To the FutureJul 18, 2008
Those who dare
Today is Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday! Let's listen to an old famous song to honor his birthday and sacrifices for South Africa.
"Free Nelson Mandela" is a song written by Jerry Dammers and performed by the band "The Special A.K.A." The song was to protest the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela by South Africa's apartheid government.
Free, Free, Free, Nelson Mandela Free Nelson Mandela Twenty-one years in captivity His shoes too small to fit his feet His body abused but his mind is still free Are you so blind that you cannot see I say Free Nelson Mandela I'm begging you Free Nelson Mandela He pleaded the causes of the ANC Only one man in a large army Are you so blind that you cannot see Are you so deaf that you cannot hear his plea Free Nelson Mandela I'm begging you Free Nelson Mandela Twenty-one years in captivity Are you so blind that you cannot see Are you so deaf that you cannot hear Are you so dumb that you cannot speak I say Free Nelson Mandela I'm begging you Oh free Nelson Mandela, free Nelson Mandela I'm begging you begging you Please free Nelson Mandela free Nelson Mandela I'm telling you, you've got to free Nelson Mandela
This is a very nice article from Time. Excerpts here:
Know your enemy and learn about his favorite sport
As far back as the 1960s, Mandela began studying Afrikaans, the language of the white South Africans who created apartheid. His comrades in the ANC teased him about it, but he wanted to understand the Afrikaner's worldview; he knew that one day he would be fighting them or negotiating with them, and either way, his destiny was tied to theirs.
This was strategic in two senses: by speaking his opponents' language, he might understand their strengths and weaknesses and formulate tactics accordingly. But he would also be ingratiating himself with his enemy. Everyone from ordinary jailers to P.W. Botha was impressed by Mandela's willingness to speak Afrikaans and his knowledge of Afrikaner history. He even brushed up on his knowledge of rugby, the Afrikaners' beloved sport, so he would be able to compare notes on teams and players.
Apr 23, 2008
Illegal Burmese Labor Fuels Thailand Economy by William Boot
The deaths of more than 50 Burmese migrants last week in a sealed container truck transporting them to illicit jobs in southern Thailand starkly illustrates the growing reliance Thailand places on unofficial labor to help run its economy.
The Thai authorities acknowledge that there may be 1 million Burmese migrant workers living in Thailand, yet Thailands Migrant Assistance Program recently recorded that only 367,834 were registered with work permits in 2007.
Various NGOs campaigning for the rights of abused minorities and refugees say the number of illegal Burmese in Thailand is closer to 1.5 million. Many of them are children.
The Migrant Worker Group, a coalition of NGOs pressing for human rights, documents many instances of abuse by employers.
The MWG estimates that illegal Burmese laborers, especially in the booming construction industry, are paid up to 50 percent less than Thai unskilled labor and have no rights.
Migrant workers are very badly regarded and very badly treated by Thai society, wrote academic and former Thai Senator Jon Ungphakorn in the Bangkok Post. Yet it is hard to imagine how our economy would manage without them.
Ungphakorn says that since illegal laborers are not taking jobs away from Thais they should all be given legal status and employment rights.
Source:
Boot, W. (2008, April 19). Weekly Business Roundup. The Irrawaddy. Retrieved April 23, 2008 from http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11461&page=1
Apr 10, 2008
Mar 16, 2008
Psalm 137
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?
Feb 27, 2008
Injured Burmese from Mae Sot bomb blast detained and sent back to Burma
Eleven persons who were injured in a blast apparently caused by some kind of homemade bomb at the Mae Sot dump on Thailands border were themselves detained and then sent back to Burma on February 26 because they didnt have ID cards.
Read more at Ratchasima
Dec 23, 2007
George Orwell's 1984
I have been reading George Orwell's 1984. I am half way now. I want to share some quotes I like.
One of these days, thought Winston with sudden deep conviction, Syme will be vaporized. He is too intelligent. He sees too clearly and speaks too plainly. The Party does not like such people. One day he will disappear. It is written in his face.
Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.
Orwell, in my opinions, probably wrote this fiction based on his experiences about the British colonial rule in Burma. Orwell used to live in Katha and Moulmein (Mawlamyine) while he was serving in the Indian Imperial Police. He hated imperialism and quit the job. He later pursued his writing career.
The book vividly describes the danger of being watched and brain-washed by a government. The main character, Winston Smith, works at the Records Department of a fictional country called Oceania. The department is responsible for producing records that are in line with the Party's agenda and deleting those that are not.
Here is the link to Wikipedia's article about the novel.
The following is the link to full text for "1984", "Animal Farm" and "Down and Out in Paris and London."
All of Orwell's work can be read free here.
More about George Orwell at Wikipedia.
I think 1984 is a good read, especially for the people under an authoritative government. I hope somebody translates this into Burmese.
