I've really enjoyed following your blog and taking a final read through of your posts today. I'm pleased that you took my comments to heart and began to really trend the issues, using articles as discussion points, while at the same time including substantial comments of your own. Clearly, your experience in the region has given you an edge - and an interest in affairs Burmese.
Perhaps the less than inspired outcome is that there appears to be little change, even post the election. Although I found your post "Egypt and Libya, why not Burma?" hopeful. I'm also of the mind that social media - Facebook, Twitter, cell phones, and YouTube, may eventually topple dictatorships like this around the world - very insightful.
I would have like to see you do a little more work on the design side - perhaps including links to the political parties, newspapers, perhaps a think tank specializing in South East Asia - food for thought - but a minor criticism.
Well done.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Land mine use in Burma
According to spokespeople from the international campaign to ban landmines, land mine use has been decreasing rapidly, with more and more countries signing the mine-ban treaty. Except in Burma, however.
It is not only the military using land mines however, non state rebel groups, such as the KNLA (Karen national liberation army) also regularly use land mines, giving no warning to civiliians, except, supposadly a verbal warning.
The international campaign to ban landmines is hopeful that they will be able to rid Burma, and the rest of the world, of landmines in their lifetime, and hopefully, if the Burmese government and the rebel groups cooperate, they will acheive this goal.
It is not only the military using land mines however, non state rebel groups, such as the KNLA (Karen national liberation army) also regularly use land mines, giving no warning to civiliians, except, supposadly a verbal warning.
The international campaign to ban landmines is hopeful that they will be able to rid Burma, and the rest of the world, of landmines in their lifetime, and hopefully, if the Burmese government and the rebel groups cooperate, they will acheive this goal.
A Facebook revolution.
Contrary to my beliefs, it appears as though the Burmese are following in the footsteps of Egypt, and protesting against their oppressive leader, as Burmese activists have tried to start their own 'Facebook revolution'.
The 'Just do it against military dictatorship' page was started only two days after Egyptian president Mubarak resigned, and is calling for military general Than Shwe to leave the country, and for the army to leave the side of the government and join the protest. Approximately 400,000 people in Burma are on facebook, and it is the second most popular website, after gmail. Twitter however, is banned.
The activists have also been handin out pamphlets in some of Burma's major cities, and training people in rural areas to use the internet, so they could join the protest.
Recently, security in Rangoon has also been tightened significantly, although there is no link between the facebook group and the added security.
I think that this facebook group shows that the Burmese are willing to try anything if it will gain there freedom, especially as they have been going out of their way to get information on the recent protests, due to the censorship laws, and i will most definately be 'liking' this page.
The 'Just do it against military dictatorship' page was started only two days after Egyptian president Mubarak resigned, and is calling for military general Than Shwe to leave the country, and for the army to leave the side of the government and join the protest. Approximately 400,000 people in Burma are on facebook, and it is the second most popular website, after gmail. Twitter however, is banned.
The activists have also been handin out pamphlets in some of Burma's major cities, and training people in rural areas to use the internet, so they could join the protest.
Recently, security in Rangoon has also been tightened significantly, although there is no link between the facebook group and the added security.
I think that this facebook group shows that the Burmese are willing to try anything if it will gain there freedom, especially as they have been going out of their way to get information on the recent protests, due to the censorship laws, and i will most definately be 'liking' this page.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Egypt and Libya, why not Burma?
2011 has been an interesting year so far, with pro-democracy protests in countries all over the world, including Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, and many others. However, this drive for democracy makes one wonder, why have there been no protests in Burma, one of the most repressive and undemocratic countries in the world?
It is evident that the Burmese people are almost too scared to protest, as past protests have resulted in vicious crackdowns and killings. Also, the Burmese government is well adapted to dealing with protests as soon as they start, not showing the slightest bit of sympathy or weakness, and not caring how the international community feels about their actions. Also, the last successful protest in Burma, which resulted of the ousting of General Ne Win, only led to another dictator, general Than Shwe, who was even more oppressive and ruthless than Ne Win, to seize power.
One expert, Roland Watson who writes for dictatorwatch.org, believes that the Burmese government may not be as harsh this time if the people were to protest, as the government is facing claims of war crimes, and a brutal crackdown would only strengthen those believes. Also, it has been suggested that during the Saffron Uprising in 2007 some generals were against the harsh retaliation. He also believes that after the events in Egypt, it would lead to a slightly more relaxed take on a protest. He and many other experts believe that a peaceful protest (like the Saffron Uprising) is not the way to go, and that a rally similar to the ones in Egypt are the only way forward. However, this article was written before the massacre's in Libya, and when has international opinion and sanctions ever stopped the Burmese junta from doing exactly what they pleased? Even if there are war crimes facing them, they have never once considered the consequences of their actions towards the international community, and i don't see why they would start caring now.
An interesting side note on this issue is that the book that started many of these revolutions across the globe, 'From dictatorship to democracy' by Gene Sharpe, was actually written primarily to overthrow the dictatorship in Burma.
It is evident that the Burmese people are almost too scared to protest, as past protests have resulted in vicious crackdowns and killings. Also, the Burmese government is well adapted to dealing with protests as soon as they start, not showing the slightest bit of sympathy or weakness, and not caring how the international community feels about their actions. Also, the last successful protest in Burma, which resulted of the ousting of General Ne Win, only led to another dictator, general Than Shwe, who was even more oppressive and ruthless than Ne Win, to seize power.
One expert, Roland Watson who writes for dictatorwatch.org, believes that the Burmese government may not be as harsh this time if the people were to protest, as the government is facing claims of war crimes, and a brutal crackdown would only strengthen those believes. Also, it has been suggested that during the Saffron Uprising in 2007 some generals were against the harsh retaliation. He also believes that after the events in Egypt, it would lead to a slightly more relaxed take on a protest. He and many other experts believe that a peaceful protest (like the Saffron Uprising) is not the way to go, and that a rally similar to the ones in Egypt are the only way forward. However, this article was written before the massacre's in Libya, and when has international opinion and sanctions ever stopped the Burmese junta from doing exactly what they pleased? Even if there are war crimes facing them, they have never once considered the consequences of their actions towards the international community, and i don't see why they would start caring now.
An interesting side note on this issue is that the book that started many of these revolutions across the globe, 'From dictatorship to democracy' by Gene Sharpe, was actually written primarily to overthrow the dictatorship in Burma.
Fictional UN report
Yesterday experts have decided that a UN report submited by the Burmese government, depicting its human rights records as nice and rosy, is actually completely fake. One of the items discussed in the report was the election in november 2010.
This is yet another example as to how the Burmese government is just the same old, corrupt generals calling themselves by a different name. Their human rights policy hasn't changed at all, and the people of Burma are still greatly mistreated.
The full article can be read at: http://www.dvb.no/news/burma%E2%80%99s-report-to-un-is-%E2%80%98fictional%E2%80%99/14378
This is yet another example as to how the Burmese government is just the same old, corrupt generals calling themselves by a different name. Their human rights policy hasn't changed at all, and the people of Burma are still greatly mistreated.
The full article can be read at: http://www.dvb.no/news/burma%E2%80%99s-report-to-un-is-%E2%80%98fictional%E2%80%99/14378
Burma to keep Australian in jail.
The other week i made a post about the australian editor of the newspaper 'the myanmar times' being arrested for not having a valid visa, and to follow up on that it has bee revealed that he will not be granted bail between now and his trial on the 3rd of March.
This has caused outrage in south east asia, as many western investors who have been keen to get involved with Burma are now more wary of investing there. This comes shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi made a speech saying how western countries needed to get involved and invest in Burma, however, the countries less than friendly government has made that very hard.
This has caused outrage in south east asia, as many western investors who have been keen to get involved with Burma are now more wary of investing there. This comes shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi made a speech saying how western countries needed to get involved and invest in Burma, however, the countries less than friendly government has made that very hard.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
General Tin Aye quits
Former general, now member of parliment, Tin Aye, has resigned from Burma's new parliment, only two weeks after it first convened. Aye was the sixth most important general in Burma before he resigned to join the USDP party in the election, and in the new government he was in the running to become defence minister, but he didn't get the job. Many analysts believe the unexpected resignation is a sign that the new government is not going to plan, as senior military figures are not happy having to share power with each other for the first time.
I feel that this resignation is the beginning of the new regime starting to fail, as Burma has not been under a democratic governemnt in half a century, and the generals turned polititions are not used to having to work together as a parliment and share their power.
I feel that this resignation is the beginning of the new regime starting to fail, as Burma has not been under a democratic governemnt in half a century, and the generals turned polititions are not used to having to work together as a parliment and share their power.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A crackdown on journalism.
An Australian journalist, and owner and editor of the english-language newspaper 'Myanmar Times', was arrested in Burma on the 12th for overstaying his visa, and if convicted, could be facing up to five years in jail. Also, only days before this, a burmese journalist was given a sentence for thirteen years in prison for various 'crimes'.
These recent events show how Burma is not changing under it's new leadership, but simply continuing on with the same corrupt and unjust things, which is further shown through the press freedom index from media group 'reporters without borders', where Burma is placed 174th out of 178.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
'You're now on the dead list'
Here is a link to an article which really highlights the atrocity of the military regime in Burma. One of the interviewees is a man who was jailed for having a fight with a neighbor and then was unable to bribe the police and so was given a year long sentence. Eleven months into his sentence he was taken by the Burmese military and forced to be a 'human minesweeper', traveling ahead of the Burmese army to clear the path of any hidden land mines, while carrying all the soldier's supplies and equipment. Another interviewee describes the infamous Burmese labour camps, with his depiction of the camps bringing to mind the descriptions of the Nazi labour camps.
This article emphasises the gross injustices committed by the burmese military, yet nothing has been done to stop them, and burmese representatives in human rights associations vehemently deny that there have been any human rights violations. I feel that this article highlights the massive need for change in Burma, and how it is going to need more than a new government filled with the same military generals to make any kind of difference.
Also, this article is from the Bangkok post, a Thai newspaper. This is particularly important as these refugees are currently being held in Thailand, and therefore the article is much more personal and has a sense of immediacy that it wouldn't have if it was in a canadian newspaper.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/221288/you-re-now-on-the-dead-list
This article emphasises the gross injustices committed by the burmese military, yet nothing has been done to stop them, and burmese representatives in human rights associations vehemently deny that there have been any human rights violations. I feel that this article highlights the massive need for change in Burma, and how it is going to need more than a new government filled with the same military generals to make any kind of difference.
Also, this article is from the Bangkok post, a Thai newspaper. This is particularly important as these refugees are currently being held in Thailand, and therefore the article is much more personal and has a sense of immediacy that it wouldn't have if it was in a canadian newspaper.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/221288/you-re-now-on-the-dead-list
a 'tragic end' for Aung San Suu Kyi?
The Burmese media has spoken out against democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time since her release from house arrest back in November.
This criticism is almost a retaliation to the statement made a few days ago by the NLD, showing their support of the sanctions placed on Burma. The Burmese military junta have always spoken out against the sanctions placed upon them, as they say that they harm the people more than the country, and have caused even more poverty in the country. However, it is widely recognised in the international community that these sanctions effectively hinder the military regime from prospering, without harming the people to a great extent.
Along with saying that the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi would 'meet a tragic end' if they continued to speak out, the Burmese media (which is, of course, completely state run) also threw out other insults, such as calling the party 'Big headed' and saying that they are ignoring that Burma is 'marching towards a new era'. The statement released also mentioned that it wanted the NLD to 'co-operate' with the Burmese military, although it did not say what this co-operation would entail.
I feel that this statement is the government's attempt to try and suppress and blacken the name of the NLD, who, despite being disbanded in november of last year, have been extremely active and prominent on the international scene recently. However, there is so much support behind the NLD that i feel that it is a wasted effort on behalf of the military junta, and will influence very few, even in Burma.
This criticism is almost a retaliation to the statement made a few days ago by the NLD, showing their support of the sanctions placed on Burma. The Burmese military junta have always spoken out against the sanctions placed upon them, as they say that they harm the people more than the country, and have caused even more poverty in the country. However, it is widely recognised in the international community that these sanctions effectively hinder the military regime from prospering, without harming the people to a great extent.
Along with saying that the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi would 'meet a tragic end' if they continued to speak out, the Burmese media (which is, of course, completely state run) also threw out other insults, such as calling the party 'Big headed' and saying that they are ignoring that Burma is 'marching towards a new era'. The statement released also mentioned that it wanted the NLD to 'co-operate' with the Burmese military, although it did not say what this co-operation would entail.
I feel that this statement is the government's attempt to try and suppress and blacken the name of the NLD, who, despite being disbanded in november of last year, have been extremely active and prominent on the international scene recently. However, there is so much support behind the NLD that i feel that it is a wasted effort on behalf of the military junta, and will influence very few, even in Burma.
Myanmar sanctions.
Burma has had sanctions placed upon it since 1997 when they refused to let Aung San Suu Kyi out of house arrest, and now Suu Kyi and her disbanded party have spoken out about them, saying they 'affect only the leaders of the ruling regime and their close business associates, not the majority of the people'.
The UN sanctions on Burma include a trade embargo, and other sanctions from individual countries have made it impossible for western nations to invest and do business with Burma. While this is helpful in showing the lack of support for the military dictatorship, it does leave the field open for other countries, such as China and Thailand to trade with Burma, which is rich in natural resources, and therefore is not as effective as it could be if it were universal across all countries. Countries that have placed sanctions on Burma include the EU, who have banned all aid except for humanitarian assistance and the sale of military equipment and other trading items, the US, who have similar sanctions, (although they do allow the trade and sale of some items as Burma has lots of natural resources), Canada, and Japan. Both Australia and New Zealand have visa restrictions on military officals, but no other sanctions are in place, and the South East Asian group, ASEAN, have opposed the use of sanctions against Burma(who is also a member of ASEAN).
I agree whole heartedly with Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD, as the people of Burma should not be punished for the mistakes and failures of their leadership, and i believe that this is the only way that the west can show their support for the NLD (which has been technically been forced to disband by the junta, but still continues to function unofficially) and their lack of support for the military regime.
The UN sanctions on Burma include a trade embargo, and other sanctions from individual countries have made it impossible for western nations to invest and do business with Burma. While this is helpful in showing the lack of support for the military dictatorship, it does leave the field open for other countries, such as China and Thailand to trade with Burma, which is rich in natural resources, and therefore is not as effective as it could be if it were universal across all countries. Countries that have placed sanctions on Burma include the EU, who have banned all aid except for humanitarian assistance and the sale of military equipment and other trading items, the US, who have similar sanctions, (although they do allow the trade and sale of some items as Burma has lots of natural resources), Canada, and Japan. Both Australia and New Zealand have visa restrictions on military officals, but no other sanctions are in place, and the South East Asian group, ASEAN, have opposed the use of sanctions against Burma(who is also a member of ASEAN).
I agree whole heartedly with Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD, as the people of Burma should not be punished for the mistakes and failures of their leadership, and i believe that this is the only way that the west can show their support for the NLD (which has been technically been forced to disband by the junta, but still continues to function unofficially) and their lack of support for the military regime.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A different take on democracy.
Here is a link to an article from 'the Myanmar times', announcing the election of president Thein Sein. The article describes how Sein won the election by a margin of 200 votes, and the intricacies of Burma's constitution, for example, the article states how the president is not allowed to serve more than two terms in a row, both lasting five years.
I found this article surprisingly unbiased, as it talked not only about the military party, but also about the other democratic parties who were running for seats in the election last November. Also, there is a somewhat skeptical tone to the article when it discusses Burma's newly found 'democracy'. However, despite being relatively unbiased and unlikely to be propaganda from the military, we cannot totally trust the article as a source of information, as it is widely known that media and foreign correspondence in Burma is highly censored.
http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/561/news56109.html
I found this article surprisingly unbiased, as it talked not only about the military party, but also about the other democratic parties who were running for seats in the election last November. Also, there is a somewhat skeptical tone to the article when it discusses Burma's newly found 'democracy'. However, despite being relatively unbiased and unlikely to be propaganda from the military, we cannot totally trust the article as a source of information, as it is widely known that media and foreign correspondence in Burma is highly censored.
http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/561/news56109.html
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A new leader, no real change.
After 50 years of military rule, Burma finally has a new ruler. Unfortunately, this leader is Thein Sein, a longtime ally of the previous military ruler, Than Shwe. Both Thein Sein and his two vice presidents are members of the USDP, the military backed party. Sein, who has been a part of the military government since 1997, will be able to choose his own officials and ministers in the government, however, i suspect that these will simply be more of the same military generals from the old junta.
This is another example of how the Burmese government is putting on a fake air of change to the international community, and simply replacing leaders and regimes with more of the same.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Than Shwe out of the running.
Last week it was revealed that Than Shwe, a military general who has been Burma's leader since the late 1980's, is not in the list of presidential nominees for the countries new government. Although he is not going to be president, it is highly unlikely that he will relinquish much power, and i expect that he will continue to have an important role in the governance of the country, or at least a leading military position. Aung San Suu Kyi is undecided as to how this turn of events will play out in Burma, as even if he is not president, being in charge of the military will give him as much power as the president, if not more. I feel that really, leaving Shwe will not really affect the country hugely, as no matter what, the military and himself will always play a dominant role in the governing of Burma.
The actual nominees for the presidency consist of two USDP backed candidates, and two more candidates from parties representing ethnic minorities. The fifth candidates name has not been released to the public. I feel that while it is a good sign that the parliament put forward two candidates from parties representing ethnic minorities, especially due to their previous mistreatment in Burma, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that one of them will ever be elected president,
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Opening up it's economic doors,
Aung San Suu Kyi has declared that she wants international companies to start investing in Burma, as the country has been 'left behind' after years of political strife. She addressed the World Economic Forum and said that these international economic ties will help bring Burma political stability, although while investing, foreign companies must put a premium on respect for the law, environmental and social factors, workers rights and many other things, or it will not help change the country for the good.
Suu Kyi seems to have also changed her mind on tourism in Burma. She has stated that while large package tours should be discouraged as they are run by the government and will only help increase the power of the military, people should be encouraged to come as individuals and see the country for themselves, not just as a news story or some facts on a page. Having been to Burma I agree completely with Aung San Suu Kyi, as Burma is not a country you can understand simply by reading about it, and by visiting and staying in privately owned hotels, you will greatly help the economic situation for the Burmese people, without putting money in the Junta's pockets.
Suu Kyi seems to have also changed her mind on tourism in Burma. She has stated that while large package tours should be discouraged as they are run by the government and will only help increase the power of the military, people should be encouraged to come as individuals and see the country for themselves, not just as a news story or some facts on a page. Having been to Burma I agree completely with Aung San Suu Kyi, as Burma is not a country you can understand simply by reading about it, and by visiting and staying in privately owned hotels, you will greatly help the economic situation for the Burmese people, without putting money in the Junta's pockets.
Parliment is opening...
Even though official election results have not been released, the new government will meet tomorrow as a 'democratically' elected government for the first time since the general elections in november. The military junta-linked party have also said that they won the elections with about 80% of the votes, and a quarter of the seats in parliament have been reserved for the military. The country's newspaper, 'The New Light of Myanmar' states that the elections have created a feeling of independence and patriotism, and that the election results were the 'fruit of democracy'.
Opposition group launches website
Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the NLD, have now launched a website. Having recently been released from house arrest Suu Kyi is evidently keen to get back into politics, and having her party launch a website is obviously the first step towards this. The NLD boycotted last november's elections, calling them unfair and corrupt. Now that the junta are officially in power, they have launched a website, meant for supporters both in burma and internationally, however it is unknown yet whether the government will block the website in Burma or not. The website allows supporters to learn about the party's beliefs, media appearences, and it shows any breaking news concerning the party. I believe that this website is a great step forward in helping the rest of the world become more involved in what is happening in Burma right now.
http://www.nldburma.org/
http://www.nldburma.org/
Monday, January 24, 2011
The blog thus far...
It is that time when I review your blog to date, and make comments about going forward.
I found initially when you started blogging a real sense of excitement regarding the elections and events surrounding Aung San Suu Kyi - the blog begin with a bang - well done! And I found that as I log on each week, I'm keen to learn more about Burma, but unless I'm mistaken, I only note two posts in the new year, both on Jan 16, I think, the last one a link to an on-line newspaper. You mention it's a propaganda tool for the military junta: why? Discuss an article in it. It might be useful as a link you can access any time, rather than a posting. It will certainly be useful as "cannon fodder" going forward. So, although I'm impressed by what you've written, I don't get the sense of events and the country being trended. That's really your challenge, Kirstin, remain engaged with blog, and then develop it and with it your expertise. Are there other links you could include? Does Kyi have a website of or a blog? Have an major articles been written on Burma in the recent past in major publications? Are there any books in Chapters or the library that will help you develop further your expertise? And of course what's happening with the election?
I've included a couple of stories below about Burma that may get you thinking: The first is from the Wall Street Journal, posted tomorrow (Asia is a day ahead), and also contains video footage.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703398504576101013572919394.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The other is from the Guardian (UK) on line. It contains a plethora of important information, including links to Aung San Suu Kyi's pages, material on Human Rights, the dictatorship, the Burma Daily, an interactive guide and a profile of Than Shwe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/burma
I found initially when you started blogging a real sense of excitement regarding the elections and events surrounding Aung San Suu Kyi - the blog begin with a bang - well done! And I found that as I log on each week, I'm keen to learn more about Burma, but unless I'm mistaken, I only note two posts in the new year, both on Jan 16, I think, the last one a link to an on-line newspaper. You mention it's a propaganda tool for the military junta: why? Discuss an article in it. It might be useful as a link you can access any time, rather than a posting. It will certainly be useful as "cannon fodder" going forward. So, although I'm impressed by what you've written, I don't get the sense of events and the country being trended. That's really your challenge, Kirstin, remain engaged with blog, and then develop it and with it your expertise. Are there other links you could include? Does Kyi have a website of or a blog? Have an major articles been written on Burma in the recent past in major publications? Are there any books in Chapters or the library that will help you develop further your expertise? And of course what's happening with the election?
I've included a couple of stories below about Burma that may get you thinking: The first is from the Wall Street Journal, posted tomorrow (Asia is a day ahead), and also contains video footage.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703398504576101013572919394.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The other is from the Guardian (UK) on line. It contains a plethora of important information, including links to Aung San Suu Kyi's pages, material on Human Rights, the dictatorship, the Burma Daily, an interactive guide and a profile of Than Shwe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/burma
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The new light of Myanmar
The 'New Light of Myanmar' is Burma's longest running newspaper and is published daily in both English and Burmese. It is government run and a large propaganda tool for them, with many articles about military officials. Here is a link to the english online version:
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi was born on the 19th June, 1945 in Rangoon, and was educated at a Methodist English high school, which is now creatively known as basic education high school no. 1, Dragon, and Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, from which she graduated in 1964 She then gained a degree from St. Hugh's college, Oxford, in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, in 1969. She also worked with the UN for three years, and gained a PHD in Oriental and African studies from the University of London in 1988. Her parents were both politically active, with her father negotiating independence from the british in 1945, and her mother became Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960.
Aung San Suu Kyi's political career started in 1988 when she returned to Burma to look after her ill mother, and she made a speech to half a million people at a mass rally on the 26th August, just after the 8888 uprisings (because general Ne Win stepped down) , about Burma's need for a democratic government. On the 24th September, the National Leauge for democracy (NDL) was formed, and Aung San Suu Kyi was general secretary. She was put under house arrest on the 20th July 1989, and refused to leave the country in exchange for freedom. This house arrest lasted until the 10th July 1995. Aung San Suu Kyi has been influenced by Gandhi's concept of Satyaragha, or non-violence, and many Bhuddist concepts.
In 1990 the Junta ran a general election, in which the NLD won 59% of the votes, however the Junta refused to give up power and the party was refused office. This caused international outcry, and led to Suu Kyi being given the Sakharov prize in 1990 and the Nobel peace prize in 1991.
On the 9th November 1996, Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD members were attacked while driving through Rangoon. The attackers were thought to be members of the Union Solidarity Development Association, and an official complaint was filed with the government, however no action was ever taken.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 15 of the past 20 years, with it being illegally prolonged (both in Burma and Internationally), on the 28th May 2008 and the 11th August 2009. She was released again on the 13th November 2010, only 5 days after the 2010 elections, where it became apparent the USDP were going to win the elections, despite no official results being released.
She has also been very involved with the UN, with the UN making many failed appeaks to the junta to try and get her released from house arrest
Aung San Suu Kyi's political career started in 1988 when she returned to Burma to look after her ill mother, and she made a speech to half a million people at a mass rally on the 26th August, just after the 8888 uprisings (because general Ne Win stepped down) , about Burma's need for a democratic government. On the 24th September, the National Leauge for democracy (NDL) was formed, and Aung San Suu Kyi was general secretary. She was put under house arrest on the 20th July 1989, and refused to leave the country in exchange for freedom. This house arrest lasted until the 10th July 1995. Aung San Suu Kyi has been influenced by Gandhi's concept of Satyaragha, or non-violence, and many Bhuddist concepts.
In 1990 the Junta ran a general election, in which the NLD won 59% of the votes, however the Junta refused to give up power and the party was refused office. This caused international outcry, and led to Suu Kyi being given the Sakharov prize in 1990 and the Nobel peace prize in 1991.
On the 9th November 1996, Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD members were attacked while driving through Rangoon. The attackers were thought to be members of the Union Solidarity Development Association, and an official complaint was filed with the government, however no action was ever taken.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 15 of the past 20 years, with it being illegally prolonged (both in Burma and Internationally), on the 28th May 2008 and the 11th August 2009. She was released again on the 13th November 2010, only 5 days after the 2010 elections, where it became apparent the USDP were going to win the elections, despite no official results being released.
She has also been very involved with the UN, with the UN making many failed appeaks to the junta to try and get her released from house arrest
Burma's political system.
Burma is run by an oppresive military government, otherwise known as the junta, which took power in a coup in 1962. After only 14 short years of democracy after gaining indipendance from the UK, General Ne Win seized power on the 2nd March, becoming Prime Minister and chairman of the revolutionary council.
Before seizing power General Ne Win had also stepped in as interim Prime Minister in 1958 when the current prime minister, U Nu, only just survived a vote against his confidence as a leader. Ne Win restored order to Burma and reliquished his power in 1960 when U Nu won the election.
In 1990 an election which was held, which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, with 59% of the votes, however she was barred from office and instead was put under house arrest, and the junta continued to rule.
This military coup led to Burma becoming a single party socialist state with everything being controlled by the government, and ethnic groups being punished especially. Now the head of state is Than Shwe, although this could all change when the results of the election are released.
Before seizing power General Ne Win had also stepped in as interim Prime Minister in 1958 when the current prime minister, U Nu, only just survived a vote against his confidence as a leader. Ne Win restored order to Burma and reliquished his power in 1960 when U Nu won the election.
In 1990 an election which was held, which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, with 59% of the votes, however she was barred from office and instead was put under house arrest, and the junta continued to rule.
This military coup led to Burma becoming a single party socialist state with everything being controlled by the government, and ethnic groups being punished especially. Now the head of state is Than Shwe, although this could all change when the results of the election are released.
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