Does anyone care about Burma anymore?
Written by: Beck
I have a hunch that most people aren't all that interested in the goings on in Burma (Myanmar if you prefer--I don't), but for those who are, there's a brief article
over on CNN that might interest you. Basically, thing aren't getting any better for Democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.
Let's just say that being a Democracy activist in a state ruled by a military dictatorship isn't the safest of professions. Were it not for the publicity she's received on the international stage (including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991), she'd quite likely be fertilizing the rice paddies in a shallow grave somewhere.
In more news from nations you either never heard of or don't care about,
Sri Lanka held the most peaceful elections--for them anyway--in, well, ever. I love the names of the two primary contenders for Primer Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe and (my favorite) Chandrika Kumaratunga.
And finally, people in Brazil have something new to worry about. It sounds like a bad B-grade movie, but it's true. People there are dying from attacks by
Rabid Vampire Bats. To paraphrase Dave Berry, "Rabid Vampire Bats" would make an excellent name for a rock band.
Update: Aung San Suu Kyi's political party, the National League for Democracy
continues to agitate for her freedom prior to a constitutional convention the ruling military junta announced last week. They also want the release of three of their other leaders, Aung Shwe, Tin Oo, and U Lwin. Is it just me, or do Burmese names all come off looking vaguely like abbreviations used in some 13 year old's cell phone text message? I'm sorry, was that insensitive? Damnit, I'm always doing that.