Burma
64 for Aung San Suu Kyi
Events around the world to mark her 64th birthday on June 19. Including this event at the UN on Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Submit your 64 words of support here. — BURMESE REFUGEES AND HUMAN RIGHTS SUPPORTERS IN NEW YORK CELEBRATE BURMA DEMOCRACY LEADER’S BIRTHDAY… Refugees, exiles, and Human Rights supporters from the Southeast Asian country of Burma will host a
Some thaw
About two weeks ago I commented on a strange story in the NYT about a supposed political thaw in Burma. Frank Smithuis of Doctors Without Borders described the regime’s human rights record as “shaky” — a grotesque understatement — but said with a sneer that “it’s politically nice to beat up Burma.” Well, now the regime is putting Aung San Suu
Burma whitewash
There is a strange article on Burma in today’s New York Times, bylined “The New York Times,” which purports to show the beginnings of a political opening in that country, mainly in the form of increased government cooperation with foreign aid and relief organizations. If the junta has loosened its grip somewhat in that regard, good. But there’s a whiff
Burma update
Following up on this post to note that Burmese comedian U Maung Thura has been sentenced to 45 years in prison. His crime? Organizing an independent relief effort for victims of Cyclone Nargis. And telling the truth: that the regime did nothing. “Bloggers, musicians and poets have also been sent to prison,” reports Sharon Otterman in the NY Times. [Update:
A not-so-subtle contrast
As we bask in Obamaphoria, having exercised our inalienable right to choose our own political leadership, please take a moment to consider the plight of 28-year-old blogger Nay Phone Latt, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Burmese regime. News has also come of 14 Burmese pro-democracy activists who have received sentences of 65 years each.
Murder by inaction
It is to the Chinese government’s credit that it is acting aggressively in response to the Sichuan earthquake, a tragedy beyond comprehension. But this shouldn’t obscure the destructive role China continues to play in the unfolding Burma crisis. Discussing the aftermath of Cyclone Nagris on the NewsHour the other night, Chinese ambassador Zhou Wenzhong told Margaret Warner: I think we
Burma’s nightmare
Avaaz.org is raising awareness and soliciting donations on behalf of victims of the cyclone in Burma. Thousands of lives might have been saved had Burma’s repulsive military government, um, shared the news that a cyclone was coming. This makes the Bush administration’s Katrina response look like a model of caring leadership. The Burmese junta is all crisp efficiency when it
Lady Suu’s moves
That Aung San Suu Kyi has expressed a desire to “cooperate” with the Burmese generals should not be viewed as surprising. Amitav Ghosh’s 1996 New Yorker piece “At Large in Burma” (collected in a book I reviewed here) remains one of the best, and rarest, in-depth glimpses of Suu Kyi’s mind at work. Ghosh interviewed her shortly after Burma had