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Book Details
Abstract
Eight years after the first edition of this insightful and highly regarded book, Burma remains one of the most troubled nations in Southeast Asia. While other countries have democratized and prospered, Burma is governed by a repressive military dictatorship and is the second largest producer of heroin in the world. In this exceptionally readable yet scholarly account of Burma today, Christina Fink gives a moving and insightful picture of what life under military rule is like. Through the extensive interviews conducted inside and outside the country, we begin to understand Burma's political and domestic situation and a comprehensive understanding of why military rule has lasted so long.
This significantly revised new edition includes material taking the reader up to present day action and accounts, including the impacts of the dramatic 2007 monks' demonstrations, which were coordinated with former student activists and members of Aung San Suu Kyi's party. The book explores the regime's continued attempts to weaken and divide the democratic movement and the ethnic nationalist organizations and explains how the democratic movement and ethnic groups have sought to achieve their goals; in part, by working more closely together.
Christina Fink is a Program Associate and Lecturer at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute and Program Coordinator and Lecturer: in the Foreign Affairs Training Program, Chiang Mai, Thailand and Honorary Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Hong Kong.
Praise for first edition
'Living Silence is particularly valuable for its study of the psychological effects of military rule on the people of Burma. The real struggle in Burma is the struggle between the desire to opt for the easy option of submitting to the demands of the powers that be and the commitment that leads to the hard road of resisting the threats and blandishments of a ruthless regime. By exploring the impact of military rule on the lives of ordinary people against a broad historical and social backdrop, Christina Fink makes an important contribution towards an understanding of the root causes of the problems and choices that the people of Burma are facing today.'
Aung San Suu Kyi
'The Burmese students have found their Boswell. Christina Fink has carefully recorded their statements and thoughts. Now, no one can dismiss the tragedy of Burma as the fiction of outsiders. These are the people who have and continue to live with it.'
Josef Silverstein, Rutgers University
'Christina Fink's Living Silence is a meticulous study of the surreal horror imposed upon the people of Burma by its illegitimate rulers. Read this book and never forget them.'
John Pilger
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | i | ||
| About the author | i | ||
| List of Illustrations | vi | ||
| 1 Farmers transplanting rice in Rangoon Division, 1996 | PlateI | ||
| 2 A procession of boys who are about to be ordained as novice monks and their relatives | PlateI | ||
| 3 A Karenni mass in a refugee camp on the Thai–Burma border, 2007 | PlateII | ||
| 4 Novice monks studying in a monastery near Mandalay, 1996 | PlateII | ||
| 5 Aung San Suu Kyi speaking from her gate, 1996 | PlateIII | ||
| 6 Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyidaw, 2007 | PlateIII | ||
| 7 A young Burmese soldier at a train station in Kachin State, 1998 | PlateIV | ||
| 8 A policeman watching monks walk by, 2005 | PlateIV | ||
| 9 Students leaving their high school near Mrauk U, Arakan State, 2006 | PlateV | ||
| 10 A tea shop with a sign urging discipline in the background, Pa-an, Karen State, 1998 | PlateV | ||
| 11 Villagers undertaking forced labour, Pegu Division, 2000 | PlateVI | ||
| 12 Insein Prison, where many political prisoners are held, just outside Rangoon, 2006 | PlateVI | ||
| 13 A man praying at Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon, 2006 | PlateVII | ||
| 14 A woman having her palm read, Rangoon, 2006 | PlateVII | ||
| 15 Organizing newspapers for delivery, Rangoon, 1996 | PlateVIII | ||
| 16 Newly arrived refugees awaiting treatment, Thai–Burma border, 1992 | PlateVIII | ||
| Acknowledgements | vii | ||
| Author’s note | viii | ||
| Acronyms | ix | ||
| Glossary | xi | ||
| Map of Burma's states and divisions | xiii | ||
| Map of cities and towns in Burma | xiv | ||
| Introduction | 1 | ||
| 1 | Historical legacies | 8 | ||
| Pre-colonial principalities and kingdoms | 8 | ||
| British rule | 11 | ||
| Independence | 16 | ||
| Beginnings of militarization | 21 | ||
| 2 | The Ne Win years, 1962–88 | 26 | ||
| The Revolutionary Council, 1962–74 | 26 | ||
| The BSPP era, 1974–88 | 31 | ||
| Resistance in the cities | 38 | ||
| Outside the ‘legal fold’ | 42 | ||
| 3 | Breaking the silence, 1988–90 | 46 | ||
| Six weeks of nationwide protests | 51 | ||
| Civil society re-emerges | 54 | ||
| The need for leadership | 56 | ||
| The election campaign | 60 | ||
| Post-election struggles | 66 | ||
| 4 | Military rule continues, 1990–2000 | 70 | ||
| Military ascendancy | 71 | ||
| The National Convention | 74 | ||
| The release of Aung San Suu Kyi, 1995 | 78 | ||
| Student demonstrations, 1996 | 83 | ||
| The regime changes its name | 86 | ||
| 5 | The Than Shwe years, 2000 and beyond | 93 | ||
| The Depayin Massacre | 93 | ||
| The Seven Point Road Map | 94 | ||
| Khin Nyunt sacked | 95 | ||
| The 88 Generation Students Group | 96 | ||
| The ‘royal abode’ | 97 | ||
| Economic policy, business and corruption | 98 | ||
| Monks take to the streets | 101 | ||
| Preparing for the referendum | 106 | ||
| Cyclone Nargis | 107 | ||
| The referendum | 110 | ||
| 6 | Families: fostering conformity | 113 | ||
| Collective amnesia | 113 | ||
| Activist families | 119 | ||
| Shifting values | 127 | ||
| Split families | 129 | ||
| Ethnic minority families | 131 | ||
| 7 | Communities: going with the flow | 134 | ||
| Obedience is a habit | 134 | ||
| A climate of fear | 137 | ||
| The impact of forced labour on communities | 143 | ||
| The dismemberment of communities in conflict areas | 145 | ||
| Pitting communities against each other | 148 | ||
| The threat of independent groups | 149 | ||
| 8 | The military: a life sentence | 153 | ||
| Reasons for joining | 154 | ||
| Corruption and poor treatment | 157 | ||
| The danger of expressing an opinion | 159 | ||
| A cycle of violence | 162 | ||
| Dissenting soldiers | 164 | ||
| The danger of falling | 167 | ||
| 9 | Prison: ‘life university’ | 171 | ||
| Arrest and sentencing | 171 | ||
| Torture and maintaining morale | 174 | ||
| Life university | 176 | ||
| Feelings of guilt | 179 | ||
| Female prisoners | 179 | ||
| Covert assistance | 183 | ||
| Improvements and setbacks | 186 | ||
| Release | 187 | ||
| 10 | Education: floating books and bathroom tracts | 189 | ||
| The curriculum | 190 | ||
| Ethnic nationality education systems | 193 | ||
| Buying good grades | 195 | ||
| University life | 196 | ||
| Study groups and floating books | 200 | ||
| Tea shops and bathrooms | 203 | ||
| Radio, the Internet and other educational sources | 206 | ||
| 11 | The artistic community: in the dark, every cat is black | 209 | ||
| Writers pushing the boundaries | 209 | ||
| Film-makers and censorship | 213 | ||
| The power of music | 216 | ||
| ‘Mad’ art | 221 | ||
| Performers and social work | 224 | ||
| 12 | Religion and magic: disappearing jewels and poltergeists | 226 | ||
| Buddhism and politics | 226 | ||
| The disappearing jewels | 231 | ||
| Buddhism and the NLD | 233 | ||
| Repression of Christians | 236 | ||
| Exploitation of Muslims | 239 | ||
| Fortune-telling and sympathetic magic | 242 | ||
| Spirits of the dead | 245 | ||
| 13 | The internationalization of Burma’s politics | 247 | ||
| Neighbouring countries’ relations with Burma | 247 | ||
| South-East Asian and ASEAN relations with Burma | 253 | ||
| Other Asian countries’ relations with Burma | 255 | ||
| Western countries’ relationships with Burma | 256 | ||
| The sanctions debate | 258 | ||
| The UN and Burma | 259 | ||
| The media and international campaigns | 261 | ||
| Foreign assistance to Burma | 265 | ||
| More effective international involvement | 267 | ||
| 14 | Conclusion: a different Burma | 269 | ||
| Where is Burma’s Ramos? | 270 | ||
| Democratization and national reconciliation | 272 | ||
| A different Burma | 274 | ||
| Notes | 276 | ||
| to Introduction and chapter 1 | 276 | ||
| to chapter 2 | 277 | ||
| to chapter 3 | 278 | ||
| to chapter 4 | 279 | ||
| to chapter 5 | 280 | ||
| to chapters 6 and 7 | 281 | ||
| to chapter 8 | 282 | ||
| to chapter 9 | 283 | ||
| to chapter 10 | 284 | ||
| to chapters 11 and 12 | 285 | ||
| to chapter 13 | 287 | ||
| to chapter 14 | 288 | ||
| Bibliography | 289 | ||
| Books and academic articles | 289 | ||
| Personal accounts | 292 | ||
| Literature | 293 | ||
| Reports | 293 | ||
| Websites | 294 | ||
| Index | 295 |