Airport security crowded the fast-track immigration section at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on the evening of May 29. …
National League for Democracy
Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi Makes Her Parliamentary Debut
The democracy icon and her colleagues from the opposition National League for Democracy, or NLD, on Wednesday ended their boycott over a controversial clause in the country’s oath of office and took their seats in parliament. “We …
Burma: E.U. Suspends Sanctions, but a Political Impasse Threatens Progress
Citing “historic changes,” the European Union on Monday announced it would suspend nearly all sanctions on Burma for a year. The new policy, which goes into effect this week, will ease trade, economic and personal restrictions, …
Burma’s T-Shirt Trade: Suddenly, Aung San Suu Kyi is Everywhere
She stands watch over tea shops and street stalls, dangles from rear-view mirrors. Not long ago, you could be jailed for having her portrait. Now, the Lady is ubiquitous.
On April 1, Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi led the …
Burma’s ‘New Era’: Hope, Humor and a Long Road Ahead
On the morning of April 1, before the sun rose high above Rangoon, Zu Zu called her brother on the phone. “I have bad news,” she said.
Zu Zu, 23, radiant and quietly rebellious, left her hometown in the Shan Hills three years …
The Opposition Claims Victory as Burma Revels in the Freedom from Fear
At party headquarters, it was the party to end all parties. For too long, the bumpy, betel-stained strip of pavement in front of the Rangoon office of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Burma’s opposition party, felt like …
A Landmark Election Unfolds in Burma and the Opposition Starts Celebrating Victory
The line of disappointed Burmese wandered down the dirt road from the polling station to the betel-nut shack. Perhaps a hit of the addictive chew would soothe their nerves. On April 1, Burmese went to the voting booths for just …
As Burma Heads for a Historic Vote, the Opposition Decries Campaign Infractions
The Burmese campaign irregularity was round, hard and launched from a slingshot. In March, an unknown assailant fired a betel nut at an opposition party candidate for the April 1 by-elections, nearly causing an injury. The …
Burma Elections: On the Campaign Trail with Aung San Suu Kyi
They waited for hours in the merciless Burmese sun for their Lady to arrive. On March 22, Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi traveled in an unlikely convoy of shiny Land Rovers, ancient Jeeps, tractors, motorcycles, trishaws …
A Cease-Fire in Burma: Is One of the World’s Oldest Insurgencies About to End?
One of the world’s longest civil conflicts may finally be over. On Jan. 12, a “peace delegation” from the quasi-civilian government of Burma signed a cease-fire agreement with ethnic Karen rebels who have been waging battle …
For the First Time in More Than 50 Years, a U.S. Secretary of State Is Set to Visit Burma
This year, the leaders of Burma, once one of the most hermetic countries on earth, have unleashed a charm campaign on the world. The efforts, ranging from diplomatic globe-trotting to a raft of economic and political reforms designed to impress foreign governments, are now bearing fruit. On Nov. 18, U.S. President Barack Obama …
Burma: Could a Small, Peaceful Protest Signal Real Reform?
Four years ago, as columns of burgundy-robed monks marched peacefully through Burma’s commercial capital Rangoon, security forces opened fire, slaughtering at least 31 people, arresting thousands more and extinguishing hopes that the ruling junta was receptive to political reform. On September 26, dozens of Burmese again gathered …