Stories about Myanmar (Burma) from January, 2009
Rohingya Muslims facing cultural genocide
Prof. Marranci writes that Rohingya Muslims are “victims of their lack of strategic value, both for their native Southeast Asia and the wider international community.” The Rohingyas are also “facing a slow, silent cultural genocide.”
The plight of the Rohingya
The Rohingya have been called “trafficked victims”, “refugees”, “forced migrants” and “illegal migrants”. The Irrawaddy provides a comprehensive background to the situation of the Rohingya. This issue has involved Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh and even the United States.
Thailand: Media investigates Rohingya refugees
Bangkok Pundit summarises some of the foreign media's investigations of the cases of the Rohingya refugees. Thailand Crisis says the incident represents the failure of the Abhisit government.
Myanmar: Kachin Conflict
Writing for The Pulitzer Center, Tim Patterson and Ryan Libre explain the backround of the Kachin Conflict in Myanmar. The struggle in Kachin is separate from the campaign of the political opposition of the ethnic Burmese majority.
Myanmar e-books
Looking for Myanmar novels? Download e-books by visiting Shwesagar e books.
Myanmar: Extreme cold weather
Myanmar’s mountainous eastern and western border areas are experiencing an unusual freezing weather. The Karen State was declared a disaster area because of the cold temperatures. The province is home to a large refugee population. In Rangoon, the winter is coldest in 30 years.
Myanmar: Cyclone recovery will take four years
According to a UN agency, recovery and reconstruction efforts in the cyclone-ravaged areas of Myanmar will take four years. Last May 2008, a deadly cyclone hit Myanmar.
Thailand: Rohingya refugee story coverage
Bangkok Pundit provides a round up of the story about Rohingya refugees who were allegedly pushed out to sea by the Thai Navy. The story has been reported in detail by BBC News. According to Bangkok Pundit the news was originally broken by the website Phuket Wan.
Southeast Asia: Ship of dreams and friendship
Take a luxury cruise liner, fill it with some 300 vibrant youths from Southeast Asia and Japan, stir in cultural agenda and social interactions. The result: a strong bond and lifetime friendship. This is the story of the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme.
Singapore activists show support for Burmese patriots
Two Singapore activists were arrested for staging a protest in support of Burmese patriots whose working visas were cancelled by the Singapore government.
Myanmar: 2008 Blog Awards
The first ever Myanmar Blog Awards recognized 11 bloggers from Myanmar. More than 150 blogs were nominated for the year 2008. At least 7,000 votes were casted.
