcane, oil palm, maize, cassava and rubber, and in theory, a stop-gap to keep so many Shan migrant workers from illegally fleeing to Thailand. And what do the people of Shan State get? Well, they now get the same crappy agricultural jobs they work in Thailand, with the added bonus of still being at the mercy of the Burmese military within their own borders!

11th Asean Summit

The Editor — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 08:40:10 -0800

The 11th Asean Summit has just recently wrapped up here in Kuala Lumpur. The focus of this year's summit was on creating a unified vision for the Asean countries. The summit was accompanied by mild change in attitude towards Burma, as the other Asean leaders have admitted that Burma's failure to 'get its act together' is an embarrassment to Asean. Malaysia has pressed for a delegation to be allowed to visit Aung San Suu Kyi in detention. We certianly shouldn't overlook the positive aspect of the change in attitude, even if it is superficial, as being at least some indication that public pressure on the issue is trickling down to Burma's neighbors. But one also has to wonder if Asean is actually embarrassed by the appalling human rights abuses occurring, or if it is embarrassed by the Junta's particularly uncouth way of pretending the 'elephant' in the room doesn't exist. I can't help but wonder if they might be less embarrassed if the junta had a slightly more sophisticated or intelligent diplomacy. It seems 'Myanmar' is becoming the drunken uncle no one wants to sit next to at the wedding.

Absurdity Abounds

The Editor — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 06:23:36 -0800

As if the secretive Dr. Evil style operation to build nuclear weapons in Shan State, the death threats sent to ILO representatives, and the accusations that Bush is planning on conquering Asia weren't enough evidence that the Generals have gone completely insane, they are now in the midst of relocating the nation's capital to their personal jungle resort.

Hard Luck in India

The Editor — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:18:04 -0700

Mizzima reports that officials are cracking down on 'illegal' workers in India's Mizoram State. As per State orders, the crackdown will continue for the next six months. A police superintendant stated that some of those in custody were drug traffickers. Those who are not traffickers, and have no legal working permits, or cash bribes, are being detained and taken back to the border. If the situation in Mizoram is anything like that in Thailand, those who are dropped at the border will probably pay more bribes to get right back across again.

This crackdown follows closely on the heels of an incident earlier this month, when Young Mizo Association members had blocked roads from the Burmese border into the capital of Aizawl, in an attempt to curb the entry the illegal migrants and drugs. The State Governor ordered them to reopen the roads.

An Epidemic.

The Editor — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 23:16:50 -0700

The leaders of Asia are coming down with a collective case of ego-mania. Well, that's not true, they've probably always been ego-maniacs, but they suddenly seem to think its ok to impose their egos on the rest of us. After all the problems now with Thaksin sueing people, it seems Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen may ask for Thaksin's help in oppressing Cambodian journalists.

I tell you what, if I have to hear one more Prime Minister refer to activists as "troublemakers", I might scream. Someone needs to give these guys a clue. Communications technology is a lot more advanced than it was in the heyday of Asian dictators 30 years ago. They can't presume to tell other countries that these are 'internal affairs' or that these are isolated incidents or individuals causing trouble. We are well aware that people are collectively protesting the lawsuits and restrictions on free speech. It is not the US or the UN telling them to respect people's rights, it is their own people.

They also seem to be suffering under the delusion that outsiders defending the rights of the people as enshrined in their constitutions is 'meddling in internal affairs', but their neighbor's cooperation in the oppression of citizens outside their borders is not.

Wise up, guys. The media isn't going anywhere, and every effort you make to suppress or frighten it, only serves to make you look petty and whingey. Suck it up, you're leaders of democratic nations, if you want respect, then act respectable.

Thaksin Watchmesueyou

The Editor — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:11:23 -0700

It seems Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Co., are single-handedly making Thailand as sue-happy as America. He currently has multiple (civil and criminal) lawsuits pending against various media figures.

The first lawsuit, filed last year, was lodged by Thaksin's own Shin Corp. against media reform activist Supinya Klangnarong. Shin Corp. is demanding 400 million baht in the civil case, alleging that Ms. Supinya had defamed the corporation by publishing comments that the companies profits had soared since Thaksin had taken office, and that certain government policies represented a conflict of interest, as they had directly benefited the PM's private businesses.

Exiled journalists pressured from all sides

The Editor — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 01:17:14 -0700

Apparently, the UNHCR has begun advising activists not to be activists for their own good. Mizzima reports that Narinjara's editor-in-chief was advised last week that his organization could face 'strong action' from Bangladesh authorities if they continued their media work.

Since Burma's General Thura Shwe Mann visited Dhaka for high level discussions last month, Narinjara has been well aware that strenghthened relations between the junta and Bangladesh could have negative repercussions for the safety of refugees and exiled activists there. But, thanks to the UNHCR for offering their support, hey?

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:

More than Rhetoric

The Editor — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 00:08:23 -0700

The Irrawaddy has an excellent commentary piece by Amyotheryei U Win Naing, on the international community's efforts to help Burma. Amyotheryei U Win Naing is writing from within Rangoon, as the head of the pro-democracy National Politicians Group, Myanmar. The gist of his argument is this:

Any parties interested in Burma should maintain close ties with Burma’s government leaders and opposition groups alike. Representatives of foreign governments in Burma should talk to generals, democratic activists, and politicians. If they are not familiar with the perspectives of all sides, how will they assist us in finding a mutually acceptable solution to Burma’s problems? The head of a Western diplomatic mission in Rangoon recently returned home after a three-year stay in Burma. Not once did he meet with members of the democratic movement face to face.

Many representatives from Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries have made no effort to contact us either. Why? They have no interest in what we want for our people? They do not want to know what kind of relationships—immediate and future—we want to establish between their countries and ours?

Rethinking Burma

The Editor — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 09:26:21 -0700

I came across an interesting article over at the Freedom Institute recently, concerning the need to rethink our strategic approach to Burma. You can read the full text here: Myanmar: Time for a rethink. The article made a few salient points, namely, that sanctions alone aren’t working, and the conflicting approaches of various nations are counterproductive. Which is, I suppose, what most of us have come to realise, isn’t it? But still, I find it encouraging that there seems to be some kind of dialogue/discourse developing on the topic.

But, I also find the article interesting for other reasons as well, in particular the way it represents a typical outsider/western viewpoint on the problems in Burma. As tends to be the case with outside perspectives, it can miss important details that are obvious from the inside. As tends to be the case with ‘Western’ perspectives, it takes a somewhat short-sighted view of the history and politics of the region. Coming from ‘modern’ nations, where our national identity tends to be linked more with the present and future than the past, we often forget the depth of history in Asia, and the importance it plays in the minds of the people. Don’t get me wrong, the author of the aforementioned article is obviously intelligent, and its a decent piece, but I will still proceed to poke holes in it.

What's in a Name?

The Editor — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 03:04:30 -0700

Ok, the whole Burma/Myanmar name debate has probably been done a hundred times over. For most people involved in the democracy struggle, using 'Burma' as an act of defiance and a show of solidarity is enough. For those who are not, they often at some point learn that 'Myanmar' is simply the Burmese pronunciation of Burma, and suddenly they think using 'Myanmar' is really not such a big deal. Its a bit more complicated than just a English/Burmese language issue, though. I came across a great Wiki on the topic: Explanation of the names of Burma/Myanmar. It explained alot more than I was previously aware of, and its definitely worth a read. Here's a tantalizing excerpt:

International Sanctions, Regional Cooperation

The Editor — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 11:29:44 -0700

Since Vaclav Havel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have called on the UN Security Council to take action on the Burma issue, it seems the heat’s really starting to turn up on the junta. The US is also pushing for the Security Council to put Burma on the agenda during the next month. The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar (Burma) Caucus has also called on ASEAN to increase pressure on the junta to implement democratic reforms - and to suspend its membership if progress is not made within a year. Even a Thai Senator, Kraisak Choonhaven, stated that the relinquishment of the 2006 ASEAN chairmanship “heralded the start of further action against the generals”. (Watch out Mr. Thaksin, a senator supporting sanctions against Burma might lead to an epidemic of people following their own conscience instead of government rhetoric.) One could almost feel as if we are reaching a turning point in the crisis.

The Aid Debate Continued

The Editor — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 23:52:52 -0700

The Democratic Voice of Burma runs a section called 'Let's Talk', where readers can submit their comments on issues. One of the latest topics is the aid to Burma dilemma. Check it out.

Aid to Burma?

The Editor — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 05:31:37 -0700

When the Global Fund pulled out of Burma in August it sparked a flurry of debate and commentary over the issue of sending humanitarian aid to Burma. The Global Fund had promised US $98.4 million to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the country. It faced criticism going into Burma in the first place, from those who support total sanctions, and it faced criticism when it pulled out, from those who support ‘constructive engagement’ - at least in the form of aid. The Global Fund rejected claims that it had ultimately pulled out because of criticism from the former, instead citing restrictions placed on their operation, and movements, by the junta.

I have to say, when I first heard of Global Fund pulling out, my immediate reaction was that it is a good thing. Ultimately, though, I am not from Burma, and my opinion on such issues isn’t nearly as important as the opinions of those who are. But my own friends, who are, did express their agreement with my own feelings; it would be impossible to run such a well-funded and extensive operation without corruption funneling a huge chunk of that money right into the generals’ pockets.