BURMΑ'S PLEA

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means”. The committee chairman, called her “an outstanding example of the power of the powerless”. In a world in desperate need of heroes, Aung San Suu Kyi stands tall as one of the few moral resistance symbols left. Wang Dan, the leader of the bloody student uprising in Tiananmen Square, China, in 1989, refers to her as “A Lady called Hope”. He has “drawn inspiration from Suu Kyi” and declares that “She has become a symbol to those of us fighting for human rights against authoritarian regimes. She represents a force that seems weak on first appearance but which, in fact, is truly tremendous”. When she was liberated in November 13 th , 2010, the U.S. President Barack Obama called her “a hero of mine”, while her first statements were: “My very top priority is for people to understand that they have the power to change things themselves,” adding “In my life, I have been showered with kindness. More than love, I value kindness. Love comes and goes, but kindness remains”. Her message is very simple: “only by defeating your fears you can be truly free”. And it is precisely this message that the military regime fears and is desperate to silence. In the November 2010 elections, San Suu Kyi’s party was prohibited from participating. The United Nations described these elections as a parody with the purpose of legitimising the regime. Thein Sein, a former general, who won the elections with almost 80% of the seats, was appointed President by the parliament and became the country’s first non-military President in fifty years. Today, there are a few hopeful signs, but are still very far from the true changes this country needs. On October 6 th 2011 the government, in order to lift the political and economic sanctions imposed in the 1990s, by the USA, EU and Australia, announced the release of a number of political prisoners. My journeys to Burma, were among the most amazing and revealing, that I have undertaken in my whole life. I was able to approach people who live under the harshest dictatorship. These photographs are a glimpse onto the hinterland of a forgotten country, where the people remain excruciatingly isolated and cut off, enduring one of the worst regimes in the world with an incredible stoicism and dignity, and who truly need the help of all of us. The viciousness of the regime, the hardships, people’s daily struggle for survival, the poverty, the kindness, the quiet dignity, as well as the hope, are documented through the camera lens, along with their souls. There are so many experiences that I would like to share with you on the kindness of these people. One day, as I was slowly climbing up the steep footpath towards the Golden Rock, one of the country’s most holy pilgrimage sites, a tropical storm suddenly broke out and it was impossible for me to continue. A beautiful, toothless, old peasant woman invited me into the reed hut that housed her whole family, their tools and their animals. Conversation, beyond the language of gestures, a smile, an eye contact, a touch, was impossible. Despite all this, we felt very close for the few hours, until the rain stopped. When the time came for me to leave, and knowing that we would probably never meet again, we walked to the edge of the road and said farewell, with a warm embrace. We continue to be together. I still think of her. When our minds could not meet, our hearts formed the common bond. When our speech was a mystery, it was solved through our glances and our hand movements. I kept thinking, that no matter how many journeys one might take, whichever part of the planet we may find ourselves, every time we will see the cheeky smile of a child, the impetuous gaze of the adults and the stoic, welcome expression of the elders, we realize that under the successive layers of culture, we are all the same. Burma Campaign UK is a non-profit organisation that fights for human rights, democracy and Burma’s development, the loudest voice in support of Aung San Suu Kyi’s struggle and the suffering people of Burma. It is an honour for me to offer them these books. I am grateful and deeply indebted to the authors of the books I used for my research. Their deep knowledge has granted me precious input regarding the way of life, the religion and the culture of Burma - in fact, the completion of this book would have been impossible without their contribution. BIBLIOGRAPHY BURMA CAMPAIGN UK www.burmacampaign.org.uk BBC News, Country Profile: Burma Aung San Suu Kyi, Letters From Burma, Penguin books, 2010 Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom from Fear, Penguin books, 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi, The Voice of Hope, Random Group Ltd, 2008 George Orwell, Animal Farm, Harcourt Books, 2003 George Orwell, Burmese Days, Penguin Modern Classics, 2009 George Orwell, 1984, Harcourt Books, 2003 Asia Transpacific Journeys, Information leaflet Peter De Ruiter, Burma: The Beauty and the Beast, Kindle Edition 2010 David I. Steinberg, Burma/Myanmar – What Everyone Needs to Know, Oxford University Press, 2010 Emma Larkin, Finding George Orwell In Burma, Penguin Books, 2010 Human Rights Watch, Burma’s Forgotten Prisoners, Kindle Edition, 2009 Frans Welman, Oh Burma–A Country Abandoned–Myanmar or Burma, vol. I & II, Kindle Edition, 2011 Pascal Khoo Thwe, From the Land of the Green Ghosts: Burmese Odyssey, Harper Perennial, 2003 A Patrick Forsyth, A Land Like None you know, Awe and Wonder in Burma on the Road to Mandalay, Bangkok Books, 2010 Rudyard Kipling, “On the Road to Mandalay”, Barrack-Room Ballads, and Other Verses, Signet Classics, 2003 Normal Lewis, Golden Earth-Travels in Burma, Eland Publishing, 2008 Thant Myint-U, The River of the Lost Footsteps-A Personal History of Burma, Faber & Faber Ltd, Kindle Edition, 2011 Anders Ostergaard, Burma NJ (DVD), 2008 Lisa Rhodes, Roads to Existence, Kindle Edition, 2008 Noel F. Singer, Burma: A Ph.Journey 1855-1925, Kiscadale, 1993 Matthew Smith (Human rights and environmental activist), “Time for New Approach to Burma: War Crimes Mounting”, Internet article Ma Thanegi (text), Khant (photography), The Splendors of Myanmar, Asia House Publication Hannah Beech, “The Lady Returns”, TIME Magazine, Nov.29, 2010 Hannah Beech, “The Fighter” TIME Magazine, January 10, 2011 R. Ratnesar, “Is it time to Invade Burma”, Time World,May 10,2008 Lonely Planet, Burma/Myanmar, 2009 Wikipedia And Wikitravel BURMA - AN INTRODUCTION by Mark Farmaner, Director, Burma Campaign UK Burma is a country most people know little about. Some may have heard of Aung San Suu Kyi, the iconic leader of Burma’s democracy movement. A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, she has spent 15 years in detention, mostly under house arrest. Her nonviolent and stoic resistance is an inspiration not just to the people of Burma, but for people all over the world. When Burma does make the news it is often because of an atrocity, such as in 2007, when soldiers opened fire on Buddhist monks marching peacefully in the streets, calling for democratic change. Or because of a tragedy, such as when Cyclone Nargis struck in 2008, and the dictatorship ruling the country refused to allow international aid into the country. At least 140,000 people lost their lives. Burma is also often referred to in terms of statistics, having thousands of political prisoners, the Burmese Army destroying 3,600 villages of ethnic minority groups, and having one of the world’s longest running civil wars. What the remarkable photographs in this book reveal, are the people behind the statistics, and the lives and diversity of the ordinary people in one of the most extraordinary countries in the world. They show the beauty of its landscape, the unique architecture, and most of all, the character and essence of the people. It is a unique collection of a nation at work, at play, and at prayer. Burma is a country where people are quick to smile, but where a dark sadness lies beneath. It is all captured here, and the images will not easily be forgotten. HISTORY Burma’s strategic location, with India and China as neighbours, has played in the development and history of the country. It has also contributed to Burma being beset by conflict for much of its history. The first people to settle in central Burma are thought to be the Mon. Their migration from India began approximately 3-2,500BC. However, the Arakanese in north-west Burma claim they had kingdoms in Burma as long ago as 3,335BC. Migration of other groups followed, with the Karen thought to have travelled to Burma from Mongolia, the Kachin from Tibet, and many others from Yunnan in China. The Bamar, the Burmese ethnic group, came from southern China, and founded the kingdom of Pagan. Many other smaller ethnic groups also came to Burma, settling in more isolated mountains and valleys. In 1044 the Burmese King Anawratha began to extend Burmese rule over much of the country and promoted Theravada Buddhism. Anawratha then conquered the Mon kingdom. In 1077 Anawratha was succeeded by his son, Sawlu. He was killed in fighting against the Mon and replaced by the military leader, Kyansittha. Under his rule, Pagan is said to have been known as the “city of the four million pagodas”. He died in 1112. As the Mongols in China and the ethnic Shan in the east of Burma grew stronger, Burmese rule weakened. Pagan was overwhelmed by the Mongols in 1287. The Mon broke with Pagan and founded a new kingdom at Martaban in Tenasserim, further south in Burma. In a period extending from about 1300 to 1550, the Shan dominated Burma with their capital at Ava. In 1369, the Mon abandoned Martaban and built a new capital at Pegu under King Zazadhirit (1385-1423). The Mon, ruled by, among others, Queen Shin Saw Bu and King Dhammazedi, and the Shan, under kings such as Minkhaung, waged many wars. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon was built between 1453 and 1492, a period during which Minkyinyo established Toungoo as a new Burmese power base. During this time the first European explorers arrived, mainly Portuguese. Some were to eventually settle in Burma, prized by Burmese Kings for their artillery skills. Burmese influence revived between 1531 and 1550. Tabinshweti set up his capital at Pegu. He was murdered by a Mon subject, leaving King Bayinnaung to bring the Burmese, the Shan and the Mon under his rule. After his death, the Burmese spent the next two hundred years or more fighting intermittent wars with the Thai and the Arakanese. 8 9
In 1752, Alaungpaya became the first king of the Konbaung dynasty. He reunited the country but waged more wars against the Thai. He died in 1760. War-weariness and the rehabilitation of destroyed towns and villages and the devastated countryside produced a short period of relative peace and stability. Burmese kings gradually expanded their influence. However, many ethnic minorities found the rule of Burmese kings cruel and oppressive. The early part of the nineteenth century brought the British to southeast Asia in force. The first Anglo-Burmese war broke out in 1824. Manipur and Assam were ceded to the British in India. The second Anglo-Burmese war in 1852 ended with Lower Burma falling into British hands. In 1857, King Mindon founded Mandalay and made it his capital. The British captured the city during the third Anglo- Burmese war in 1885. Thibaw, the last king of the Konbaung dynasty, was sent into exile in India and Burma became part of the British empire as a province of India. The British moved the capital to Rangoon. In January 1886, Burma was incorporated into the British empire as a province of India; Rangoon was made the capital; and the Burmese monarchy was abolished. Resistance to British rule, first through armed uprisings, and later through political channels and civil disobedience, finally led the British parliament to pass in 1935 the Government of Burma Act, providing for the country’s separation from India and a limited form of home rule with a two-chamber legislative assembly. The following year, the students of Rangoon University protested again in protest at attempts to suppress an article in their magazine criticising government officials. Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as the main leader of the nationalist independence movement. During World War II, Aung San and other leaders of the independence movement snuck out of Burma and received training from the Japanese. There were 30 of them, and they became known as the 30 Comrades. They formed the Burma Independence Army (BIA) on the 28 th December 1941. The following January, the first BIA units invaded Burma from Thailand with the Japanese 15 th Army. Japan swiftly occupied Burma. But the Burmese soon found that Japan was not going to keep promises about restoring the independence of Burma. Instead they wanted a puppet government. The Burmese found Japanese rule even more oppressive than the British. Aung San secretly met with Lord Mountbatten, commander of allied forces in South East Asia. He said his forces might be willing to switch sides. When asked if he was just saying this now as it was clear the allies were going to win the war, Aung San replied that it would be silly of him to switch sides to the allies if he thought they were going to lose! In March 1945, with the British Army successfully retaking northern Burma, Aung San kept his word, and switched the 10,000 BIA troops, now renamed the Burma National Army in support of the Allies. The Allies then quickly captured Mandalay and Rangoon. On August 28 th 1945, the Japanese in Burma formally surrendered. British rule was restored but Burma’s economy and infrastructure were in ruins. Elections were held in April 1947 with Aung San’s Anti- Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) winning an overwhelming victory. On the 19th July 1947, Aung San and other senior leaders were killed by armed uniformed men bursting into a meeting of the Executive Council. The assassins were traced to the former Prime Minister, U Saw, who was subsequently found guilty of involvement in the plot, and executed. As Burma finally celebrated its independence on the 4 th January 1948, it had also been stripped of its most able and charismatic leaders. CONFLICT RETURNS Almost from the moment of independence, Burma was again afflicted by conflict. Initially the biggest threat to the government was from communist insurgents, who had once been part of the independence movement. Communist insurgency was to continue until the late 1980s. However, an even more serious source of conflict was with Burma’s many ethnic groups. Burma as it is today was created under British rule. Some ethnic groups wanted to return to an independent status, others, such as the Karen, who had been oppressed under the rule of Burmese kings, also wanted their own separate state. During World War II many of the ethnic groups had sided with the British against the invading Japanese and the Burma Independence Army. This had exacerbated existing ethnic tensions. Many British commanders in Burma had also promised them an independent state should Burma become independent after the war. But Britain broke its word. The British had initially offered a compromise whereby the ethnic areas on Burma’s mountainous borders would remain as a kind of British protectorate, while the rest of Burma gained immediate independence. Aung San refused to consider this, effectively threatening mass civil unrest and armed uprising if the British pursued this option. With the British weakened by war and facing crises which they saw as more important, they backed down. Burma would gain independence as a whole. Aung San did understand that the aspirations of Burma’s ethnic people would have to be accommodated in some way. He held the Panglong conference in early 1947, at which some ethnic nationalities did agree to remain part of Burma and the Shan and Karenni had the right to secede after ten years. This agreement was never honoured by the government of Burma once independence was obtained. The ethnic Karen had not signed up to Panglong, and continued to campaign for their own state. As well as living in the east of Burma in what is now Karen State, the Karen also lived in the Delta of Burma, and many lived in Insein Township on the outskirts of Rangoon. The Karen were most associated with siding with the British. Incidents of communal violence increased immediately after independence, and some elements of the Burmese Army appeared to be allowing, if not actively encouraging, the violence against the Karen. Tensions reached a peak in December 1948 when a Karen church had a grenade thrown inside during a service on Christmas Eve. Areas of Insein where Karen people lived we fired upon by people driving through on trucks. When political leaders of the Karen were arrested, the main Karen party, the Karen National Union, called on people to take up arms, and so began the world’s longest running civil war. DICTATORSHIP On 2nd March 1962, General Ne Win, one of the 30 comrades, seized power in a military coup. He then formed the Burma Socialist Programme Party. All other parties were eventually banned. Student protests were brutally put down. The coup was triggered in part by the democratic government agreeing to meet with some ethnic groups to discuss the old Panglong agreement. Since independence more ethnic groups had taken up arms in order to protect their communities and pursue their political goals. However, the nationalist military was unwilling to allow the elected government make any concessions to ethnic groups, claiming they had to take power to preserve the unity of the nation. Ne Win’s regime isolated the people of Burma, although Ne Win and other regime officials enjoyed frequent foreign travel. Tourist visas were granted for only seven days with travel restricted to specific areas. Burmese citizens were rarely allowed to go abroad. Ne Win’s economic policies plunged what had been before the war a relatively prosperous country compared to its neighbours, into stagnation and decline. Burma was left behind as neighbouring economies grew, and Burma’s people slipped deeper into poverty. In 1987 Burma was reclassified by the United Nations as a Least Developed Country. At the same time Ne Win’s superstitious belief that his lucky number was 9 led to a bizarre abolition of much of the currency, leaving only 45 and 90 kyat notes in circulation. As most people kept all their wealth in cash rather than trusting banks, this wiped out people’s life savings. Students protested about these events on the streets, and Ne Win’s regime responded with brutality, but this in turn just brought more people onto the streets, culminating in huge protests on 8th August 1988. The Burmese Army fired on the protestors and thousands of people were killed. Ne Win had announced his resignation in July but was believed still to be pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Protests continued and on 18 th September 1988 there was a military coup, led by Saw Maung. His regime gave themselves the title, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). A year later the regime announced the country had been renamed Myanmar, a change many in Burma refused to accept, saying the military had no right to change the name of the country. AUNG SAN SUU KYI Aung San Suu Kyi was born on 19 th June 1945, daughter of Burma’s independence hero, Aung San, who was assassinated when she was only two years old. Aung San Suu Kyi was educated in Burma, India, and the United Kingdom. While studying at Oxford University, she met Michael Aris, a Tibet scholar who she married in 1972. They had two sons, Alexander and Kim. Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988 to nurse her dying mother, and soon became engaged in the country’s nationwide democracy uprising. Following the military coup on 18th September 1988, on 24 th September 1988 a new pro-democracy party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was formed. Aung San Suu Kyi was appointed General Secretary. Aung San Suu Kyi gave numerous speeches calling for freedom and democracy, and carried out political activities across the country. Facing increasing domestic and international pressure, the dictatorship was forced to call a general election, held in 1990 As Aung San Suu Kyi began to campaign for the NLD, she and many others were detained by the regime. Aung San Suu Kyi was banned from personally standing in the election. Despite conditions around the elections being far from free and fair, with Aung San Suu Kyi and other democracy activists being detained, biased media, and intimidation of politicians, the voting on the day was relatively free and fair. The NLD won a staggering 82% of the seats in Parliament. The dictatorship never recognised the results of the election, and refused to hand over power. Aung San Suu Kyi was held under house arrest until July 1995. When she was released she faced restrictions on travel. On 27 th March 1999, Aung San Suu Kyi’s husband, Michael Aris, died of cancer in London. He had petitioned the Burmese authorities to allow him to visit Aung San Suu Kyi one last time, but they had rejected his request. He had not seen her since a Christmas visit in 1995. The government always urged Aung San Suu Kyi to join her family abroad, but she knew that she would not be allowed to return to Burma. In 2000 Aung San Suu Kyi was again placed under house arrest after repeated attempts to leave the capital, Rangoon, to hold political meetings in other parts of the country. In 2002, Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest and with freedom to travel around the country. The release was part of a deal negotiated by UN Envoy on Burma, Razali Ismail. He had facilitated secret meetings between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military. However, when it came to move from confidence building meetings, and instead start dealing with matters of substance, the dictatorship refused to engage in any meaningful dialogue. 10 11
Page 1 and 2: DIMITRA STASINOPOULOU BURMA’s PLE
Page 3 and 4: PRIVATE EDITION To the Lady of Burm
Page 5: PROLOGUE & MOTIVATION by Dimitra St
Page 9 and 10: INDIA BANGLADESH CHINA EAST BURMA I
Page 11 and 12: Inle Lake at dusk 19
Page 13 and 14: A rainbow appears above Inle lake -
Page 15 and 16: 26
Page 17 and 18: Houses made of teak wood, built on
Page 19 and 20: 34 Intha fisherman using his conica
Page 21 and 22: 38 Waiting for the royal barge, Pha
Page 23 and 24: Phaung Daw U Pagoda Festival 43
Page 25 and 26: Regattas racing, Phaung Daw U Pagod
Page 27 and 28: Children selling wooden toys, entra
Page 29 and 30: 54 Kayan Padaung tribe long neck wo
Page 31 and 32: 58 Po O tribe woman, Shan States ro
Page 33 and 34: Women smoking cheroot (Burmese trad
Page 35 and 36: 66 Women from various Shan State tr
Page 37 and 38: 71
Page 39 and 40: 74 Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Nyaung
Page 41 and 42: Novice monks praying inside Shwe Ya
Page 43 and 44: 82 Dormitory, Shwe Yan Pyay Monaste
Page 45 and 46: Rakhine State (Arakan) Along the Ba
Page 47 and 48: 90 Kaladan River, early morning fis
Page 49 and 50: Open Central market, Sittwe 95
Page 51 and 52: 99
Page 53 and 54: City Center, Sittwe 103
Page 55 and 56: Dormitory, Phaya Gyi Pagoda & Monas
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Sunsetting over the Bay of Bengal 1
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114 Escorting flight by seagulls, K
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Kaladan river 119
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Early morning fishing, Kaladan rive
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Tattooed women, Chin village 127
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Villagers carrying their daily wate
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134 Returning from the fields, Mrau
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Htukkan Thein Temple (built 1571) &
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Andaw-Thein Temple or “The Tooth
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146 Temple door guardians Nan-oo Im
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Fetching clean water, Mrauk U 151
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154 Handmade cradle, Mrauk U villag
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158 Mrauk U children
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Thanaka makeup paste, made from tha
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Selling fresh fish, Mrauk U open ma
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170 Dock at sunset, Mrauk U
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Ngapali beach 175
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182 Daily catch, Ngapali fishing vi
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190 Marks on the sand, made by very
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Fishermen repairing their boats 199
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202 Young girl helping children wit
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Mount Popa & Taung Kalat Shrine Mou
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Macaque monkeys, Mount Popa 213
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216 Buddhist pagodas & temples, acr
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Standing Buddhas (10m height), faci
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224 Selling watermelon in the court
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Local transportation, Bagan village
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232 Hanging bird nests, village clo
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236 Village life
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240 Village festival parade, Bagan
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244 Lunch time, village festival, B
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248 Fish Market
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252 Rice Market
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Puppet show, Bagan 257
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260 Novice monks, on their morning
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264 U-Bein bridge, Amarapura
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268 Early morning, U-Bein Bridge
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272 Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery (bu
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276 Maha Ganayon Monastery, Mandala
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280 Streets of Mandalay
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284 Snake Temple area, Pale
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288 Burmese traditional dances
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292 Horse-drawn Victorian carriages
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296 Tailor shop, Maymyo
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Morning alms round, Maymyo market 3
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304 Open market, Maymyo
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Train passengers on their way to La
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312 Train station, Maymyo
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316 Flooded street, Shan State vill
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320 Sunset, Irrawaddy River
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Chidren working on a river boat 325
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328 Yandobo village (specializing i
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332 Returning from the fields, Yand
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336 Yandobo river village, Sagaing
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340 Small shop, Sagaing village
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Sagaing Nunnary 345
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348 Sunset, Irrawaddy River
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INDIA BANGLADESH CHINA SOUTH BURMA
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Entrance to Shwedagon Pagoda, belie
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Shwedagon Pagoda devotees paying th
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364 The Shwedagon Pagoda is entirel
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368 Naga Hlainggu Aung Chantha, Mon
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372 Nuns at Naga Hlainggu Aung Chan
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376 Nuns praying before the daily m
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380 Waterfront, Hlaing River, Yango
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384 Reclining Buddha (measuring 54m
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Young nuns, Meditation Center, Bago
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396 Bago countryside
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Hermit on the way to the Golden roc
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Worshipers placing gold leaf on The
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BURMΑ'S PLEA

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