March 30, 2016 will be judged by the historians of tomorrow as a significant day for the Burmese people, a day that embodied recent developments in Burma’s political landscape, a day that culminated with the swearing in ceremony of U Htin Kyaw as the country’s new president, the country’s first civilian president in 54 years.
On Thursday, March 26, Than Shwe’s grandson posted a Facebook photo of Than Shwe and his granddaughter. An Irrawaddy article, “Former Burma Supremo Seen in Rare Photo With Granddaughter,” first brought this to my attention.
25 minutes long, titled “Myanmar’s reforms.” More info on Al Jazeera’s website.
The program basically reiterates what’s been said in the news these days. But it features a rare short interview with Zaw Zaw, one of the country’s richest businessman (called a regime crony in US diplomatic cables) and managing director of Max Myanmar, a conglomerate that operates a smorgasbord of businesses (from hotels to mining).
An 8:30 interview from PBS NewsHour on the situation of politics and media in Burma.
It features interviews with a variety of subjects rarely covered in international media, including Eleven Media Group, publisher of the prominent private newsjournal Weekly Eleven and the homegrown capacity-building organization Myanmar Egress.
It’s worth a look.
Congratulations to Ashin Mettacara, an English-language blog written by the Burmese monk Ashin Mettacara for winning the title ‘Best Asian Blog’ in the 2008 Weblog Awards and bringing more visibility to the active and passionate Burmese blogging community. Kudos.
The New Yorker has a very interesting and captivating article on Burma, entitled “Drowning: Can the Burmese people rescue themselves?”. It’s 13 pages but worth the time.
A snippet:
Myat Min was freed from prison on July 6, 2005. He spoke of his seven years in a cell with unsettling equanimity. “The years I spent in prison were, by far, the most efficient and productive time of my life,” he said. “Outside, we waste so many hours, so many days, yet we are not satisfied with how we spend our time. In prison, I feel I have complete control of my life.”
On another note, I’ll be away visiting Canada until September 1.
Superfluously entitled “DVB Broadcasting Station airs fabricated news titled ‘Hluttaw representatives of NLD and its members stage protest walk in Mandalay’ — Mandalay Division NLD makes fabricated news to save its reputation as there were no protests in Mandalay people comment that NLD should not make such attempts to mislead the people,” the New Light of Myanmar (NLM) tried to discredit the Democratic Voice for Burma and the National League for Democracy simultaneously.
Fifty Viss 