I haven't been able to update my diary for a while now. I am crazy adjusting to my new campus at Asian Institute of Technology. I am back to studying again after all these years of idling in Burma, Laos and Thailand. I chose to study at AIT in Bangkok. Many people were surprised why I didn't choose the US. It is because I have been involved in computational linguistics projects related to Burmese, Mon, Karen and Shan. And I like Asia.

From: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Myanmar’s ambassador to the Philippines Thaung Tun denied allegations of human rights abuses in the military-ruled state and dismissed international pressure to win Aung San Suu Kyi’s release.

The ambassador may be right. There are no human rights abuses in Burma. :-) It was only that in some villages, the village authorities just ask for volunteer services of villagers whether they want to do it or not.

Villagers are afraid of authorities and there is no freedom of speech. Villagers also have to be afraid of anybody with guns whether they are government soldiers or anti-government groups.

Web-based chat clients for people in Burma

I came across some web-based chat clients. I thought it might be useful for people in Burma for accessing banned chat platform.

http://www.iloveim.com

http://www.meetro.com

http://www.ebuddy.com

http://www.mabber.com

http://webmessenger.msn.com

Burma, a Doomed State?

I want to write something about refugee camps here in Thailand. I know that many people from Burma have been trying to register at the refugee camps along the border. They came to Thailand and tried to register as refugees hoping that they could settle in a third country.

I would like to catagorize these people:

• People who are really political refugees -- they had to leave their villages because of war.
• People who are economic refugees -- they came to Thailand to work hoping that they could earn more money than in Burma. They found out that life in Thailand was not that easy because of discriminations.
• Those who just want a better life -- they had some money and worked outside of Burma for a while. For example, they saved money working in Japan. When they couldn't stay in those countries, they still didn't want to go back to Burma. They tried to find a way to stay outside Burma.

It's true that many people in Burma wanted to leave the country for several reasons -- lack of better future, oppressions and poverty. But I don't think it's the right solution that everybody is trying to leave. Instead we should figure out something to change the country.

Burma has been left behind in every sector. A Thai young person who went to see Burmese movies here in Bangkok said that he felt like watching old-era movies while he was a kid. The standard of Burmese movies has been at least 10-15 years left behind compared to Thailand.

What are you going to do?

Gmail/Gtalk is not accessible in Burma again. People are turnign to meebo and other glite sites again.

Last night, there were some thieves who broke into my friend's house. We had all the shoes stolen. Today, I bought a new Adidas shoe. My last shoe, which I bought from the US and used for 4 years, has finally been stolen. It's time for a new one.

Rambo in Burma

If you want to settle in the States, Australia, Canada or England, reconsider that plan. Rambo is thinking about retiring in Bangkok, Thailand. And he is going to Burma for another mission. :-) Come live in Burma :-)

From the Sun Online:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2004580002-2006350287,00.html

Sly said: "I asked them [Soldier of Fortune magazine] what is the most critical man-doing-inhumanity-to-man situation right now in the world? Where is it? The answer was Burma."

Sly outlined the plot, saying Vietnam war vet Rambo was now living a monastic lifestyle in Bangkok and salvaging old boats and tanks for scrap metal.

He said: "It's like he's stripping himself down. That old piece of military equipment."

When a group of volunteers bringing supplies into Burma disappears, a relative of one of the missing missionaries begs Rambo to find them.

He heads off with a team of young guns to get the job done.

I got back from Burma. I am helping with a web page for Nightly Devotion. This is for Burmese Christians abroad.

I will write more about my experiences later.