lifestyle | books
Myanmar Moving Forward?
T
here have been a couple of major crossroads in the history of Myanmar—first, when national hero Gen Aung San was assassinated in 1947, soon after negotiating independence from the British; and second, when countrywide pro-democracy demonstrations took place in 1988, followed by a landslide election victory for the National League of Democracy (NLD), led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. And now, after the rise of a quasi-civilian government embarking on a process of political reform, Myanmar is again at a crossroads. For the new administration, recognizing the critical challenges and how to overcome them will very much determine the nation’s future. And so the latest book on the subject, aptly titled “Burma: A Nation at the Crossroads,” by Benedict Rogers, a human rights activist and journalist, attempts to tell a “comprehensive, holistic and accessible” story of Myanmar. There are three sections written in an episodic style. Firstly, the decline of Myanmar from independence to Dictator Gen Ne Win assuming power through a military coup; secondly, significant events such as 1988 uprising, Saffron Revolution and Cyclone Nargis; thirdly, the persecution of groups by the former military regime—ethnic minorities, military deserters, child soldiers and the Rohingya; and lastly, analyzing the current situation and what the future holds. Each chapter is mostly a summary of events or issues—with the exception of those on ethnic minorities— thus providing a good quick overview for readers new to Myanmar, but lacking any fresh material for aficionados who have been Burma: a Nation at the closely following recent Crossroads, by Benedict developments. Rogers, was published by Given the author’s longRider in June 2012. standing work as a human rights activist, it is of little surprise that the chapters on ethnic minorities stand out with great detail, including numerous firsthand accounts and interviews, yet much of the attempted analysis is feeble and devoid of any innovative insight—certainly not living up to the attention-grabbing title of the book.
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TheIrrawaddy
Political Prison
Penning Pro F
or almost six weeks in a row, two debut novels in the Myanmar language were featured in the top-ten list of the nation’s biggest and most prestigious bookstore, Sar Pay Law Ka. The pair share many similarities— the authors, Min Ko Naing and Mya Aye, are prominent leaders of the 88 Generation Students civil society group who were recently released after many years as political prisoners. Indeed, until early 2012, their novels would not have passed the former regime’s strict censorship criteria. Considering the authors’ backgrounds, many readers would anticipate comparable plots involving political intrigue or prison experiences; but this is not so. “Rear Mirror” by Min Ko Naing revolves around the life of a student activist and a girl with whom he meets while hiding at a monastery in her village. In the foreword, the author says he considered rewriting the whole novel as it was first penned towards the end of 1988 before he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. The last page was completed in 2004 upon his release, but he finally decided against a thorough revision as he wished to maintain his 26-year-old style and ideas. “Rear Mirror” reflects on the tribulations a student activist goes through during 1988—fear felt by the families of student activists for their safety; being constantly on the lookout while hiding in a faraway place; warm support from villagers; and being somewhat frustrated at not being amidst the action. Clouds in the Sky, The metaphor behind the novel’s by Mya Aye, was title is especially telling—how a student published by Inya in activist needs a rear mirror to see what August 2012. he leaves behind, especially those closest to him, in his arduous struggle to fight a greater cause for the people. By contrast, Mya Aye’s novel “Clouds in the Sky” took around one year to complete—from late 2009 to the end of 2010. The main characters are a mysterious young man, who lives alone in a poor suburban neighborhood and helps
December 2012