Burma’s three ethnic insurgencies are on full boil, but at a time when support from former benefactors Thailand and China has grown tepid.
Burma’s Ethnic Insurgencies Erupt in a Chain Reaction
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Myanmar
Why Burma’s Ethnic Minorities Become Refugees to Thailand
The ongoing oppression of Burma’s ethnic minorities, many of whom become refugees to Thailand, is overshadowed by disasters such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur.
Nowhere to be Home
When I was in the army, I thought the guerillas were trying to break my country, to destroy my country—this is how I used to think. Not now, now I’m not the same. I don’t know why people join the military. As for myself, I was forced to be a soldier. If I had stayed with my family, I would not have been a soldier. I think the army takes children because they need to strengthen their forces, increase the number of soldiers. I think there is a reward for each soldier who catches a child. Any time a soldier recruits someone to join the force, they get a lot of money. Older soldiers told me that if they recruit someone, then they can quit the army.
Why Haven’t the Burmese Joined the Recent Wave of Pro-Democracy Protests?
Burma’s ruling junta’s response to pro-democracy protests might not be as brutal as in the past.
Is Obama a Turkey or an Eagle?
In 1784 Benjamin Franklin played the tongue-in-cheek naturalist and castigated the decision by the Congress of the Confederation to adopt the bald eagle as the symbol of the United States. The bald eagle, Franklin wrote, lives by “Sharping & Robbing,” watching a “diligent” hawk fishing, and then stealing its hard-earned booty. Rejecting this lazy thief, Franklin preferred that the national honor be borne by the proud but prudent (“tho’ a little vain & silly”) wild turkey.
Burma’s Junta Built to Last
Whether or not Myanmar holds elections this year, democracy seems to be a mirage on the horizon. The military is geared to remain in power for the foreseeable future.
Change in Burma?
The Burmese government has recently announced a number of political changes that have caught the attention of the international community. It has announced that a new constitution will soon be completed in time for a nation-wide referendum in May. More dramatically, the government has announced that “it is now time to change from military rule to a people’s democracy. There will be a multi-party general election in 2010 under the new constitution."
Parallel Editing in Burma
Recent and ongoing developments in Burma call for parallel editing—the filmmaking technique of
running two scenes concurrently to suggest that they are happening at the same time while ratcheting
up suspense.
Myanmar, the UN, and ASEAN
United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s latest round of intense shuttle diplomacy since September’s "saffron
revolution" produced no major breakthroughs in Yangon. It merely confirmed the suspicions of
close Myanmar watchers that the military junta has no intentions to change its ways or compromise
with anyone.
Myanmar, Minorities, and the Military
The Burmese tragedy that has unfolded over the past weeks has captured the attention of the international community as no other event in contemporary Burmese history. The availability through the Internet and then through the BBC and CNN of the images of the demonstrators, especially the monks, and the beatings by the government forces (in and out of uniform) have inflamed world opinion. And these images, due to the proliferation of satellite TV dishes throughout Yangon and other urban areas, have brought the tragedy to the attention of the Burmese people. Because the government treats information as power and thus is very secretive and operates in a self-imposed penumbra, information normally spreads by rumor in that country. Although there were rumors aplenty in these past weeks, there was verifiable evidence of the brutality of the suppression of the demonstrations.