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POPSProtests in Burma VIDEOS In case you've been wondering what its like on the ground over there here are some videos of the monks protests - followed by a clip BBC did on the topic. Its important to note that the military regime has long justified its rule through its heavy associations with the Buddhist Sangha (community), while the monks have not really been supporters of the Regime they've been forced into an awkward political position for quite some time now. For them to rise up in protest is perhaps the most potent symbolic attack upon the regime (and as seen as such by locals) - and has only happened on a few occasions before (like the big democracy movement between 1988-1990). In the past they've protested by turning over their alms bowls to military leaders (denying the leadership any merit) which would be analogous to say a pastor refusing to let a corrupt or violent politician into church (in protest).
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POPSUN Goes Ethnic - but who's really indigenous? So the UN has declared that now indigenous people have their own legal provisions in the international system. The subject the didn't address though is - what is indigenous? After what point of habitation do people become indigenous? 40,000 years? 20,000 years? 3,000 years? Take Israel v. Palestine - who's more indigenous?
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POPSBurma Protests Rage On Protests continue on and appear to be heating up with even monks involved in very aggressive acts of resistance. Things are looking like 1988 all over again. And what is perhaps most remarkable is that people do this in spite of a long history of brutal crackdowns, hunts for activists, phone tapping, and all manner of atrocities. Power and respect to the people.
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POPSNationalist Twitching? Or Deeper Problems in Border Development Secmol was founded to promote Ladakhi culture (a group similar to the tibetans who live in present day Jammu and Kashmir state of India) and education for peoples who live in very remote areas. Their missions have included solar power projects and education, basic education for impoverished locals, and putting together excellent work on keeping Ladakh Ladakhi inspite of excessive tourism and national marginalization. Often forgotten in discussion of the problems in Kashmir, they have faced numerous struggles to get equal rights in India. This issue in particular raises some serious questions as to what kind of India the government is really trying to create. Anyone with opinions or thoughts from anywhere is welcome to comment. I'd also be curious to hear what other Indian nationals feel about this often neglected corner of India.
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POPSBurma's Heating Up Three protests in the streets of Yangon in a week, are gas prices and the more liberal air in Yangon since the capital move pushing things towards another 1988? Any thoughts and comments welcome. Burma hasn't seen this kind of public protest in a long time...
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