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:    more »

The Burma Underground now has a newsletter and email network! The Burma Underground blog was established to provide a public forum for news and commentary on the less publicized state of affairs in Burma. If it has helped to educate or motivate at least one person already, then I'm happy. The Burma Underground Network and newsletter is intended to complement what I'll continue to do with the blog. It won't just be a rehash of postings here, nor just news summaries. It will be geared towards supporters and activists both from the west, and from Burma. It will focus on learning new things about the world, and about Burma, particularly Burma's ethnic communities. It will also focus on developing positive strategies and action for supporting indigenous civil society organizations, because they are on the forefront of the democracy struggle, and someday they will face the challenge of rebuilding their country.

The newsletter will be sent out a couple times a month, and I promise it will be interesting. If you're at all interested in helping to support democracy, then joining us will be worth your while. You can join by clicking here, or, you can send an email to burmaunderground-request@therobots.org, with "subscribe" in the subject line or body.

Technorati Tags: burma, activism, volunteer, democracy

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.   more »

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.

The class I've been teaching for the last three months is no more. Originally, our plan was that I would volunteer with these guys, who are from the AKSYU, until I went home at Christmas - doing research training, and helping with editing or whatever else came up. But Tuesday night they cracked open the beer after dinner, and announced that there would be no more classes. A surprise going away party for me, I guess they thought beer would soften the blow. Its terribly dissapointing, for so many reasons. But, where they've been living has been operating as sort of a satellite office for their organizations, and there just isn't the funding to keep it open anymore.

Its also incredibly dissapointing to get this news a day after I read this. USAID has awarded the IRC an annual funding of $24.4 million for an "ambitious five-year program aimed at improving education and health services for Burmese refugees and migrants in Thailand." Part of this new program will also include working with local organizations on capacity building in the areas of education and health care.   more »

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.   more »

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.   more »

There's now a wishlist for Books for Burma over at Amazon.com

Its easy to get carried away over at Amazon, so its kind of a long list. But since we have no books at the moment, we'd be super happy even we only got one or two from the list. I'll be editing the preference rankings on the Amazon wishlist in the near future as well.

I'll also keep the wishlist here under Books for Burma Project in the sidebar. Although I'm familiar with some of the authors, I haven't personally read these books, so reccommendations or reviews are very welcome. Any questions or suggestions should be sent to my email: burmaunderground at gmail.com.

A big thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

For the past two months, I've been working with some guys here who are ethnic Kachin from Burma. They themselves do work for various activist organizations, such as the Ethnic Community Development Forum, the Kachin News Group, the Kachin Environment Group, and probably a few more I'm forgetting. I believe some of these organizations are based in the area, but these guys mostly work and communicate via the internet from home. I help out with some editing and proposal writing, but most of my work is teaching about applied anthropology, and research techniques. I like to think of myself as a 'capacity building advisor'. At least that's what I'll be putting on my resume. There's only two, and sometimes three guys in the class, so it's pretty informal. Nonetheless, they take it quite seriously. They've completed a couple years of university in Burma, but for obvious reasons, they were unable to finish. They don't have the financial resources to continue their education here in Thailand. Anyone who values their own education can clearly see how much this sucks. They don't have the luxury of studying what they choose, they don't have libraries, and they are doubly burdened by the fact that they have to learn English as well.   more »