MetaFilter posts tagged with humanrights and burma

gently weeps

adamvasco — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:15:47 -0800

Explosive art; "weapons" paintings by San Minn are not shown in his native Burma where Rappers, journalists and comedians have discovered a new crime – helping people devastated by cyclone Nargis. Human rights watch has a dirty list of Companies doing business in Burma with some sucess - over 100 have withdrawn in the last 6 years from a country where business ventures start with the military. Meanwhile Burma / Myanmar mobilises troops along the border and Burma-Bangladesh tensions raise fears of new restrictions.
(Main links from the ever interesting Irrawaddi and via silobreaker).

Drowning

homunculus — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:24:13 -0800

Can the Burmese people rescue themselves? A powerful piece by George Packer in the New Yorker on the recent history and current conditions in Burma.

Burma: monks vs. junta

homunculus — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:20:44 -0800

Monks Succeed in Cyclone Relief as Junta Falters. In Burma (Myanmar) the Buddhist monks are doing more than anyone to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis. At the same time, Burmese officials are trying to stem the influence of the monks by forcing survivors who have sought refuge in monasteries to return to their shattered homes. [Via Barbara's Buddhism Blog.]

Burma Can't Wait

homunculus — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:49:31 -0800

Burma: It Can't Wait is a month-long video campaign by the US Campaign for Burma to raise awareness of the plight of Burma (Myanmar) and Aung San Suu Kyi. There will be one video a day for 30 days from celebrities including Will Ferrel, Sarah Silverman and Eddie Izzard. But now the political situation in Burma has been overshadowed by a humanitarian catastrophe: a massive cyclone hit Burma on Saturday, killing over 10,000 people. The question now is whether the reclusive military Junta will accept international aid, and what the political ramifications will be if they don't handle this well.

Repression in Burma

homunculus — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:21:40 -0800

Crackdown: Repression of the 2007 Popular Protests in Burma.

Monks back on the streets of Burma

schroedinger — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:55:08 -0800

Monks march again in Burma. Approximately one hundred Buddhist monks marched in protest oif government policies in the central city of Pakokku yesterday. One monk who spoke to journalists claims more marches will be organized. Will we see a resurgence of the mass marches--and crackdowns--of August and September?

Child Soldiers in Burma

homunculus — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:15:28 -0800

Sold to Be Soldiers: The Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in Burma. “I can’t remember how old I was the first time in fighting. About 13. That time we walked into a Karenni ambush, and four of our soldiers died. I was afraid because I was very young so I tried to run back, but [the] captain shouted, ‘Don’t run back! If you run back I’ll shoot you myself!’” —Aung Zaw, describing his first exposure to combat

Burma

homunculus — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:05:35 -0800

Risking all: the Burmese jokers who laugh in the face of danger. In Burma (Myanmar), comedians are targets in the junta's war on words. [Via BB.] The Moustache Brothers have a website, but it doesn't look like it's been updated for some time. Htein Lin, the artist mentioned in the fifth link, was the subject of this post.

Htein Lin: Burma Inside Out

homunculus — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:26:02 -0800

Burmese artist Htein Lin was imprisoned by his country's military government from 1998 to 2004 on charges of planning opposition protests. In prison he was forced to improvise to continue painting, using paints smuggled in by guards and white cotton prison uniforms as canvases. In place of brushes he used his fingers, cigarette lighters, syringes, pieces of netting, dinner plates, and blocks of soap. Burma Inside Out (PDF), an exhibition of some of his prison work, will be on display at the Asia House Gallery in London from July 27 to October 13.

Slavery in Burma

homunculus — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:07:57 -0800

From Hunter to Hunted "In his quest to free slaves around the world, Aaron Cohen thought he’d seen it all. Then he went to Myanmar."

Ty Webb — Mon, 21 Oct 2002 15:25:47 -0800

Burmese villagers sue Unocal in an L.A. courtroom. The villagers are charging that Unocal is responsible for human-rights abuses committed by the Burmese military along the company's $1.2 billion Yadana gas pipeline. Here's a Unocal website responding to the suit. And the Free Burma Coalition's Unocal Page.

homunculus — Wed, 16 Oct 2002 14:38:19 -0800

My Gun was as Tall as Me is a new report by Human Rights Watch about children forced to become soldiers in Burma (Myanmar). They estimate as many as 70,000 soldiers are under 18, some as young as 11. (Previous posts about Burma and modern slavery.)