Living Silence in Burma: Surviving under Military RuleEight years after the first edition of this insightful and highly regarded book, Burma remains one of the most troubled nations in Southeast Asia. While other countries have democratized and prospered, Burma is governed by a repressive military dictatorship and is the second largest producer of heroin in the world. In this exceptionally readable yet scholarly account of Burma today, Christina Fink gives a moving and insightful picture of what life under military rule is like. Through the extensive interviews conducted inside and outside the country, we begin to understand Burma's political and domestic situation and a comprehensive understanding of why military rule has lasted so long. This significantly revised new edition includes material taking the reader up to present day action and accounts, including the impacts of the dramatic 2007 monks' demonstrations, which were coordinated with former student activists and members of Aung San Suu Kyi's party. The book explores the regime's continued attempts to weaken and divide the democratic movement and the ethnic nationalist organizations and explains how the democratic movement and ethnic groups have sought to achieve their goals; in part, by working more closely together. |
Contents
| 16 | |
Introduction | |
Historical legacies | |
The Ne Win years 196288 | |
fostering conformity | |
going with the flow | |
a life sentence | |
life university | |
floating books and bathroom tracts | |
in the dark every cat is black | |
disappearing jewels and poltergeists | |
The internationalization of Burmas politics | |
Notes | |
Breaking the silence 198890 | |
Military rule continues 19902000 | |
The Than Shwe years 2000 and beyond | |
a different Burma | |
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Common terms and phrases
88 Generation Students anti-government areas army Aung San Suu authorities BSPP Buddhist Burma Burmese campaign ceasefire citizens civilian continued country’s Dai’s democratic election ethnic minority ethnic nationalist father forced labour foreign friends government’s groups Human Rights intelligence agents join Kachin Karen Khin Nyunt Kyaw Kyi Kyi Kyi’s leaders Lieutenant General Khin Lin Htet living Mandalay Maung Maung military intelligence military officers military regime military rule Min Zin Moe Aye Moe Thee Zun Mon State Party monasteries monks Muslims Myanmar National Ne Win NLD members organizations Pagoda parents participate party people’s policies political prisoners pro-democracy programmes protests Rangoon University refused regime’s released Rohingya San Suu Kyi senior Shan Shwe Shwedagon Pagoda SLORC soldiers student activists talked tatmadaw teachers Thai Thailand Thirty Comrades Tin Oo told towns tried university students USDA villagers wanted