Burma

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I visited Burma back in 1987. It is a most amazing country. The Shwedigon Pagoda in Rangoon is the most amazing temple I've ever seen. The ruins of Pagan are really something to see.

People are quite nice and friendly.

The country is very poor. It is like going back in time, say to the British colonial times. The government's principal goal seems to be to keep the people as poverty-stricken as possible. Plus, they've had wars going on against ethnic minorities in the mountains now for many decades.

It is a very Buddhist country, and very isolated from the rest of the world. North Korea is probably more extreme.

If you get the chance, I very much recommend visiting Burma (some time in between army massacres).

hi
[8:57:10 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: HELLO
[8:57:29 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: are you in Yangon?
[8:57:32 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: how r u
[8:57:39 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i m in yangon
[8:57:40 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: I r fine
[8:57:43 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: nods
[8:57:45 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: but i m near burma
[8:57:57 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: did u hear anything about burma?
[8:58:01 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes!
[8:58:11 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: it is getting out through You Tube
[8:58:29 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: the Japanese are MAJORLY PISSED about their journalist
[8:58:44 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes
[8:58:53 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: they can seee he was murdered in cold blood
[8:59:08 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: japanese governement wnat to know the reason of their journalist had been killed
[8:59:14 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: You Tube is breaking the story
[8:59:24 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: did u see that video?
[8:59:31 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: CNN and MSNBC are carrying the video
[8:59:47 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes, yes, they have TWO different videos of the same shooting, now
[8:59:54 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: how about showing at TV
[9:00:18 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: www.reuters.com
[9:00:22 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: there also u can see
[9:00:33 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: CNN and MSNBC have reported the death of Monks. . .but I have not see n. . here, let me put on MSNBC
[9:00:55 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes
[9:01:02 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: how did Bush say about?
[9:01:11 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: will he care about Myanmar?
[9:01:23 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: now Mr. Gambri is in Myanmar now
[9:01:29 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: we r waiting for him
[9:02:26 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: oh, goodness, please do not hold your breath about Mr Bush, he will make a lot of noise, but he has broken our Army. . .we have no Army or Marines to send to you
[9:02:39 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: we are broken in Iraq and Afghanistan
[9:02:51 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says:
[9:03:23 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: sorry
[9:03:26 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: so who can help in case something happen terrible
[9:03:49 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: Doesn't China trade with Yangon?
[9:04:19 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: won't China help Myanmar?
[9:04:23 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes
[9:04:32 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: no, china is supporter for burma governement
[9:04:41 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: China , Russia and India a\
[9:05:07 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: who will help Burma??
[9:05:25 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: dont know
[9:05:34 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: this is the answer we want to know
[9:05:57 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: well, you will find out now!
[9:06:01 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: the hard way
[9:06:42 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i guess we have to do ourself
[9:06:56 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: but need a lot of lives to gain the target
[9:07:36 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes, but we have given our lives for freedom many times
[9:07:57 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: there is no greater sacrifice
[9:08:54 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes, i agree, but for longer time, civilians dont have weposn
[9:09:03 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: wepons, only governement have
[9:09:07 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes
[9:09:12 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: same here in USA
[9:09:14 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: worry for people lives
[9:09:19 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes
[9:09:28 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: worry for family and friends
[9:10:11 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes, very much
[9:12:26 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: no one can go out this time
[9:12:29 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: very dangerous
[9:13:51 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes
[9:14:07 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: have they stopped the internet in myanmar?
[9:14:13 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: now they used the prisoners who r in jail for long sentence or death sentence, they asked them to hit civilians
[9:14:35 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes, to give them pardon
[9:14:39 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes. all internet from Myanmar had been stopped last 2 days ago
[9:14:52 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes, that has been on the world news
[9:15:27 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: the world is watching, but dont know who can really give a hand to Myanamr
[9:15:36 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: Myanmar
[9:16:02 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: the USA has no troops
[9:16:03 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: none
[9:16:09 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: zero
[9:16:42 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: how do u think about UK
[9:16:52 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: Gordon brown and Europen Union?
[9:16:52 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: I have no idea
[9:17:05 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: I don't know, sNOw. . .
[9:17:41 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i hope the result will out in soon
[9:17:55 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: Europe is so far away
[9:18:04 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: South America??
[9:18:47 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: any other Buddist countries
[9:19:09 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: there r on;y few buddhist country
[9:19:17 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes\
[9:19:20 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: India, Sri Lanka
[9:19:24 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: Thailand
[9:19:31 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i dont think India will ehlp
[9:19:35 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: help
[9:19:38 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: would Indiaor Thailand or VietNam come to help?
[9:19:49 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i dont think so
[9:19:52 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: India is a good democratic country,right?
[9:20:08 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: they don't want to go against China
[9:20:20 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: but india goverment is good realtion with Myanmar Military government
[9:20:39 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: and frankly, Mr Bush owes China too much money to go against them
[9:20:56 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: last time Myanmar government bought some flight from india governement
[9:21:10 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: why he owes china
[9:21:32 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: now china also getting worried about Myanmar situation
[9:21:45 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: coz they will be held olympics in coming 2008
[9:21:56 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: the ticekts will be sold at the end of Oct
[9:22:05 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes, well, the World will boycott the Olympics
[9:22:17 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: and China will lose face
[9:22:24 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: if people will against china and they can't selkl the tickets
[9:22:37 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes, and teams won't go to perform
[9:22:40 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: Beijing is really worried about this
[9:22:49 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: coz Myanamr situation is getting serious
[9:23:36 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: china is partners of myanmar, as china can get a lot of minerals from burma
[9:24:12 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: such as Timber, Jade, Jewellery, Gas , Oil and water fall for electricity
[9:25:21 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: as myanmar government change capital to Naypidaw, they sold a lot of famous buildings in Yangon ( the old capital )to China
[9:25:48 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: for what?
[9:26:00 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: what will China do with the buildings?
[9:26:31 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i have no idea, there r a lot of chinese in myanmar who r doing businss
[9:26:47 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: nods
[9:26:57 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: the people are surfs
[9:27:39 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: china will use myanamr as their business zone
[9:27:44 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: nods
[9:28:10 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: there r some chinese who r doing export , such as Tiger Prawn and some others things from Myanmar
[9:28:35 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: Mr Bush wants financial sanctions against Myanmar, but that only hurts the people, not the generals
[9:29:32 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: yes, that's right, Myanmar people only have to suffer
[9:29:44 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i guess that's not the right thing
[9:29:54 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: Mr Bush is not the best person for the job of president in the USA
[9:30:03 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: I am sorry to say
[9:30:09 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: close economy, but Military government dont suffer anything about it
[9:30:58 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: only people are suffering more trouble about struggle life and jobless
[9:32:10 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i feel really pity about workers in Myanmar
[9:32:19 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: and we heard they took all the scooters and bicycles off the streets
[9:33:15 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: u mean in burma?
[9:35:18 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: now transportation in Myanmar is very hard, some of the main street are closed by military, so people cant go to the job
[9:35:33 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes
[9:35:41 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: in Burma
[9:36:17 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: a general thought he was being cut off by a bicyclist and he got all the bikes and scooters out off the streets
[9:36:25 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: a lot of business r stopped
[9:36:41 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: i think in Mandalay
[9:36:59 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: the government wants the business to run, that is good for the government
[9:37:06 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: not in Yangon, coz Yangon dont use bike or scotters
[9:37:17 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: yes
[9:37:30 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: nods
[9:38:19 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: than shwe family r not in Myanmar
[9:38:35 PM] ~ s N O w ~ says: they go around in asia, looking for safe place
[9:39:22 PM] Merle A. Morrigan says: and ang sang su chi, is she still safe?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_as/myanmar

China and Russia are adamantly against sanctions. It doesn't look like the US (gov't) cares too much.

There was an article in my campus paper today about it. the first line gave me a dark chuckle; it was something like: "Nobody in boulder knew anything about Burma two weeks ago, but now people are marching up and down the streets in protest of the Burmese government's treatment of its people." Just shows you bandwagon friendly this stupid place is.

Suu Kyi (Aung San was added by her to remind people of her father) and her Western backers are as much to blame for the pathetic state of affairs in Myanmar as the military junta. Twenty years of sanctions and twenty years of creeping economic collapse. The generals who misgovern the country are vile, but what good does it do to squeeze the people so hard and so ineffectively, if the misery that is imposed does not bring about the desired regime change? Twenty years ago they marched for freedom, and now they march for food. Has economic statecraft worked or has it simply turned a poor nation destitute? Nor have the military elites suffered for their intransigence. Luxury cars and high end consumer goods can all be imported through the country’s long and porous borders. Those with power, and hence money, need never fear of not satisfying their craving for luxury. And so we beat the people and tell them that we fight for freedom and justice. We force them to send their daughters to brothels in Thailand and say that sacrifices made today will build a new world where the meek shall indeed rule the earth. It is not the hypocrisy that I decry; it is the utter, unfathomable, stupidity of this futile abuse that sends me into a state of stupor. When you help a people, they should not cry so much.

some links with information and protest actions,for people who actually care and want to do something.

http://community.livejournal.com/for_burma/ reporting of news leaked out from the people involved.

http://burmaresource.info/

http://www.squidoo.com/burmainjustice/
a page I started for links to news, protests, boycots etc. - currently abandoned because I got too intencely involved and overwhemled by what was happening.