A neo-romantic idealization of rural life contrasting it with “alienated” urban society is common among urban middle classes all over the world. Often the reason is the fear that one day the countryside will take over the cities and they will loose their high status and respect. (Just think of the warning when the red hordes were entering Bangkok).
During the 80s the view of the village as cooperative unit was wide spread among NGO (“The answer is in the villages”), as well as the view that the villages represent “real” or authentic Thainess.
What actually is the problem in people from the countryside moving into Bangkok? They have as well a “right to the city” and rights as “citizen”! Furthermore, anybody who did research in villages soon notices that all these tales of cooperation, mutual help etc. are invented traditions (not the least by romantic anthropologists) rather then real history.
Bigotry, abound here @ New Mandala, from all sides, belies the real issues.
The issues of:
1) Long overdue ‘rule of law’ in this case ‘immigration laws’/Citizenship within Myanmar.
2) Remedies to the most basic of Human Right: Freedom from poverty.
This repeated senseless, denial of and debating the legitimacy of the identity “Rohingyia”, as part of the Citizenry/Burmese Muslim citizen within the borders, underscores the very basic of Humanity:
The right to exist under any name.
This recurrent tragic episode with accompanying sordid depravities, must remind the Thein Sein government as well as the West in the urgency to the ‘Rule of Law’ within Myanmar.
Proper ‘Rule of Law’, neglected by any government promotes anarchy, unacceptable none Humanity based conducts.
Any none Humanity based conducts, assure the genesis and perpetuity of continuing animosities among different ethnic groups of a Citizenry.
A Citizenry already deprived of the most basic of Human Right.
Made worst by the decades of the West policy of yesteryear.
Such sectarian violence rarely if ever occurred when every ethnicity enjoy relative peace and economic prosperity.
As in the city of Maulamyain with a large proportion of Burmese Muslims citizen.
I live in Nan, one of Thailand’s remotest provinces, where agriculture continues to represent the lion’s share of economic productivity. Unlike the central plains this is hill country with corn and sticky rice the mainstays produced in relatively small quantities on smallholdings. Whilst having no claims to any great knowledge of agricultural productivity etc it strikes me that the region is stuck in a time warp. As a result, farming is back-breaking work with mechanization limited to the odd tractor and threshing machine. It is little surprise therefore that with the advances in modern communications and media youngsters can see a world beyond their valley and yearn to enjoy all the ‘goodies’ that appear to be on offer a mere bus ride away in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
Without doubt, conditions have improved over the past 10 years or so, the village has a very capable clinic, staffed by, admitedly young and inexperienced doctors, but nonetheless committed to caring for the local community and the schools have reasonably good basic facilities. However, this is akin to using sticky plaster to treat a fracture. Self-sufficiency is no longer sustainable utilising the current methods of production. Successive governments have ignored this fact for far too long.
Different, more profitable, commodities such as mushrooms, tea and coffee, grapes and other high value fruits would seemingly prosper in the local climate but these require training and investment, both of which are in extremely short supply.
The new generation of young people will only stay on the land if they can be made to feel that they have an economic value, that modern technology is on their side and they can enjoy the fruits of their labour. When that happens, the bus trip to Bangkok will be a return journey not a one way ticket.
What? To seek the truth but the truth, whether Rohingya race exist?
Where? National archive UK holds 1,000, yes one thousand years of UK government records online with search engine http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
When? This is the name of the race, they said exisit since 1000 AD
Date: from 1800 to 1950
How? Using search keywords: “Rohingya AND Rohing”
Why why? Because Burma was British colony and so was India, also today Bangladesh is part of British India so the rationale is that if there were a Rohingya or Rohing ethnic race existed, our British government must have recorded
Result: “We did not find results for your search”
For your convenience, copy and paste to browser, click below:
Discussion: Rohingya never exist, it is a ploy by Bengalis. Rohingya is a fabricated race. They are trying to grab land from Burma using all tools available in invader’s tool kit such as coercion, terrorism (I can provide hard facts if anyone interested), convincing (using rhetorics such as human rights, peace, love, kindness, mercy, tolerance, etc..), mass immigration and over-breeding than unwilling local hosts.
Conclusion: Anyone who claims to be an intellectual, who claims to hold a university degree yet fail to see that Rohing Nyars are not Burmese are either their guys (Rohingya themselves), their appeasers (who love to please them, appease them) or apologists (who will blame everything to Burmese and portray the villains, invasion force called Rohingya as victims)
I think most urban dwellers agree while sitting back in an air-conditioned lounge sipping our lattes that the rural should do the right thing and stay on the farms, lazy spoiled buggers, where is their sense of patriotism?
Those kids however see the lifestyles of the rich through the Thai soap operas, see the ads for whitening cream so that attractive people should look like their never step outdoors, see the middle men and bureaucrats making all the money through rice schemes, monopolies and other rip offs, can’t imagine why they would want to leave the farm? Does dad even own the farm or did the merchants grab the land as security for fertilizer and DDT and is now indentured?
Australia also movements away from rural areas, however there were productivity increases to offset it. Perhaps they can get the Burmese in to work them?
Although I appreciate the idea of depicting unaltered scenarios, I wonder what stance the author has towards all the things he encounters during his nightly tours through the city. He depicts brothels, bargirls, hostesses, and expats… Is this Cambodia by night? Or is it rather Cambodia by night through the lense of another expat?
link to AP wire service article about Bangladesh authorities refusing to accept and sending back boats loaded with Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar:
In Burmese, there is a word for Miss Pollyanna, “Myit-tar-shin-ma-lay Nyein Nyein Ei” who talks about love and peace. But we are not living in a perfect world, so real-world Pollyanna will have a sore bottom, a reamed orifice and a choked throat with some thick bodily liquids. That is what it is. If we were living in the perfect world where we could fix everything by reason and logic, then we will not need aircraft carriers, UAVs, IEDs, AK-47s and RPGs.
Although some people like to portray this as an intolerance, this is not religious at all. We are talking about invasion and illegal immigration, we are talking about law and order, we are talking about economics. This is politics and in politic, all parties will try their best, Rohingyas will try to pull in Burmese muslims while Burmese have no choice but to high light that they are not one of us – and that does not need an elaborate proof. Burmese are threading the thin line, we have to counter their accusations while making sure that our arguments are within the sensitivities of our muslims, Burmese muslims. We are happy now that Ko Mya Aye, a prominent Burmese muslim leader has officially denounced that Rohingyas are not Burmese but Bengalis.
But for those useful idiots or appeasers of foreign invaders, I don’t think you guys should be proud of what you are doing. It is very easy to be a liberal, a Pollyanna with “Za Lote” (Adam’s apple) but I but even such Mr. Pollyanna will still get sore bottom when the time come. It is harder to say a spade a spade because it is easy t accuse someone as racist and for the accused it is not a winning game even when you were defending your position. That is why we do not see so many Dr. Aye Chan, whom we respect a lot, who fought for Ko Mya Aye’s freedom but we do have more of pseudo intellectuals who go the easy path, acting like Pollyanna with a “Za Lote Kyee” (big bulging Adam’s Apple). On social networks, there are a lot acting and competing to become liberals, I think they are playing “Useful Idiot” game to quote late USSR leader Stalin’s words for some ultra liberals.
Some of them flaunt their professional degrees, overseas degrees, or some even with lowly undergraduate diploma compete one another to show off liberal credentials – we have seen enough accusations “Anyone who is not accepting Rohingya is a racist” and one has to stay academic and factual to defend oneself that going-against Rohingy is no racist. Been there, done that, no surprise. It is harder to say a spade a spade than sugar coating and act like apologist. If anyone can prove that there is one document mentioning “Rohingya” prior 1945 in British national archives [Search->Advanced Search-> at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ as it is free of charge] and British are only second to Germans in record keeping.
Last not least, we are liberals ourselves but when it come to our country interest and sovereign we will protect our interests. And we want our leaders to act for our interests and that is the way it should be. We, Burmese, will practise non-discrimination laws, we will take care of one another, we will respect each other. But doing those things is one thing, swallowing the terrorists’ payload mouthful is another. We are not born to swallow anything. We may be stupid, sensational Burmese but we are who we are. Burma is playing with the rules of the international game. We are on the right side.
For those who think that it is trendy to be Pollyanna. Pause and think, it is very easy to be an apologist or appeaser. It is harder to tell truth, keeping facts and staying as scholastic and intellectual as possible while discussing an inevitably emotional issue where misinformation is the norm and rule while accurate and timely information is exception.
I am not sure who is that Mr. Sai Soe Win Latt, who is a PhD candidate at the Simon Fraser University in Canada and his thesis topics is about the hydro dam and discipline is Geography. I understand he will be emotional for his people but we too are.
Burmese, Rakhines are our Burmese, are probably more emotional as we are more to lose. It is not the land belong to Chittagongnians – for respect of Bengali of different faith such as Tagore (Hindu), Yunus (Islam) and Amatya San (Buddhist?), I will use the word Chittagongian as they are from Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is Burmese land, Burmese are losing in media front, this is one such example and they do not know how to play under-dog which Chittagongians have practised and perfected over years.
So they are frustrated, they do not know how to play that victim game while they are being victimised by Chittagongians. So they just release their anger here. So this is their first time, not experienced in stealing land by mass immigration so forgive my people New Mandala!
According to a new Thai Publica.com report today ( http://thaipublica.org/2012/06/plagiarism-1/) Chulalongkorn’s University Council has “tossed the hot potato back to the Faculty of Science” to decide on revoking the fraudulent degree by end June.
The report accuses Chula of failing to act on its own investigation, and says the Council has forbidden the Faculty from basing its recommendations on its 2010 report that found the PhD thesis to be 80% plagiarized. ThaiPublica speculates that this might be yet another ruse to buy more time by calling for a new investigation….
Nevertheless, University President Pirom Kamol-Rattanakul has promised an end to the matter by end June, so Chula students might soon be celebrating a new “EasyDoc” carte blanche that allows them to plagiarize pretty much willy-nilly (but strictly only up to 80%, remember!!).
Seriously though, it’s good news that the new University President is determined to close this disturbing chapter. By doing the right thing now, Chula will restore a good measure of lost dignity and international good standing.
The following quote from the story stroke me hard:
In some parts of the world, the image of farmers is bound together with thoughts of self-reliance, strength and nostalgia for the countryside, but the Thai farmer is seen as “poor, stupid and unhealthy,” said Mr. Iam, who specializes in studying the culture of rice growing. “Farmers say that if I’m reincarnated 10 times, I don’t want another life as a farmer.”
Social and political stereotypes against Thai farmer have had not only deterred youth from taking up the plow but also produced a new spirit of resilience and pride. The adoption of ancient phrase ‘phrai’ by the red shirts speaks to the mentality of taking pride in farmer identity.
The declining value generation power of Thai agriculture also has an effect to stem political activism amongst Thai farmers
Apologies – these things happen as I’m sure you know and there was certainly no intent to “steal” your photos or “breach” your copyright.
The only point of posting the letter was to highlight an important matter relating to human rights – nothing more, nothing less.
Please rest assured that nobody connected to this story had any intention to “steal” your work and the main focus was to smuggle this letter out, get it to the UK and then get it to Amnesty and published. Furthermore, Thanthawut – someone for whom I have a huge amount of respect – has also shown great personal courage in signing the letter on behalf of all the prisoners.
I don’t understand the value of this at all. It belongs with tourist’s travel blogs and self-published ‘bar-girl culture’ novels, and frankly would not even compare well with much of the latter.
Your pride in a strong KIA belies the ugly truth that ‘War is hell’ especially those Citizenry near the fronts be it Bamar , Kachin or other Citizenry minorities not yet ID.
Not a bad idea living naked in a cave and coming out cursing at everyone and any process that will undermine “The well being of ALL Myanmar Citizenry”
WA as an exception to the rule for now, no opposing side to Bamar has ever come out even let alone ahead.
Buddha Gotama was born in Central India amid other religious leaders wish him not to be enlightnement. After he passed away for 2555 years as todate, his institution is merely surivied in India and regions. The Buddha Gotama lived with inner-peace. His fellow monks are also tought to live within inner-peace. However, other religous leaders and sect of belivers attacked and destroyed Buddha Gotama’s temples and towns. As today, India is a place of ancient for his beautifual teaching for kindness and share the gain of inner-peace. If human could not find inner-peace within, all form of violence will be occur as we have been witnessing this week and in the past century of Burma’s sorry land. Evil act is a sin but the rule of laws will only achieved if human find peace within and share the pain and gain equally.
I have never been impressed with Amnesty International. Too many lawyers. They would be more honest to rename themselves Retribution International.
As for their behaviour in Thailand, it comes as no surprise that they have joined the side of the big battalions. I hope Thanthawut’s letter shames them into taking a good look at themselves, especially at their connections to Thailand’s corrupt legal/judicial system.
1. Was Uncle SMS considered a Prisoner of Conscience (POC) or political prisoner by AI?
NO.
This is a fact. Anybody can check with AI.
Apparently, no AI rep ever visited him or other victims of 112 because AI do not recognise them as POC or political prisoners.
The only victim of 112 that AI recognised is the famous critic Sulak Sivaraksa who was charged under Thaksin government. This is the only case that AI always riased for many years as evidence of AI attention to the 112 problem.
2. In a recent statement, AI criticise the Yingluck government for rejecting the call to amend Article 112 law. For many years that many people had called the Democrat government for the amendment of the law, and the Democrat government rejected, AI was silent throughout those years.
This is not to defend the Yingluck government, but to question the impartiality of AI.
There are several issues happening at once, as usual. Again it is explosive so that every one would be wise to trim the edges.
Problem with personal attack is that it takes away the chance to say the main point of argument.
But this is the sort of time emotion boils over and latent hatred surfaces.
Popular Buddhist bashing is one example. These Burmese Buddhist are not kind afterall, cruel, inconsiderate, not really Buddhist, ect are repeated by a lot of bystanders. But having solid and impenetrable proof that all Burmese are total trash would still not help the Burmese to live peacefully with any other people.
Nicholas Ferrally himself quoted by Francis Wade in the articel U Moe Aung # 50 attached claiming the Muslims are not accorded respect by the Burmese like the Christian minority is unhelpful.
There are more mosques than churches in Burma and Muslim pupolation of Indian and Chinese decent are more incorporated into mainstream social ansd financial fabric of Burmese society than Christians of any sorts. For example, one literally cannot deal with gold in Burma without dealing with Muslim dealerships whereas whereas there is no particular business or social sphere the Christians are indispensable.
More Burmese would have been to Eide feast everywhere in the country than to any Christian’s house for any reason. Not that Christians are not important or aloof, simply the degree of integration. Historically there have been both Christian and Muslim leaders in Burmese society and many a Muslim donations were done voluntarily to Buddhist shrines all over Burma.
If one walks in a market place in towns, the colonial masters called bazaars- there surely will be Muslin traders and customers at any given time.
Remember the Hindu’s are Kalar as well. And they are also very incorporated in the social fabric. No Chinese Hindu though!
The main facets of the current crises are:
1. The segment of population claiming victimhood here has physically threatening existence, either real or perceived, on both sides for decades if not centuries with obviously things not getting better but worse with time.
2. Majority of them, but not all, are effectively excluded from mainstream society and economic opportunites living in dire poverty.
3. They are often subjected to inhumane treatment by the authorities although they do not have the monopoly of state victim hood in good old, authoritarian Burma. In some sense because there has never been all out war around them and there has never been lucrative black market trade or opium involved, they are far better off than the Karen and Kachin.
4. As they are essentially exactly the same as their brethren acorss the river, the other local populace and the people of the rest of the country feel that their numbers will swell in an instant at any little opportunity. For example, there is no way to determine who are the people originating in Burma from the people who are really of Bangladeshi origin reminescent of the differentiation between the Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda.
5. There are well documented links of Al-Kaida with arms training an a segment of the population which certainly was enough to make the Americans worry.
6. There was never any serious attempt by either Burmese government or Bangladesh government to settle this problem. This results in disadvantage a large number of population with India as a bemused spectator.
7. There is a large international NGO industry spawned from this predicament with large amount of money and livelihoods involved apart from the people of the region.
8. There are separate large group of vocal people who have ideological conviction forcing people in the ground to adhere to their ideals, not necessarily helping any particular involved party.
9. There is dire lack of global leadership in morality.
When the international governments clamouring for international criminal court proceedings for the Burmese military leadership immediately change their tune to support them simply because of opening up the country for business, there is more than enough ground not to trust any body any more.
None of the above invlolves the Burmese trying to wipe out the whole islamic faith off the earth as some would like the world to believe or the people of the north of Arakan are unique in suffering in country Burma.
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Leaving the farm
A neo-romantic idealization of rural life contrasting it with “alienated” urban society is common among urban middle classes all over the world. Often the reason is the fear that one day the countryside will take over the cities and they will loose their high status and respect. (Just think of the warning when the red hordes were entering Bangkok).
During the 80s the view of the village as cooperative unit was wide spread among NGO (“The answer is in the villages”), as well as the view that the villages represent “real” or authentic Thainess.
What actually is the problem in people from the countryside moving into Bangkok? They have as well a “right to the city” and rights as “citizen”! Furthermore, anybody who did research in villages soon notices that all these tales of cooperation, mutual help etc. are invented traditions (not the least by romantic anthropologists) rather then real history.
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
[…] it’s sure stoked up the tensions in the country. There’s a comprehensive write up on New Mandala. (The comments are worth a look as […]
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
Bigotry, abound here @ New Mandala, from all sides, belies the real issues.
The issues of:
1) Long overdue ‘rule of law’ in this case ‘immigration laws’/Citizenship within Myanmar.
2) Remedies to the most basic of Human Right: Freedom from poverty.
This repeated senseless, denial of and debating the legitimacy of the identity “Rohingyia”, as part of the Citizenry/Burmese Muslim citizen within the borders, underscores the very basic of Humanity:
The right to exist under any name.
This recurrent tragic episode with accompanying sordid depravities, must remind the Thein Sein government as well as the West in the urgency to the ‘Rule of Law’ within Myanmar.
Proper ‘Rule of Law’, neglected by any government promotes anarchy, unacceptable none Humanity based conducts.
Any none Humanity based conducts, assure the genesis and perpetuity of continuing animosities among different ethnic groups of a Citizenry.
A Citizenry already deprived of the most basic of Human Right.
Made worst by the decades of the West policy of yesteryear.
Such sectarian violence rarely if ever occurred when every ethnicity enjoy relative peace and economic prosperity.
As in the city of Maulamyain with a large proportion of Burmese Muslims citizen.
Leaving the farm
I live in Nan, one of Thailand’s remotest provinces, where agriculture continues to represent the lion’s share of economic productivity. Unlike the central plains this is hill country with corn and sticky rice the mainstays produced in relatively small quantities on smallholdings. Whilst having no claims to any great knowledge of agricultural productivity etc it strikes me that the region is stuck in a time warp. As a result, farming is back-breaking work with mechanization limited to the odd tractor and threshing machine. It is little surprise therefore that with the advances in modern communications and media youngsters can see a world beyond their valley and yearn to enjoy all the ‘goodies’ that appear to be on offer a mere bus ride away in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
Without doubt, conditions have improved over the past 10 years or so, the village has a very capable clinic, staffed by, admitedly young and inexperienced doctors, but nonetheless committed to caring for the local community and the schools have reasonably good basic facilities. However, this is akin to using sticky plaster to treat a fracture. Self-sufficiency is no longer sustainable utilising the current methods of production. Successive governments have ignored this fact for far too long.
Different, more profitable, commodities such as mushrooms, tea and coffee, grapes and other high value fruits would seemingly prosper in the local climate but these require training and investment, both of which are in extremely short supply.
The new generation of young people will only stay on the land if they can be made to feel that they have an economic value, that modern technology is on their side and they can enjoy the fruits of their labour. When that happens, the bus trip to Bangkok will be a return journey not a one way ticket.
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
What? To seek the truth but the truth, whether Rohingya race exist?
Where? National archive UK holds 1,000, yes one thousand years of UK government records online with search engine
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
When? This is the name of the race, they said exisit since 1000 AD
Date: from 1800 to 1950
How? Using search keywords: “Rohingya AND Rohing”
Why why? Because Burma was British colony and so was India, also today Bangladesh is part of British India so the rationale is that if there were a Rohingya or Rohing ethnic race existed, our British government must have recorded
Result: “We did not find results for your search”
For your convenience, copy and paste to browser, click below:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/search_results.aspx?Page=1&ContainAnyWord=Rohing&ExactPhrase=Rohingya&DateFrom=1800&DateTo=1950&SelectedDatabases=A2A|ARCHON|BOOKSHOP|CABPAPERS|DOCUMENTSONLINE|EROL|MOVINGHERE|NRA|NRALISTS|PREM19|RESEARCHGUIDES|E179|CATALOGUE|WEBSITE|TRAFALGAR&SearchType=Advanced
Discussion: Rohingya never exist, it is a ploy by Bengalis. Rohingya is a fabricated race. They are trying to grab land from Burma using all tools available in invader’s tool kit such as coercion, terrorism (I can provide hard facts if anyone interested), convincing (using rhetorics such as human rights, peace, love, kindness, mercy, tolerance, etc..), mass immigration and over-breeding than unwilling local hosts.
Conclusion: Anyone who claims to be an intellectual, who claims to hold a university degree yet fail to see that Rohing Nyars are not Burmese are either their guys (Rohingya themselves), their appeasers (who love to please them, appease them) or apologists (who will blame everything to Burmese and portray the villains, invasion force called Rohingya as victims)
Leaving the farm
I think most urban dwellers agree while sitting back in an air-conditioned lounge sipping our lattes that the rural should do the right thing and stay on the farms, lazy spoiled buggers, where is their sense of patriotism?
Those kids however see the lifestyles of the rich through the Thai soap operas, see the ads for whitening cream so that attractive people should look like their never step outdoors, see the middle men and bureaucrats making all the money through rice schemes, monopolies and other rip offs, can’t imagine why they would want to leave the farm? Does dad even own the farm or did the merchants grab the land as security for fertilizer and DDT and is now indentured?
Australia also movements away from rural areas, however there were productivity increases to offset it. Perhaps they can get the Burmese in to work them?
Noir nights in Phnom Penh
Although I appreciate the idea of depicting unaltered scenarios, I wonder what stance the author has towards all the things he encounters during his nightly tours through the city. He depicts brothels, bargirls, hostesses, and expats… Is this Cambodia by night? Or is it rather Cambodia by night through the lense of another expat?
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
link to AP wire service article about Bangladesh authorities refusing to accept and sending back boats loaded with Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/06/12/bangladesh-sends-back-muslims-fleeing-myanmar/
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
In Burmese, there is a word for Miss Pollyanna, “Myit-tar-shin-ma-lay Nyein Nyein Ei” who talks about love and peace. But we are not living in a perfect world, so real-world Pollyanna will have a sore bottom, a reamed orifice and a choked throat with some thick bodily liquids. That is what it is. If we were living in the perfect world where we could fix everything by reason and logic, then we will not need aircraft carriers, UAVs, IEDs, AK-47s and RPGs.
Although some people like to portray this as an intolerance, this is not religious at all. We are talking about invasion and illegal immigration, we are talking about law and order, we are talking about economics. This is politics and in politic, all parties will try their best, Rohingyas will try to pull in Burmese muslims while Burmese have no choice but to high light that they are not one of us – and that does not need an elaborate proof. Burmese are threading the thin line, we have to counter their accusations while making sure that our arguments are within the sensitivities of our muslims, Burmese muslims. We are happy now that Ko Mya Aye, a prominent Burmese muslim leader has officially denounced that Rohingyas are not Burmese but Bengalis.
But for those useful idiots or appeasers of foreign invaders, I don’t think you guys should be proud of what you are doing. It is very easy to be a liberal, a Pollyanna with “Za Lote” (Adam’s apple) but I but even such Mr. Pollyanna will still get sore bottom when the time come. It is harder to say a spade a spade because it is easy t accuse someone as racist and for the accused it is not a winning game even when you were defending your position. That is why we do not see so many Dr. Aye Chan, whom we respect a lot, who fought for Ko Mya Aye’s freedom but we do have more of pseudo intellectuals who go the easy path, acting like Pollyanna with a “Za Lote Kyee” (big bulging Adam’s Apple). On social networks, there are a lot acting and competing to become liberals, I think they are playing “Useful Idiot” game to quote late USSR leader Stalin’s words for some ultra liberals.
Some of them flaunt their professional degrees, overseas degrees, or some even with lowly undergraduate diploma compete one another to show off liberal credentials – we have seen enough accusations “Anyone who is not accepting Rohingya is a racist” and one has to stay academic and factual to defend oneself that going-against Rohingy is no racist. Been there, done that, no surprise. It is harder to say a spade a spade than sugar coating and act like apologist. If anyone can prove that there is one document mentioning “Rohingya” prior 1945 in British national archives [Search->Advanced Search-> at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ as it is free of charge] and British are only second to Germans in record keeping.
Last not least, we are liberals ourselves but when it come to our country interest and sovereign we will protect our interests. And we want our leaders to act for our interests and that is the way it should be. We, Burmese, will practise non-discrimination laws, we will take care of one another, we will respect each other. But doing those things is one thing, swallowing the terrorists’ payload mouthful is another. We are not born to swallow anything. We may be stupid, sensational Burmese but we are who we are. Burma is playing with the rules of the international game. We are on the right side.
For those who think that it is trendy to be Pollyanna. Pause and think, it is very easy to be an apologist or appeaser. It is harder to tell truth, keeping facts and staying as scholastic and intellectual as possible while discussing an inevitably emotional issue where misinformation is the norm and rule while accurate and timely information is exception.
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
I am not sure who is that Mr. Sai Soe Win Latt, who is a PhD candidate at the Simon Fraser University in Canada and his thesis topics is about the hydro dam and discipline is Geography. I understand he will be emotional for his people but we too are.
Burmese, Rakhines are our Burmese, are probably more emotional as we are more to lose. It is not the land belong to Chittagongnians – for respect of Bengali of different faith such as Tagore (Hindu), Yunus (Islam) and Amatya San (Buddhist?), I will use the word Chittagongian as they are from Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is Burmese land, Burmese are losing in media front, this is one such example and they do not know how to play under-dog which Chittagongians have practised and perfected over years.
So they are frustrated, they do not know how to play that victim game while they are being victimised by Chittagongians. So they just release their anger here. So this is their first time, not experienced in stealing land by mass immigration so forgive my people New Mandala!
University rankings from Chula’s perspective
According to a new Thai Publica.com report today ( http://thaipublica.org/2012/06/plagiarism-1/) Chulalongkorn’s University Council has “tossed the hot potato back to the Faculty of Science” to decide on revoking the fraudulent degree by end June.
The report accuses Chula of failing to act on its own investigation, and says the Council has forbidden the Faculty from basing its recommendations on its 2010 report that found the PhD thesis to be 80% plagiarized. ThaiPublica speculates that this might be yet another ruse to buy more time by calling for a new investigation….
Nevertheless, University President Pirom Kamol-Rattanakul has promised an end to the matter by end June, so Chula students might soon be celebrating a new “EasyDoc” carte blanche that allows them to plagiarize pretty much willy-nilly (but strictly only up to 80%, remember!!).
Seriously though, it’s good news that the new University President is determined to close this disturbing chapter. By doing the right thing now, Chula will restore a good measure of lost dignity and international good standing.
Prisoner writes to Amnesty International
andrew,
no problem, we got it sorted anyhow 🙂
Leaving the farm
The following quote from the story stroke me hard:
In some parts of the world, the image of farmers is bound together with thoughts of self-reliance, strength and nostalgia for the countryside, but the Thai farmer is seen as “poor, stupid and unhealthy,” said Mr. Iam, who specializes in studying the culture of rice growing. “Farmers say that if I’m reincarnated 10 times, I don’t want another life as a farmer.”
Social and political stereotypes against Thai farmer have had not only deterred youth from taking up the plow but also produced a new spirit of resilience and pride. The adoption of ancient phrase ‘phrai’ by the red shirts speaks to the mentality of taking pride in farmer identity.
The declining value generation power of Thai agriculture also has an effect to stem political activism amongst Thai farmers
Prisoner writes to Amnesty International
Nick
Apologies – these things happen as I’m sure you know and there was certainly no intent to “steal” your photos or “breach” your copyright.
The only point of posting the letter was to highlight an important matter relating to human rights – nothing more, nothing less.
Please rest assured that nobody connected to this story had any intention to “steal” your work and the main focus was to smuggle this letter out, get it to the UK and then get it to Amnesty and published. Furthermore, Thanthawut – someone for whom I have a huge amount of respect – has also shown great personal courage in signing the letter on behalf of all the prisoners.
Noir nights in Phnom Penh
I don’t understand the value of this at all. It belongs with tourist’s travel blogs and self-published ‘bar-girl culture’ novels, and frankly would not even compare well with much of the latter.
A deadline looms in Kachin war
@ naw seng #3
Your pride in a strong KIA belies the ugly truth that ‘War is hell’ especially those Citizenry near the fronts be it Bamar , Kachin or other Citizenry minorities not yet ID.
Not a bad idea living naked in a cave and coming out cursing at everyone and any process that will undermine “The well being of ALL Myanmar Citizenry”
WA as an exception to the rule for now, no opposing side to Bamar has ever come out even let alone ahead.
.
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
Buddha Gotama was born in Central India amid other religious leaders wish him not to be enlightnement. After he passed away for 2555 years as todate, his institution is merely surivied in India and regions. The Buddha Gotama lived with inner-peace. His fellow monks are also tought to live within inner-peace. However, other religous leaders and sect of belivers attacked and destroyed Buddha Gotama’s temples and towns. As today, India is a place of ancient for his beautifual teaching for kindness and share the gain of inner-peace. If human could not find inner-peace within, all form of violence will be occur as we have been witnessing this week and in the past century of Burma’s sorry land. Evil act is a sin but the rule of laws will only achieved if human find peace within and share the pain and gain equally.
Prisoner writes to Amnesty International
I have never been impressed with Amnesty International. Too many lawyers. They would be more honest to rename themselves Retribution International.
As for their behaviour in Thailand, it comes as no surprise that they have joined the side of the big battalions. I hope Thanthawut’s letter shames them into taking a good look at themselves, especially at their connections to Thailand’s corrupt legal/judicial system.
Prisoner writes to Amnesty International
1. Was Uncle SMS considered a Prisoner of Conscience (POC) or political prisoner by AI?
NO.
This is a fact. Anybody can check with AI.
Apparently, no AI rep ever visited him or other victims of 112 because AI do not recognise them as POC or political prisoners.
The only victim of 112 that AI recognised is the famous critic Sulak Sivaraksa who was charged under Thaksin government. This is the only case that AI always riased for many years as evidence of AI attention to the 112 problem.
2. In a recent statement, AI criticise the Yingluck government for rejecting the call to amend Article 112 law. For many years that many people had called the Democrat government for the amendment of the law, and the Democrat government rejected, AI was silent throughout those years.
This is not to defend the Yingluck government, but to question the impartiality of AI.
Intolerance, Islam and the Internet in Burma
There are several issues happening at once, as usual. Again it is explosive so that every one would be wise to trim the edges.
Problem with personal attack is that it takes away the chance to say the main point of argument.
But this is the sort of time emotion boils over and latent hatred surfaces.
Popular Buddhist bashing is one example. These Burmese Buddhist are not kind afterall, cruel, inconsiderate, not really Buddhist, ect are repeated by a lot of bystanders. But having solid and impenetrable proof that all Burmese are total trash would still not help the Burmese to live peacefully with any other people.
Nicholas Ferrally himself quoted by Francis Wade in the articel U Moe Aung # 50 attached claiming the Muslims are not accorded respect by the Burmese like the Christian minority is unhelpful.
There are more mosques than churches in Burma and Muslim pupolation of Indian and Chinese decent are more incorporated into mainstream social ansd financial fabric of Burmese society than Christians of any sorts. For example, one literally cannot deal with gold in Burma without dealing with Muslim dealerships whereas whereas there is no particular business or social sphere the Christians are indispensable.
More Burmese would have been to Eide feast everywhere in the country than to any Christian’s house for any reason. Not that Christians are not important or aloof, simply the degree of integration. Historically there have been both Christian and Muslim leaders in Burmese society and many a Muslim donations were done voluntarily to Buddhist shrines all over Burma.
If one walks in a market place in towns, the colonial masters called bazaars- there surely will be Muslin traders and customers at any given time.
Remember the Hindu’s are Kalar as well. And they are also very incorporated in the social fabric. No Chinese Hindu though!
The main facets of the current crises are:
1. The segment of population claiming victimhood here has physically threatening existence, either real or perceived, on both sides for decades if not centuries with obviously things not getting better but worse with time.
2. Majority of them, but not all, are effectively excluded from mainstream society and economic opportunites living in dire poverty.
3. They are often subjected to inhumane treatment by the authorities although they do not have the monopoly of state victim hood in good old, authoritarian Burma. In some sense because there has never been all out war around them and there has never been lucrative black market trade or opium involved, they are far better off than the Karen and Kachin.
4. As they are essentially exactly the same as their brethren acorss the river, the other local populace and the people of the rest of the country feel that their numbers will swell in an instant at any little opportunity. For example, there is no way to determine who are the people originating in Burma from the people who are really of Bangladeshi origin reminescent of the differentiation between the Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda.
5. There are well documented links of Al-Kaida with arms training an a segment of the population which certainly was enough to make the Americans worry.
6. There was never any serious attempt by either Burmese government or Bangladesh government to settle this problem. This results in disadvantage a large number of population with India as a bemused spectator.
7. There is a large international NGO industry spawned from this predicament with large amount of money and livelihoods involved apart from the people of the region.
8. There are separate large group of vocal people who have ideological conviction forcing people in the ground to adhere to their ideals, not necessarily helping any particular involved party.
9. There is dire lack of global leadership in morality.
When the international governments clamouring for international criminal court proceedings for the Burmese military leadership immediately change their tune to support them simply because of opening up the country for business, there is more than enough ground not to trust any body any more.
None of the above invlolves the Burmese trying to wipe out the whole islamic faith off the earth as some would like the world to believe or the people of the north of Arakan are unique in suffering in country Burma.
Could we address some of the issues stated?