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 …
myanmar
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: Election Fever Heats Up and Even the Military’s Party Plays Along
At the campaign rally on the outskirts of Rangoon, Burma’s largest city, much appeared as it should be. A sweaty crowd, thousands strong, dutifully waved green-and-red party flags; many sported baseball caps with the Union …
Burma’s Armed Forces Day: Men in Business Suits, Not Uniforms, Seize the Moment
March 27 was Armed Forces Day in Burma, the 67th anniversary of the founding of the modern Burmese military. Given that Burma was ruled for nearly half a century by a military regime and even today is helmed by a hybrid …
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 …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 15, 2012
Nuclear Achievements – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirmed additions to the country’s nuclear program Wednesday. The Daily Telegraph reports Iran’s state television unveiled faster carbon fiber centrifuges and fuel …
Going Home: Exiles Venture Back to Build a ‘New Burma’
He went from protesting on the streets of Rangoon in 1988, to a guerrilla camp on the Thai-Burma border, to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Now, Aung Naing Oo, a policy analyst, peace advocate and …
With U.S.-Burma Ties on the Mend, Will a Lifting of Sanctions Be Next?
The reaction was swift. On Jan. 13 (an auspicious Friday the 13th, it turned out), Burma released 651 prisoners, among them hundreds of democracy activists, ethnic leaders, senior monks and even a former Prime Minister who had …
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 …
Clinton in Burma: As Ties with U.S. Strengthen, Will the Country’s Ethnic Minorities Be Forgotten?
Nestled next to a placid lake in Burma’s largest city, Rangoon, the villa of democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi is a pleasant spot—although no place can be so comfortable as to merit spending much of two decades under house arrest there. In 2009, before the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was released from villa detention by the ruling …
The Barefoot Diplomat: Hillary Clinton Begins Landmark Visit to Burma
One of the most surreal experiences in Burma is to leaf through the New Light of Myanmar. The English-language newspaper, which refers to the country by its official name, is among the most retrograde publications in the world. With tidbits like “True patriotism: It is very important for every one of the nation regardless of the …
The Road to Naypyidaw: What Hillary Clinton Will See in Burma
As U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes her historic visit to Burma from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, she will be touring two vastly different cities. Clinton, the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit the isolated nation in more than half a century, first stops in Naypyidaw, the country’s capital. The vast, surreal city, which …
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 …