Before the military era and its inherently macho chauvinistic bigoted culture culminating in its latest weapon Ma Ba Tha Burmese women enjoyed freedoms unheard of in the rest of the world not just South East Asia up to the fifties.
Today military misrule has also led to articles such as this in The Guardian falsely claiming we don’t even have a proper word for vagina! Just because women in traditional society are too modest to say it glibly it doesn’t mean we don’t have a fair few terms rude and polite for it.
It would be inaccurate to say that all the Karen groups have supported the ceasefire agreement – let alone just the KNU. Vice president of the KNU Zipporah Sein has been vocally critical of the deal and declined to attend the official ceremony, and both her and VP David Tharckabaw attended the recent talks of non signatories in Wa representing the KNDO. Maj Gen Nerdah Bo Mya of the KNDO has also been vocally critical of the process.
How do the peace talks offer ‘groundwork towards a more comprehensive reconciliation’ where there is virtually no scope to deal with past Tatmadaw atrocities – even acknowledge them, let alone deal with them judicially? Even over the past few weeks there have been repeated incidents of artillery attacks in a number of villagers in northern Shan and Kachin states – and it seems there is likely to be continued and even intensified attacks after the elections.
Finally although much of the criticism over the peacetalks in the popular media has been over the issue of inclusiveness, much academic work has focused on how peace and ‘ceasefire capitalism’ are re configuring relations between land and natural resources, local ethic minority elites, the Tatmadaw and the emerging Yangon based business elites. (eg Kevin Woods, Lee Jones an Adam Burke). As Burke puts it -“There is a risk that foreign aid provision will end up backing a central government agenda based on narrow ceasefire agreements that enable development as a tool of pacification, also serving as a conduit for private sector investments that benefit well-connected individuals and bypass local people”.
Corruption? Good morning Jakaaaarta, God I miss the smell of Show Trials in the morning. The alleged turnback ‘bribery’ trial began yesterday but adjourned because the accused ‘didn’t have a lawyer.’ Couldn’t get a lawyer?? So what happened to the 30 grand we gave them? Blew it all on rw and bubur manado?
Could it be the trial was ‘adjourned’ til next week, to coincide with Turnbull’s visit to Jakarta?
Harto was far too Kraton too embarrass visiting dignitaries.
Lippo Group has been funding Hillary Clinton for years via China and Singapore. Corruption between JKT and DC is hardly news. I guess people have forgotten Johnny Huang; I haven’t. There is a money trail that has run from Indonesia to DC for 30 years or longer. The same trail exists in Malaysia, it just runs more to London, Sydney and New York.
Thank you, Michael. Interesting stuff. Two weeks before Jokowi’s visit I wrote a report in IndoProgress. I also found a strange lobbying efforts by Jakarta-based, Yayasan Diaspora Indonesia Global. The lobbying is under the order of Edward Wanandi. The cost of the lobbying will be paid by a US based company (apparently owned by Wanandi), Merchant International. The most interesting thing is that the lobbyists ( The Glover Park Group, LLC and Hogan Lovells US, LLP.) have to coordinate with Indonesian officials.
I don’t think the Wanandi’s lobbying is on the same page as Pereira’s. So what interests do they represent?
Corruption only exists where there is a customer and we all know who that customer is. South Chicago and Southeast Asia aren’t all that different. The faces may look different, but laundry is laundry.
If this won’t put the generals collective back up I don’t know what will.
She may live to regret this rather premature triumphalism and self anointing.
Will Shwe Mann be the ‘one officer she needs to stand up and be counted’? Does he enjoy sufficient support from the army as a decorated former battlefield commander as well as from a faction in the govt party? Interesting triangle if it’s allowed to gain any mileage.
I daresay, President Obama likely does not know Burma from Burma shave. His recent visit to Malaysia to shore up the corrupt Prime Minister (and returning again to ensure that corruption continues), is pretty emblematic of the President’s knowledge of, and policies towards, Southeast Asia. The elephant in the room (President Xi Jinping) could not have a better friend in President Obama.
Historical Women dignity and value defined by the culture presently is being badly eroded by western excesses that can be gleaned through new outlet should make the author cringe.
Keeping the adage ‘the weak will suffer the most during any period of down turn’ in mind, the author must remember and remind why, and how the women took the biggest set back during the useless careless period exerted by the west.
Instead of relying on feminist concept of the west, Burmese Culture has ample example at this very instance and plenty reasons to be co equal and more in many respect.
It will be unfortunate to start a chauvinistic/sexist war especially the aim is to change the make up of Hlutthaw that is presently 25% military appointee.
If the 25% guaranteed to military is made up of all women will it change SG Than Swe through proxy hold on Hlutthaw?
Let the very first vote count determine what the next step should be. Surely Myanmar is a country unlike any other. Be aware that most of the western concept do not apply, in this case westerner concept of feminism.
Excellent piece on the campaign against robot sex, a rather disingenuous platform for prohibitionist rhetoric. My contribution to the (non-robot) sex work debate…
Facebook 
Twitter 
Soundcloud 
Youtube 
Rss
NLD needs to lift the standard
[…] NLD needs to lift the standard […]
Waiting in the White House lobby
Agree !
Waiting in the White House lobby
Clearly, Michael Buehler is on someone’s payroll. Why has a world class university like ANU given him space?
Waiting in the White House lobby
There is hardly anyone who is not on someone’s payroll.
A press conference and the vote
It is clear that one needs to work beyond any constitutional framework for just and righteous government to prevail.
I’m sure Nietzsche would be most impressed by the Lady’s Ubermensch complex.
Waiting in the White House lobby
Is the writer on someone’s payroll? This article does not seem to be objective.
A masculine Myanmar and the vote
Before the military era and its inherently macho chauvinistic bigoted culture culminating in its latest weapon Ma Ba Tha Burmese women enjoyed freedoms unheard of in the rest of the world not just South East Asia up to the fifties.
Today military misrule has also led to articles such as this in The Guardian falsely claiming we don’t even have a proper word for vagina! Just because women in traditional society are too modest to say it glibly it doesn’t mean we don’t have a fair few terms rude and polite for it.
The peace deal and the vote
It would be inaccurate to say that all the Karen groups have supported the ceasefire agreement – let alone just the KNU. Vice president of the KNU Zipporah Sein has been vocally critical of the deal and declined to attend the official ceremony, and both her and VP David Tharckabaw attended the recent talks of non signatories in Wa representing the KNDO. Maj Gen Nerdah Bo Mya of the KNDO has also been vocally critical of the process.
How do the peace talks offer ‘groundwork towards a more comprehensive reconciliation’ where there is virtually no scope to deal with past Tatmadaw atrocities – even acknowledge them, let alone deal with them judicially? Even over the past few weeks there have been repeated incidents of artillery attacks in a number of villagers in northern Shan and Kachin states – and it seems there is likely to be continued and even intensified attacks after the elections.
Finally although much of the criticism over the peacetalks in the popular media has been over the issue of inclusiveness, much academic work has focused on how peace and ‘ceasefire capitalism’ are re configuring relations between land and natural resources, local ethic minority elites, the Tatmadaw and the emerging Yangon based business elites. (eg Kevin Woods, Lee Jones an Adam Burke). As Burke puts it -“There is a risk that foreign aid provision will end up backing a central government agenda based on narrow ceasefire agreements that enable development as a tool of pacification, also serving as a conduit for private sector investments that benefit well-connected individuals and bypass local people”.
Waiting in the White House lobby
Corruption? Good morning Jakaaaarta, God I miss the smell of Show Trials in the morning. The alleged turnback ‘bribery’ trial began yesterday but adjourned because the accused ‘didn’t have a lawyer.’ Couldn’t get a lawyer?? So what happened to the 30 grand we gave them? Blew it all on rw and bubur manado?
Could it be the trial was ‘adjourned’ til next week, to coincide with Turnbull’s visit to Jakarta?
Harto was far too Kraton too embarrass visiting dignitaries.
http://news.roteonline.com/tak-didampingi-lawyer-sidang-dakwaan-imigran-hari-ini-ditunda.php
The United States and the vote
Plan B,
I think that’s mostly correct. Xi knows where is Shao Bing is buttered and who has the red bean soup.
Waiting in the White House lobby
Lippo Group has been funding Hillary Clinton for years via China and Singapore. Corruption between JKT and DC is hardly news. I guess people have forgotten Johnny Huang; I haven’t. There is a money trail that has run from Indonesia to DC for 30 years or longer. The same trail exists in Malaysia, it just runs more to London, Sydney and New York.
Waiting in the White House lobby
Thank you, Michael. Interesting stuff. Two weeks before Jokowi’s visit I wrote a report in IndoProgress. I also found a strange lobbying efforts by Jakarta-based, Yayasan Diaspora Indonesia Global. The lobbying is under the order of Edward Wanandi. The cost of the lobbying will be paid by a US based company (apparently owned by Wanandi), Merchant International. The most interesting thing is that the lobbyists ( The Glover Park Group, LLC and Hogan Lovells US, LLP.) have to coordinate with Indonesian officials.
I don’t think the Wanandi’s lobbying is on the same page as Pereira’s. So what interests do they represent?
Just in case you missed it, here is the report:
http://indoprogress.com/2015/10/jokowi-ke-washington-sebagai-presiden-atau-ceo/
The United States and the vote
Pegging 6-7 Yuan to a dollar assure a guarantee Chinese safe return even at 0% interest while allow US to print as much $ w/o consequences.
A symbiosis that’s historically unprecedented.
SCS is just a reminder that Chinese technology of reverse engineering is not real deal.
Chinese has the ultimate say and has been told to DASSK next move as what ever capacity she might be elected.
SG Thein Sein DRMTD (Disciplined RM to democracy) is exactly what the late Deng dictated to undo the TIANANMEN protest.
Waiting in the White House lobby
Corruption only exists where there is a customer and we all know who that customer is. South Chicago and Southeast Asia aren’t all that different. The faces may look different, but laundry is laundry.
A press conference and the vote
Does an universal suffrage in Burma a democracy make? We shall have to wait and see.
A press conference and the vote
If this won’t put the generals collective back up I don’t know what will.
She may live to regret this rather premature triumphalism and self anointing.
Will Shwe Mann be the ‘one officer she needs to stand up and be counted’? Does he enjoy sufficient support from the army as a decorated former battlefield commander as well as from a faction in the govt party? Interesting triangle if it’s allowed to gain any mileage.
The United States and the vote
I daresay, President Obama likely does not know Burma from Burma shave. His recent visit to Malaysia to shore up the corrupt Prime Minister (and returning again to ensure that corruption continues), is pretty emblematic of the President’s knowledge of, and policies towards, Southeast Asia. The elephant in the room (President Xi Jinping) could not have a better friend in President Obama.
Press freedom in Papua?
[…] activities continue to be monitored. More importantly, restrictions on freedom of expression by local journalists remain in […]
A masculine Myanmar and the vote
Historical Women dignity and value defined by the culture presently is being badly eroded by western excesses that can be gleaned through new outlet should make the author cringe.
Keeping the adage ‘the weak will suffer the most during any period of down turn’ in mind, the author must remember and remind why, and how the women took the biggest set back during the useless careless period exerted by the west.
Instead of relying on feminist concept of the west, Burmese Culture has ample example at this very instance and plenty reasons to be co equal and more in many respect.
It will be unfortunate to start a chauvinistic/sexist war especially the aim is to change the make up of Hlutthaw that is presently 25% military appointee.
If the 25% guaranteed to military is made up of all women will it change SG Than Swe through proxy hold on Hlutthaw?
Let the very first vote count determine what the next step should be. Surely Myanmar is a country unlike any other. Be aware that most of the western concept do not apply, in this case westerner concept of feminism.
Sex workers and sex robots: what’s really at stake
Excellent piece on the campaign against robot sex, a rather disingenuous platform for prohibitionist rhetoric. My contribution to the (non-robot) sex work debate…
https://medium.com/vantage/diary-of-a-sex-tourist-2d73817d23df