The Queen of Myanmar... erm, not the one that got deported to India in the 19th century and is buried somewhere underneath Shwe Dagon, no, I'm talking about a queen with an adam's apple.
I'm talking about a Shakira-lip-and-hip-syncing, or condom-dress-wearing, or pixie-dust-spreading tranny queens, more beautiful than than most women I know. There was one who walked down the catwalk with a dove perched on her fingers. St. Francisca of Assisi.
So the queen was crowned last night at Excel Tower in Yangon, and boy, was she beautiful. She won a bag of Revlon cosmetics, and works in downtown Yangon doing outreach work with homosexual men affected by HIV. Oh yes. The event was part of a three day workshop organized by Population Services International, which held groups developing fieldwork skills for people working with high-risk for HIV populations. The the crowning took place under a banner with the workshop's motto "living in dignity, social justice for all."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
A word on santions...
Since the Suu Kyi verdict, an appeal has been raised and denied, and a bloody conflict along the Chinese border has been fought. State Department spokesperson PJ Crowley has commented that the Burma policy review has been completed, and many who were hoping the Obama administration would continue to relax sanctions (as he has in Cuba) might be disappointed. Senator Jim Webb, who visited with Suu Kyi shortly after the verdict was released, commented in a press conference at Yangon airport Than Shwe's government had made the decision to release American prisoner John Yettaw (who was imprisoned for swimming across Inya Lake to visit Suu Kyi on two occasions without permission) on humanitarian grounds, and that he was grateful to the government for their cooperation. Suu Kyi will be unable to participate in the upcoming election due to the failure of the appeals.
The Kokang conflict in Shan state, during which Chinese civilians were injured and thousands of rebels and Myanmar residents fled across the border into Yunnan province, saw a typically tacit and supportive regime in Beijing to issue a statement similar to the statement issued by the US State Department. The Myanmar government was urged to resolve the conflict peacefully. Government mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar ran stories claiming border towns Laukkai and Nansan which had been caught in crossfire were perfectly peaceful within a week of the conflict. "An inspiring visit to Laukkai," the headlines read, "a stable peaceful town."
So what will Hillary Clinton make of this when deciding whether to lift sanctions? Many Myanmar business owners and workers are eager for the US to once again become a trading partner, especially those in the garment business. Many Myanmar citizens genuinely believe that the decline of the Myanmar economy and its inability to bounce back has to do with trade sanctions. The US government's agenda, to establish democracy, political freedom, and equal rights for ethnic minorities, would be best served by maintaining sanctions to pressure the government into complying. The sanctions, according to analysts on Burma Economic Watch and others, are strategically planned to impact mostly the government and not the average worker. So why haven't they worked yet? Is it all China's fault, for investing in Myanmar behind the western world's back? Lifting sanctions would just allow for more money to end up in the wrong peoples' pockets, right?
It's generally accepted that sanctions put pressure on the Myanmar government, but what about the idea that lifting sanctions pressures the government just as much? If the US engages with Myanmar as a trading partner, whom will the government blame for the widespread poverty? In many ways, lifting sanctions puts far more pressure on Than Shwe and Naypyidaw to start passing legislation that will build a free economy.
The Kokang conflict in Shan state, during which Chinese civilians were injured and thousands of rebels and Myanmar residents fled across the border into Yunnan province, saw a typically tacit and supportive regime in Beijing to issue a statement similar to the statement issued by the US State Department. The Myanmar government was urged to resolve the conflict peacefully. Government mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar ran stories claiming border towns Laukkai and Nansan which had been caught in crossfire were perfectly peaceful within a week of the conflict. "An inspiring visit to Laukkai," the headlines read, "a stable peaceful town."
So what will Hillary Clinton make of this when deciding whether to lift sanctions? Many Myanmar business owners and workers are eager for the US to once again become a trading partner, especially those in the garment business. Many Myanmar citizens genuinely believe that the decline of the Myanmar economy and its inability to bounce back has to do with trade sanctions. The US government's agenda, to establish democracy, political freedom, and equal rights for ethnic minorities, would be best served by maintaining sanctions to pressure the government into complying. The sanctions, according to analysts on Burma Economic Watch and others, are strategically planned to impact mostly the government and not the average worker. So why haven't they worked yet? Is it all China's fault, for investing in Myanmar behind the western world's back? Lifting sanctions would just allow for more money to end up in the wrong peoples' pockets, right?
It's generally accepted that sanctions put pressure on the Myanmar government, but what about the idea that lifting sanctions pressures the government just as much? If the US engages with Myanmar as a trading partner, whom will the government blame for the widespread poverty? In many ways, lifting sanctions puts far more pressure on Than Shwe and Naypyidaw to start passing legislation that will build a free economy.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Weather Signs: Verdict?
Yangon, Burma, August 13th --It happened during the Cultural Revolution, too, right before Mao died.
China's Tangshan earthquake of 1976 measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and some estimate killed over 700,000 people, making it the most deadly earthquake of modern times. One month later, Chairman Mao Zedong was dead. The ever-so-ominous earthquake weather sign.
Early Tuesday morning, August 11th, an earthquake of 7.6 in magnitude hit of the coast of the Andaman Islands. Shocks were felt as far as 1500 miles away in New Delhi. The shocks felt in Yangon, however, related more to the closing of the Suu Kyi trial, whose verdict was handed down the same day as recently imprisoned American John Yettaw's. The Mormon Vietnam veteran used flippers he constructed out of sandals and Tupperware flotation devices to swim across Inya Lake to warn Burma's beloved dissident of his premonition military intelligence planned to have her assassinated. Described as a "nutty fellow" by Suu Kyi's house staff, the man was writing a book on heroism, and had entered the country from Thailand May 2nd on a tourist visa. After suffering seizures last week, he was placed under medical surveillance in aptly named Insein Prison's health facility.
He was sentenced to six years of hard labor.
The Lady got off the hook with just 18 months of house arrest, a soft sentence considering she could have been facing another five years in Insein. The mild sentence, however, is just inconvenient enough to keep her out of next year's upcoming elections.
The verdict was supposedly signed by Than Shwe, leader of the ruling military junta, before the court had even had an opportunity to hand down a decision.
China's Tangshan earthquake of 1976 measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and some estimate killed over 700,000 people, making it the most deadly earthquake of modern times. One month later, Chairman Mao Zedong was dead. The ever-so-ominous earthquake weather sign.
Early Tuesday morning, August 11th, an earthquake of 7.6 in magnitude hit of the coast of the Andaman Islands. Shocks were felt as far as 1500 miles away in New Delhi. The shocks felt in Yangon, however, related more to the closing of the Suu Kyi trial, whose verdict was handed down the same day as recently imprisoned American John Yettaw's. The Mormon Vietnam veteran used flippers he constructed out of sandals and Tupperware flotation devices to swim across Inya Lake to warn Burma's beloved dissident of his premonition military intelligence planned to have her assassinated. Described as a "nutty fellow" by Suu Kyi's house staff, the man was writing a book on heroism, and had entered the country from Thailand May 2nd on a tourist visa. After suffering seizures last week, he was placed under medical surveillance in aptly named Insein Prison's health facility.
He was sentenced to six years of hard labor.
The Lady got off the hook with just 18 months of house arrest, a soft sentence considering she could have been facing another five years in Insein. The mild sentence, however, is just inconvenient enough to keep her out of next year's upcoming elections.
The verdict was supposedly signed by Than Shwe, leader of the ruling military junta, before the court had even had an opportunity to hand down a decision.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Guruji Dies at Age 94
Mysore, May 18th—Last night, the body of Pattabhi Jois, feet tucked up into lotus position and hands crossed over his chest and covered with a white sheet, lay in the shala in Gokulam where he, his grandson Sharath and daughter Saraswati had been teaching thousands of yoga students from around the world for the past twelve years since his wife died. He was piled high with offerings of jasmine blossom wreaths, surrounded by family, friends, former students, and admirers coming to pay their respects. The entire family, including his older brother, son Manju Jois, and his granddaughter were there to observe the funeral rites--Sharath interrupted his world tour, returning early from abroad in order to be close by should something happen to his grandfather. Many long time students had also heard the news their beloved Guruji was in the hospital, and traveled to Mysore just in case. He had been sick for months already, and it is said he had been neither sleeping nor eating for the last few days. The body was removed from the shala around 8PM, and brought to garage below, where it was doused in water, and a priest, Manju, and Sharath observed the funeral rituals. Jois touched the lives of tens of thousands of people, and was one of the most revered, and one of the final living students of Krishnamacharya. The shala will be open for those paying final respects from 11 to 12 PM today.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
No Box to Tick on the Ballot
April 21, Bangalore, India-- It's an election week in India, each state will elect its own official and delegate, but as usual many voices will go unheard. What they refer to as "ladyboys" in Thailand, and "trannies" in the US, culturally conservative India calls eunuchs, one of the many minority groups comprising India's diverse population. They're not the traditional eunuch, castrated and living a life in service to the emperor in the Forbidden City, for example, but modern day transsexuals who define their gender as neither entirely male or entirely female.
Eunuch numbers are estimated to be at around one million, and given India's population and its extraordinary number of marginalized minority groups, it's simply not high enough to catch the fancy of any candidate jostling for a minority vote--and so the likelihood that the demand for a third box on the ballot will not be fulfilled. In the meantime, another election will go by, one million voices will go unheard, simlpy because there's no line for them to stand in at the polls, and no appropriate gender box for them to tick on the ballot.
Especially in a state like Karnataka, which has become increasingly conservative in the past few years, with modern cities like Bangalore changing its curfew and liquor laws, the fear is that people like the eunuchs, who must resort to begging at intersections or jobs in the sex industry, are facing an uphill battle.
Eunuch numbers are estimated to be at around one million, and given India's population and its extraordinary number of marginalized minority groups, it's simply not high enough to catch the fancy of any candidate jostling for a minority vote--and so the likelihood that the demand for a third box on the ballot will not be fulfilled. In the meantime, another election will go by, one million voices will go unheard, simlpy because there's no line for them to stand in at the polls, and no appropriate gender box for them to tick on the ballot.
Especially in a state like Karnataka, which has become increasingly conservative in the past few years, with modern cities like Bangalore changing its curfew and liquor laws, the fear is that people like the eunuchs, who must resort to begging at intersections or jobs in the sex industry, are facing an uphill battle.
On the other hand, some voters reported that they were bribed with upwards of 10 kg of rice in exchange for a look at their voter registration cards. Muslims, and people in slums around Bangalore were targeted, primarily families with many children.
(Note: The day after elections, upwards of 40,000 voters in one slum district in Bangalore alone reported their names went missing from the voter lists, even if they had valid registration cards. Primarily women and Muslims seemed to have arrived at the polls, only to find their names had gone missing and they could not vote.)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Good Thing You Didn't Park Your Bus in Bangkok
April 13th, Bangkok-- The first official day of Songkhran, violence erupted at the Thaksin support rallies in the Din Daeng district of Bangkok (I happened to be staying at a guest house in the Thewet district, sandwiched in between the police blockades and the khlong).
What just two days ago seemed like an emotional yet peaceful crowd of red shirts today ignited buses (supposedly retired public bus lines) and tires in order to interrupt traffic. One bus sat flaming in front of the UN, not far from Khao San Road, where tourists and residents alike were playfully splashing each other with water and fragrant powders and clay.
Whether you’re getting nailed by super soakers at the Songkhran festivities or trying to avoid burning buses, the streets in Bangkok are a little treacherous today.
Last night protesters ignored a curfew that was issued by the police earlier that day in response to the violence that erupted at the ASEAN summit in Pattaya. One red shirt snacking on fried noodles on Sri Ayutaya Road, in the main area of the protest said, “I will stay here tonight, there’s a curfew but I will stay. We will all stay—there are forty thousand of us! If we stay until tomorrow morning then we’ve won. We want Thaksin to come back. Maybe he can’t be prime minister again immediately, there won’t be a military rule like last September, but we want him to come back.”
Although police came to meet and suppress destructive and violent protestors earlier in the morning, bus burning continued until the evening. Thaksin supporters dismantled buses to prepare them for burning along Phetburi Road, and a crowd of locals crowded around burning tires that had been set on the train tracks, just a block away from the UN where clouds of black smoke were rising. Police and military marched in at around 6PM, when red shirts who had occupied a highway ramp turned violent. Protestors threw things (presumably rocks or bits of rubble from the previous evening’s protests) and gunshots were fired.
Military standing on the edges of the danger zone, many with roses adorning the barrels of their guns, cheerfully directed clay-spattered tuk-tuks loaded with Songkhran partiers unaware of the violence away from the protests.
Happy lunar new year, everybody!
What just two days ago seemed like an emotional yet peaceful crowd of red shirts today ignited buses (supposedly retired public bus lines) and tires in order to interrupt traffic. One bus sat flaming in front of the UN, not far from Khao San Road, where tourists and residents alike were playfully splashing each other with water and fragrant powders and clay.
Whether you’re getting nailed by super soakers at the Songkhran festivities or trying to avoid burning buses, the streets in Bangkok are a little treacherous today.
Last night protesters ignored a curfew that was issued by the police earlier that day in response to the violence that erupted at the ASEAN summit in Pattaya. One red shirt snacking on fried noodles on Sri Ayutaya Road, in the main area of the protest said, “I will stay here tonight, there’s a curfew but I will stay. We will all stay—there are forty thousand of us! If we stay until tomorrow morning then we’ve won. We want Thaksin to come back. Maybe he can’t be prime minister again immediately, there won’t be a military rule like last September, but we want him to come back.”
Although police came to meet and suppress destructive and violent protestors earlier in the morning, bus burning continued until the evening. Thaksin supporters dismantled buses to prepare them for burning along Phetburi Road, and a crowd of locals crowded around burning tires that had been set on the train tracks, just a block away from the UN where clouds of black smoke were rising. Police and military marched in at around 6PM, when red shirts who had occupied a highway ramp turned violent. Protestors threw things (presumably rocks or bits of rubble from the previous evening’s protests) and gunshots were fired.
Military standing on the edges of the danger zone, many with roses adorning the barrels of their guns, cheerfully directed clay-spattered tuk-tuks loaded with Songkhran partiers unaware of the violence away from the protests.
Happy lunar new year, everybody!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Get Some Red Shirt
April 12, Bangkok--The Thai government has declared a curfew of 10 PM for the entire neighborhood surrounding the Thaksin rallies in the Tewet district of Bangkok--and despite this many participants have chosen to remain in the area, just across the fences from the soldiers who have assembled there, ready to pounce should the violence in Pattaya spread. Also--there is absolutely no sticky rice to be found at those rallies past 10 PM, so don't bother looking.
Last night, April 11th, two days before the beginning of Songkhran, the Thai lunar new year festival, there were violent protests in Pattaya at the ASEAN summit meetint. Leaders were evacuated from the building as protesters crashed through glass doors, many were injured. The meetings were postponed.
After yesterday's violence, tanks have rolled in to Sri Ayutaya Rd. at the Bangkok protests, reminding many of the time after last September's peaceful coup when Thaksin was originally removed from office, during which the military junta ruled Thailand before Abhisit came into office. At the Bangkok Thaksin rallies an emotional crowd seemed much more peaceful. Protesters spoke of democracy, demanded the end of a dictatorship, freedom and truth--essentially the abdication of current PM Abhisit. Even those who were not staunch supporters of Thaksin himself seemed to be able to find a worthy cause to join. People from all walks of life, from monks to bankers are gathering together to express their distaste for the current regime. The rallies are rumored to have been financed by Thaksin himself, who is said to be in Dubai where an extradition order has been issued for his release back to Thailand so he can serve an impending prison sentence. The protests have a distinct Thai character--many have taken the opportunity to set up food stalls at the rallies, protesters are provided with food and water. Portable toilet buses, tents, even stands with people selling red clothing, flags, noisemakers--it's difficult at times to distinguish the atmosphere from a nightmarket. Sources claim many taxi drivers are paid to attend the protests, while others claim charities provide the free services that make it possible for participants to spend their time protesting.
In Bangkok today, Songkran has already begun. Tourists and Thai partiers have gathered just blocks away from the red shirts at Khao San road to celebrate the Thai lunar new year, and seem oblivious to the turmoil just next door. Walking around armed with super soakers and fragrant powders, it's hard to imagine the magnitude of the political rumblings. But again, how Thai to maintain a good amount of sanuk (fun) at a confusing time.
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