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Bookshelf Spotlight: Southeast Asian Wars

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Pahole Sookkasikon

Featured Books

* A War of Frontier and Empire: The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902
* Confrontation: The War with Indonesia 1962 – 1966
* For Us Surrender Is Out of the Question: A Story from Burma’s Never-Ending War
* Hanoi’s War: An International History of the War for Peace in Vietnam (The New Cold War History)
* Thailand’s Secret War: OSS, SOE and the Free Thai Underground During World War II (Cambridge Military Histories)

A War of Frontier and Empire: The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902


by David J. Silbey
Hill and Wang, 2008

It has been termed an insurgency, a revolution, a guerrilla war, and a conventional war. As David J. Silbey demonstrates in this taut, compelling history, the 1899 Philippine-American War was in fact all of these. Played out over three distinct conflicts—one fought between the Spanish and the allied United States and Filipino forces; one fought between the United States and the Philippine Army of Liberation; and one fought between occupying American troops and an insurgent alliance of often divided Filipinos—the war marked America’s first steps as a global power and produced a wealth of lessons learned and forgotten.

First-rate military history, A War of Frontier and Empire retells an often forgotten chapter in America’s past, infusing it with commanding contemporary relevance.

Hill and Wang |Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Confrontation: The War with Indonesia 1962 – 1966


by Nick van der Bijl
Pen and Sword, 2008

For over four years in the ‘Swinging Sixties’ the armed forces of the UK were engaged in a little publicized but crucial jungle war against communist aggressive on the vast island of Borneo.
At any one time up to 50,000 troops (half of the Army’s strength today) were deployed along a 1,000 mile front. Their enemy were the communist led Indonesians whose leaders were determined to seize the states of Sarawak, Sabah and the oil rich Brunei, all of whom for their part wished to maintain their Commonwealth links. The catalyst for the war was the 1962 uprising in Brunei which was quickly crushed by the bold intervention of British army units.

The arrival of Major General Walter Walker, himself a controversial figure, gave the subsequent campaign a clear direction. Indonesian incursions were rigorously defended and ruthlessly pursued. Top Secret ‘Claret’ operations took the fight to the enemy with cross border operations initially using Special Forces and later with Chindit-style long range patrols. The outcome was a text book military victory thus avoiding a British ‘Vietnam’ debacle.

Pen and Sword | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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For Us Surrender Is Out of the Question: A Story from Burma’s Never-Ending War


by Mac McClelland
Soft Skull Press, 2010

There are bad things going on in Burma that you don’t know about. There’s a civil war (the world’s longest running, in fact) raging between the government and ethnic rebels. Much of the United States’ heroin comes from there. And there’s the small matter that America helped make it all possible with overt funding and the CIA’s very first secret war. Of course, you wouldn’t know any of this, because Burma is a country nearly shut out from the rest of the world, with the only footage of the carnage coming via groups of young, tough, booze-loving refugees who run into war zones to collect it. And with these refugees is where we find Mac McClelland embedded in her staggering debut, For Us Surrender Is Out of the Question. McClelland weaves a narrative that is part investigative journalism, part popular history, and part memoir of a Midwestern, twentysomething girl living with refugee activists on the Burma-Thailand border. Driven by the community McClelland is illegally aiding—a small group of brave young men and women—For Us Surrender Is Out of the Question is an urgent and fascinating look at a weary conflict, told by a bright, new voice.

Soft Skull Press | Goodreads| Amazon | Google Books

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Hanoi’s War: An International History of the War for Peace in Vietnam (The New Cold War History)


by Lien-Hang T. Nguyen
The University of North Carolina Press, 2012

While most historians of the Vietnam War focus on the origins of U.S. involvement and the Americanization of the conflict, Lien-Hang T. Nguyen examines the international context in which North Vietnamese leaders pursued the war and American intervention ended. This riveting narrative takes the reader from the marshy swamps of the Mekong Delta to the bomb-saturated Red River Delta, from the corridors of power in Hanoi and Saigon to the Nixon White House, and from the peace negotiations in Paris to high-level meetings in Beijing and Moscow, all to reveal that peace never had a chance in Vietnam.

Hanoi’s War renders transparent the internal workings of America’s most elusive enemy during the Cold War and shows that the war fought during the peace negotiations was bloodier and much more wide ranging than it had been previously. Using never-before-seen archival materials from the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as materials from other archives around the world, Nguyen explores the politics of war-making and peace-making not only from the North Vietnamese perspective but also from that of South Vietnam, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States, presenting a uniquely international portrait.

UNC Press | Amazon | Google Books

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Thailand’s Secret War: OSS, SOE and the Free Thai Underground During World War II (Cambridge Military Histories)


by E. Bruce Reynolds
Cambridge University Press, 2010

Despite its 1941 alliance with Japan, Thai leaders managed to establish clandestine relations with China, Britain and the United States, each of which had ambitions for postwar influence in Bangkok. Based largely on recently declassified intelligence records, this narrative history thoroughly explores these relations, details Allied secret operations and sheds new light on the intense rivalry between the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

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Photography: From Dissident to Lawmaker – Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Posted on 09 May 2012 by Pahole Sookkasikon

April 2, 2012 — After two decades as a political dissident under house arrest in Myanmar, [Daw] Aung Sun Suu Kyi [sic] appears to have now made the transition to political representative.

Enjoy these stunning photographs by Adam Ferguson for The New York Times

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Bookshelf Spotlight: Ancient Kingdoms & Empires of Southeast Asia

Posted on 07 May 2012 by Pahole Sookkasikon

Featured Books

* Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
* Ayutthaya- Venice of the East
* Mon Nationalism and Civil War in Burma: The Golden Sheldrake
* The Cham of Vietnam: History, Society and Art
* The Kingdoms of Laos

Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)


by Michael D. Coe
Thames & Hudson, 2005

The ancient city of Angkor has fascinated Westerners since its rediscovery in the mid-nineteenth century.

A great deal is now known about the brilliant Khmer civilization that flourished among the monsoon forests and rice paddies of mainland Southeast Asia, thanks to the pioneering work of French scholars and the application of modern archaeological techniques such as remote sensing from the space shuttle.

The classic-period Khmer kings ruled over their part-Hindu and part-Buddhist empire from AD 802 for more than five centuries. This period saw the construction of many architectural masterpieces, including the huge capital city of Angkor, with the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious structure. Numerous other provincial centers, bound together by an impressive imperial road system, were scattered across the Cambodian Plain, northeast Thailand, southern Laos, and the Delta of southern Vietnam. Khmer civilization by no means disappeared with the gradual abandonment of Angkor that began in the fourteenth century, and the book’s final chapter describes the conversion of the Khmer to a different kind of Buddhism, the move of the capital downriver to the Phnom Penh area, and the reorientation of the Khmer state to maritime trade.

Angkor and the Khmer Civilization presents a concise but complete picture of Khmer cultural history from the Stone Age until the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1863, and is lavishly illustrated with maps, plans, drawings, and photographs. Drawing on the latest archaeological research, Michael D. Coe brings to life Angkor’s extraordinary society and culture.

Thames and Hudson |Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Ayutthaya- Venice of the East>


by Derick Garnier
River Books Press Dist A C, 2006

Between 1351 and 1767 AD, Ayutthaya, capital of Siam was one of the most important trading centres in Southeast Asia, renowned throughout the world for its wealth and beauty. Derick Garnier traces the history of Thailand’s 400 year capital in a scholarly yet engaging text.

River Books | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Mon Nationalism and Civil War in Burma: The Golden Sheldrake


by Mr Ashley South
Routledge, 2003

A major contribution to the literature of Burmese history and politics, this book traces the rich and tragic history of the Mon people of Burma and Thailand, from the pre-colonial era to the present day. This vivid account of ethnic politics and civil war situates the story of Mon nationalism within the ‘big picture’ of developments in Burma, Thailand and the region. Primarily an empirical study, it also addresses issues of identity and anticipates Burmese politics in the new millennium. A particular feature of the book is its first-hand descriptions of insurgency and displacement, drawn from the author’s experiences as an aid worker in the war zone.

Routledge Books | Amazon | Google Books

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The Cham of Vietnam: History, Society and Art


edited by Tran Ky Phuong & Bruce M. Lockhart
University of Hawaii Press, 2010

The Cham people once inhabited and ruled over a large stretch of what is now the central Vietnamese coast. Their Indianized civilization flourished for centuries, and they competed with the Vietnamese and Khmers for influence in mainland Southeast Asia. This book brings together essays on the Cham by specialists in history, archaeology, anthropology, art history, and linguistics. It presents a revisionist overview of Cham history and a detailed study of the various ways in which the Cham have been studied by different generations of scholars, as well as chapters on specific aspects of the Cham past. Several authors focus on archaeological work in central Vietnam that positions recent discoveries within the broader framework of Cham history. The authors synthesize work by scholars during the French colonial period and after who discuss what ‘Champa’ has represented over the centuries of its history. The book’s new perspectives on the Cham provide penetrating insights into the history of Vietnam that shed light on the broader dynamic of Southeast Asian history.

University of Hawaii Press |Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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The Kingdoms of Laos>


by Sanda Simms
Routledge Books, 2001

Describes the changes in society over 600 years as Lan Xang was gradually dismembered and became a French colony. Most importantly, it shows the essence of the Lao and why, despite all that has happened, they possess their own social and cultural values that mark them as distinctive.

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Music: Mar Mar Aye (Myanmar/Burma)

Posted on 04 May 2012 by Ronald Gilliam

It was on 26 July 1942 in the Irrawaddy delta that Mar Mar Aye was born. Her parents were also artists. So they started very early with the classic song and at eight years took on a first record. Its national breakthrough with their second record (Thet Tan Paw Hmar Kasar-mae “Let’s Play on the Rainbow”), which she recorded at the age of thirteen.

Before she left Myanmar, she was in from 1955 and 1997 a recognized artist. Mar Mar was a member of the National Music Council and has held high positions in the Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS). She published more than 6,000 lives in their songs, starred in three films and written two novels. She is also the founder of the Singing Academy Aye, Aye, the Musical Enterprise and the Mar Aye Foundation.

Since emigrating to the United States in 1998, she has devoted to researching music and traveled abroad Burma, Myanmar exile groups to bring once their music. In Burma the BBC they discussed on the show Pyaw Pya Sat Ya Dwe Le Bon Gyi Ta Shi The De (“I Still Have So Much to Tell You”), various issues. In 2007, she dedicated the participants of the Saffron Revolution, a song titled A-thae Kabar Makyae Nar (“Heartache to last till the World’s Annihilation”). They also released a campaign song for the national referendum in Myanmar with the title “Vote No!” and a song for the victims of Tropical Storm Nargis. -translated from German wikipedia

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Bookshelf Spotlight: History, Culture & Art of Ancient Southeast Asia

Posted on 23 April 2012 by Pahole Sookkasikon

Featured Books

* A History of Myanmar Since Ancient Times: Traditions and Transformations
* A Thousand Years of Philippine History before the coming of the Spaniards
* Ancient Vietnam: History and Archaeology
* The Indonesia Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The World Readers)
* Thailand: The Golden Kingdom

A History of Myanmar Since Ancient Times: Traditions and Transformations


by Michael Aung-Thwin
Reaktion Books, 2012

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is often characterized as a place of repressive military rule, civil war, censorship, and corrupt elections—and despite recent attempts to promote tourism to see the country’s natural beauty, it is not yet a travel hotspot. Most of the Western world remains unaware of the storied history and rich culture found in this Southeast Asian country.In A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times, Michael Aung-Thwin and Maitrii Aung-Thwin take us from the sacred stupas (structures containing Buddhist relics) of the plains of Bagan to the grand, colonial-era British mansions, finding the splendor that remains in this forgotten country. They delve into Myanmar’s nearly three-thousand-year history, discovering the first traces of civilization that appeared during the Stone Age, witnessing the protests of Buddhist monks during the early twentieth century, and describing the colonial era of British rule and the republic that followed. This book also considers the state of Myanmar today, examining the 2010 elections—the first in over twenty years—and exploring the lives, culture, and ambitions of the Burmese people. The most comprehensive history of Myanmar ever published in the English language, this book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Southeast Asia.

Reaktion Books | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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A Thousand Years of Philippine History before the coming of the Spaniards


by Austin Craig
Nabu Press, 2010

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Amazon | Google Books

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Ancient Vietnam: History and Archaeology


by Anne-Valerie Schweyer
River Books Press Dist A C, 2012

The history of Vietnam is one of spectacular confrontations, both cultural and ideological between the world of the Chinese – a world adopted by the ethnic Viet living in the Red river basin – and the Indian world – facets of which are seen in the Cham, whose numerous small kingdoms were strung out all along the coast from north of Hue to south of Phan Rang.

The first part of this book presents a comprehensive history of Vietnam from the 6th to 15th centuries, highlighting the clashes between the two major civilisations which are the foundation of modern Vietnam.

The second part takes the reader on a tour of over 60 archaeological sites which are a testament to this history. Maps, plans and numerous photographs will help us to experience the history of ancient Vietnam both in its early beginnings and its subsequent evolution.

French scholar Anne-Valérie Schweyer is an acknowledged expert in Cham history and has contributed to many books and journals.

River Books Press | Amazon | Google Books

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The Indonesia Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The World Readers)


edited by Tineke Hellwig and Eric Tagliacozzo
Duke University Press Books, 2009

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, encompassing nearly eighteen thousand islands. The fourth-most populous nation in the world, it has a larger Muslim population than any other. The Indonesia Reader is a unique introduction to this extraordinary country. Assembled for the traveler, student, and expert alike, the Reader includes more than 150 selections: journalists’ articles, explorers’ chronicles, photographs, poetry, stories, cartoons, drawings, letters, speeches, and more. Many pieces are by Indonesians; some are translated into English for the first time. All have introductions by the volume’s editors. Well-known figures such as Indonesia’s acclaimed novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer and the American anthropologist Clifford Geertz are featured alongside other artists and scholars, as well as politicians, revolutionaries, colonists, scientists, and activists.
Organized chronologically, the volume addresses early Indonesian civilizations; contact with traders from India, China, and the Arab Middle East; and the European colonization of Indonesia, which culminated in centuries of Dutch rule. Selections offer insight into Japan’s occupation (1942–45), the establishment of an independent Indonesia, and the post-independence era, from Sukarno’s presidency (1945–67), through Suharto’s dictatorial regime (1967–98), to the present Reformasi period. Themes of resistance and activism recur: in a book excerpt decrying the exploitation of Java’s natural wealth by the Dutch; in the writing of Raden Ajeng Kartini (1879–1904), a Javanese princess considered the icon of Indonesian feminism; in a 1978 statement from East Timor objecting to annexation by Indonesia; and in an essay by the founder of Indonesia’s first gay activist group. From fifth-century Sanskrit inscriptions in stone to selections related to the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 tsunami, The Indonesia Reader conveys the long history and the cultural, ethnic, and ecological diversity of this far-flung archipelago nation.

Duke University Press Books | Amazon | Google Books

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Thailand: The Golden Kingdom


by William Warren et al & Luca Invernizzi Tettoni
Periplus Editions, 1999

From the beaches of the south to the mountains of the north, Thailand is a beautiful and diverse land. ‘Thailand – The Golden Kingdom’ encapsulates Thai history, culture, and art in one compact volume. It gives an endearing portrait of Thailand’s multi-ethnic population, the people’s beliefs and ways of life and sets it in an historical and cultural context. Over 140 color photographs illustrate the clear text about all aspects of one of Asia’s most fascinating places.

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Bookshelf Spotlight: Southeast Asian Martial Arts

Posted on 18 April 2012 by Pahole Sookkasikon

Featured Books

* Arnis: History and Development of the Filipino Martial Arts
* Muay Thai Boran: The Martial Art of Thailand
* Pencak Silat:Through My Eyes: Indonesian Martial Arts
* Pradal Serey
* Traditional Burmese Boxing: Ancient and Modern Methods from Burma’s Training Camp

Arnis: History and Development of the Filipino Martial Arts


by Mark V. Wiley
Tuttle Publishing, 2001

The Filipino martial tradition, its history, cultural perspective and technique, makes for a rich and fascinating story. This is the first book to delve deeply into that legacy, examining the different schools of arnis and contributions made by leading arnisadores through history. This book examines training regimens, fighting techniques and innovations, and provides an exhaustive bibliography of all the books ever written on the subject. With 125 remarkable photographs, Mark Wiley’s groundbreaking study of arnis stands as an important source book for all serious practitioners of unarmed Filipino martial arts — as well as any serious student of martial arts as it is practiced worldwide.

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Muay Thai Boran: The Martial Art of Thailand


by Arjan Marco De Cesaris
Budo International, 2005

This book is the fruit of 27 years of study and research into one of the most beautiful cultural heritages that come to us from the ancient Siamese Kingdom, now called Thailand. The Martial Art of that distant country is mostly known in the world as sportive combat, which reminds everyone of a free version of Boxing. Although it is not developed for the ring, Muay Boran continues to incorporate the basic sports principles of Muay Thai. It maintains the efficiency demonstrated by Thai boxers in the Thai Boxing, Kickboxing, Boxing and No Holds Barred ring throughout the world. Outstanding champions of Vale Tudo have come from the world of Muay Thai. In Muay Thai Boran (or Traditional Thai boxing) combines an explosive mixture of ancient techniques practiced for centuries by Thai warriors with modern training methods all entirely brought up to date so that they meet the needs of the practitioner of the new millennium.

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Pencak Silat:Through My Eyes: Indonesian Martial Arts


by Herman Suwanda, Jose Fraguas
Empire Books, 2006

Complete presentation of the principles & applications of one of the most effective martial arts styles, by one of the most sought-after Silat masters of all time, the late Herman Suwanda. Explores the art & science of this Indonesian combat method, looking at tactical elements of timing, distance, rhythm, cadence & tempo.

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Pradal Serey


by Ronald Cohn Jesse Russell
VSD, 2012

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Pradal serey is an unarmed martial art from Cambodia. In Khmer the word pradal means fighting or boxing and serey means free. Originally used for warfare, pradal serey is now one of Cambodia’s national sports. Its moves have been slightly altered to comply with the modern rules. This book was created using print-on-demand technology.

Amazon |

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Traditional Burmese Boxing: Ancient and Modern Methods from Burma’s Training Camp


by Zoran Rebac
Paladin Press, 2003

There’s a reason the word “brutal” is so often used to describe traditional Burmese boxing. This art – martial in the true sense of the word – has retained its merciless edge even as so many other disciplines have been watered down into mere sport. Through rare photographs and firsthand reports, author Zoran Rebac takes you into a world few Westerners have seen. When Rebac first traveled to Asia in the 1980s, he was a rarity himself – a foreigner determined to learn the legendary martial traditions of the Burmese and Thai fighters. His keen interest and discipline quickly earned their respect and gained him access to training methods used by the best fighters in Asia. In this book, you’ll learn traditional Burmese boxing techniques from the basic stances, kicks and strikes through advanced “experts only” moves, experience the rich pageantry of the tournaments and be introduced to the grueling training exercises practiced in ancient times and the modern methods used by fighters today. Traditional Burmese Boxing is an invaluable guide to the fascinating world of the Burmese boxer.

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Speaker Series 2012: Donald Seekins (Myanmar)

Posted on 14 March 2012 by Pahole Sookkasikon

SPRING 2012 CSEAS SPEAKER SERIES
A Presentation by Donald Seekins, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at Meio University, Okinawa, Japan.

Myanmar’s Old and New Capitals, Rangoon and Naypyidaw: a Slide Presentation
Location: Tokioka Room, Moore 319; UHM
Friday, March 16, 12:00 P.M.

Précis:

In November 2005, Myanmar’s military government, the State Peace and Development Council, decreed the relocation of the country’s national capital from Rangoon (Yangon) to an entirely new city that was officially named Naypyidaw, or “the Abode of the King.” The new capital is starkly different from the old one. Rangoon is oriented toward the sea and served as the major port both during and after the British colonial period, linking Burma with global markets for raw material exports, especially rice; while Naypyidaw is located inland, much closer to Myanmar’s land borders with India, China and Thailand. Moreover, colonial Rangoon was a multi-ethnic, multi-religious city, one of the most cosmopolitan in Asia, while Naypyidaw’s population is mostly indigenous Burmese, the great majority of whom are Buddhists. Finally, Rangoon’s town design under British colonial rule was focused on a tight grid pattern of streets fronting the Rangoon River, with a dense population, while Naypyidaw is really without a center, or consists of several centers connected by broad highways. The new capital is also – at least at present – rather thinly populated. However, both capitals boast a major pagoda – the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon and a replica of the Shwedagon, the Upattasanti Pagoda, in Naypyidaw – that reflect the nation’s dominant Buddhist values.

Bio:

Donald M. Seekins, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at Meio University, Okinawa, Japan. Since 1988 he has done research and published articles and books on Burma/Myanmar, the latest publication being State and Society in Modern Rangoon (London: Routledge, 2011).

Event Sponsor:

Center for Southeast Asian Studies
For more information, please contact The Center for Southeast Asian Studies at cseas@hawaii.edu.

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Music: Lay Phyu (Myanmar/Burma)

Posted on 28 February 2012 by Ronald Gilliam

Lay Phyu (လေးဖြူ) was born in May 19, 1965 in Inn Lay region, Shan State, Myanmar, according the source. He graduated from Mandalay University in English Major where he met Y Wine, one of the famous singers from Iron Cross Music band (the greatest music band in Myanmar/Burma). Start from his first music album, he joined Iron Cross Music band which is originally founded by Saw Byot Muu (Karen Guitarist) a famous musician in the history of Myanmar (Burma). Later, Chit San Mg becomes lead guitarist after Saw Byot Muu died.

Since the beginning, Lay Phyu was quite successful in his first album and got the most fans in Myanmar rocker. Today, Lay Phyu still enjoy music with Iron Cross Music Band for more than 15 years and there are Ah Nge, Myo Gyi, Zaw Paing, Y Wine and R Zarni in this music group. Recently, there was Iron Cross Live Show in Yangon for fund raising program of Nargis cyclone victims in Myanmar and thousands of fans were attended. -wikipedia


Online BiographyLast.fm | Irrawaddy Article

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Song of the Week: Sai Sai (Myanmar)

Posted on 07 November 2011 by Ronald Gilliam

Sai Sai Kham Hlaing (Burmese: စိုင်းစိုင်းခမ်းလှိုင်) is a popular Burmese singer-songwriter, model, novelist, and actor of ethnic Shan descent. He is best known for his hip hop music. He was born on 10 April 1979 in Taunggyi to Cho Cho San Tun and Kham Hlaing of an ethnic Shan aristocratic family. His great-grandfather Sao San Tun, Saopha of Mongpawng, was a signatory to the 1947 Panglong Agreement that was the basis for the formation of modern Myanmar, and one of nine senior government officials assassinated on 19 July 1947. The day of the assassination is commemorated each year as the Martyrs’ Day in Myanmar. The hospital he was delivered in was his great-grandfather’s namesake—the Sao San Tun Hospital. He is the eldest son and has two younger sisters and a younger brother. Soon after he was born, his parents moved to nearby Aungban for two years before moving back to Taunggyi. His parents divorced when he was got to 4th standard. He was living in two houses soon after the divorce but ended up with his father. He would not see his mother for another six years. He did not recognize his own mother when they met again in Yangon. Sai Sai attributes his interest in music to his father. He grew up listening to songs by Sai Htee Saing and Aung Yin that his father listened to on a “small mono cassette player”. Sai Htee Saing and his father were friends. But it was after his parents’ divorce that Sai Sai earnestly took up music. His father bought him a guitar at 5th standard, and he learned to play it by 6th standard. Sai Sai became a judo player at 8th standard. He won district level competitions in high school, and even competed in national youth competitions in Yangon. Sai Sai came to Yangon and enrolled in Dagon University as an English major. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Dagon University and a graduate diploma in English from the University of Foreign Languages, Yangon. His mother lives in Australia and his father died in 2006. -Wikipeida


Official HomepageMyanmar Music Online Page

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Hard Hitting Reports on Conflict/Health in SE Asia

Posted on 23 June 2011 by Ronald Gilliam

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Transnational Institute, an organization devoted to the distribution of research by scholar activists, have recently published several hard hitting research papers on social problems in Southeast Asia related to sexual health, drug abuse, and political conflict.

HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men and transgender populations in South-East Asia
Published by the WHO
Same-sex behaviour is identified in all societies. However, in the South-East Asia Region, the majority of men who have sex with men andtransgender persons are highly stigmatized and discriminated against. There are an estimated 4-5 million men who have sex with men; among the transgender population, the number is less clear. Many of them are involved in high risk sexual behaviours that put them at risk for HIV infection, resulting in a high and increasing HIV prevalence in several countries of the Region. Control of HIV infections among these populations is thus an urgent public health priority. This report provides information on the status of the epidemic among these populations in the South-East Asia Region. It highlights the need for improved advocacy efforts and a greater national response to save the lives of these populations who are at risk for HIV infection.

WHO link |  download here

 

Burma’s New Government: Prospects for Governance and Peace in Ethnic States
Transnational Institute
This paper takes an initial look at what the prospects are in this area, two months after the new government took office. Of course, any analysis at this early stage can only be tentative, but there have already been a number of sufficiently important developments – the first sessions of the legislatures, the appointment of standing committees, and the appointment of local governments – to make such an analysis worthwhile. Two key areas will be assessed: firstly, the composition and functioning of the new governance structures, particularly the decentralized legislative and executive institutions, and the impact that these could have on the governance of ethnic minority areas; and secondly, the status of the ceasefires and ongoing insurgencies, and the prospects for peace.

Transnational Institute |  download here

 

Kratom in Thailand: Decriminalisation and Community Control?
Transnational Institute
by Pascal Tanguay
Kratom is an integral part of Thai culture and has neglible harmful effects. Community level control and education are recommended for the best path to harm reduction. In early 2010, the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) developed a policy proposal to review different aspects of the criminal justice process in relation to drug cases. The possibility of decriminalising the indigenous psychoactive plant, kratom, was included in the ONCB’s proposal for consideration by the Ministry of Justice. This briefing paper provides an overview of issues related to kratom legislation and policy in Thailand as well as a set of conclusions and recommendations to contribute to a reassessment of the current ban on kratom in Thailand and the region. Kratom has been traditionally chewed by people in Thailand, especially on the southern peninsula, as well as in other countries in Southeast Asia. In southern Thailand, traditional kratom use is not perceived as ‘drug use’ and does not lead to stigmatisation or discrimination of users. Kratom is generally part of a way of life in the south, closely embedded in traditions and customs such as local ceremonies, traditional cultural performances and teashops, as well as in agricultural and manual labor in the context of rubber plantations and seafaring. People from the southern provinces, especially in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces, are predominantly Muslim and are prohibited from drinking alcohol based on the dictates of Islamic beliefs. With strict controls on alcohol, kratom is an alternative substitute, not specifically prohibited by the clergy, but regulated by the state.

Transnational Institute |  download here

 

On the Frontline of Northeast India: Evaluating a Decade of Harm Reduction in Manipur and Nagaland
Transnational Institute
Conflict and underdevelopment in Northeast India have contributed to drug consumption and production, and are hampering access to treatment, care and support for drug users. Northeast India is a region with serious drug use problems. This briefing examines the drug-related problems and evaluates the policy responses in Nagaland and Manipur,  two sparsely populated states in that region, bordering Burma. These states have the highest prevalence of injecting drug users (IDUs) in India. Unsafe practices, especially needle sharing among IDUs, have been the main drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. By the end of the 1990s, Manipur had become the “AIDS capital of India”, and also Nagaland is suffering a high incidence of HIV among injecting drug users. Northeast India is an isolated and mountainous area, home to a wide range of different ethnic groups, each with its own distinct culture, traditions and language. Many of these ethnic groups are in conflict with the Indian government, demanding more autonomy or independence. Several ethnic movements are in armed struggle, pressing for their political demands. There has also been communal violence between villages of different ethnic groups.

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Resource Collection of Southeast Asia Publications

Hunting and Fishing in a Kammu Village
by Tayanin
tagged: featured, laos, thailand, and to-read
Red Peacocks: Commentaries on Burmese Socialist Nationalism
tagged: burma, featured, and political-science
Islamic Statehood and Maqasid al-Shariah in Malaysia: A Zero-Sum Game?
tagged: featured, islam, malaysia, and political-science

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