I have funs reading a handful of politically fledgling friends talking about the need to have a national party or umbrella organization representing the whole Chin people by portraying some of our leading political parties even as tribal based party.
On 16th April, 06, under the title of Dilemma in funding Burmese NGOs, Kaowao News editor U Cham Toik and his colleague Saimon, have discussed the allocation of Funds provided by the Canadian Government for Burmese democratic forces through the Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Inter-pares, and Burma Relief Centre (BRC).
February 16, 2006: The term “national” might have been interpreted in a variety of ways with different implications by historians, politicians, and scholars. We may notice that the word national has been marked in quotation intentionally in the title of this article to emphasize its importance in itself. In this short article, I would like to revisit and engage with a very brief historical and philosophical study on the ambiguous terms “nation, national, and nationalism” so as to bring a better understanding about the meaning of these phenomena. By doing so, the ultimate goal is to enlighten ourselves so that we may be able to realize the purpose and the essence of celebrating the Chin National Day, which indeed is re-affirming the granted right of self-determination which we have already gained fifty eight years ago.
In the summer of 2004, a select group of Burmese gathered in Ottawa under the banner of Burma Forum-Canada with the express objective of “establishing a stronger and more inclusive consultative process among Burmese Activist Communities in Canada in order to effectively advocate for the issues facing Burma with the Canadian Government, Public and Civil Society Organizations.” Attended by 22 individuals mostly living in Ottawa and Toronto area the meeting concluded with recommendations calling for policy revision for Canada’s policy towards Burma. Many of the recommendations expressed valid concerns with the way Canada, the world’s leading champion of democracy and human rights, handles the issues of Burma with regards to democratic and human rights reforms in that country.
In the fall of 2004, the Burma Forum-Canada came up with a 47-page report containing analysis on specific areas of concern about Canadian foreign policy on Burma. This includes, among others, Canadian policy on humanitarian assistance and economic sanctions towards Burma. While many of the arguments made in the Burma Forum report are laudable and does contain crucial policy recommendations specifically with regards to calls for increased political and economic pressures on Burma, the report is one-sided, un-inclusive of the views of major stakeholders of the “Burmese” community in Canada and miserably fails to present crucial supporting evidence when criticizing the effectiveness of Canadian humanitarian assistance for Burma. Under the title of “Humanitarian Assistance,” the report contains a section on “Capacity Building for Burma,” which is particularly critical of how Canadian assistance funds for Burmese are managed and the extent to which they have been effectual in meeting the objectives of Canada’s contribution for the project.
In today’s struggle for democratization in the Union of Burma, apparently, there are two politically contested views among the pro-democratic forces: to topple the regime from power should be our sole movement focus advocated by one side and, as opposed to this view, the other side of view is those strongly believing in the need to simultaneously prepare for the post-military regime change era while struggling to remove the military dictatorship from power.
As January 23, 06– the federal election is approaching day by day, leaders of the different political parties and their respective candidates across Canada are campaigning hard in order to get elected. In a democracy, the right to stand for office and the right to vote, or not to vote, in election is enjoyed by every citizen. Although in countries like Australia this is only half-true because voting is compulsory.
Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Vumson Suantak, a Chin patriot and tireless advocate for federalism in Burma
Most observers and participants of Burma’s democracy movement generally agree that federalism provides the best option for the future political arrangement for a country so diverse as Burma.
Most people will not be surprised to find in the news about the sad stories of ongoing oppression, persecution and violations of basic human rights in Burma, a country now called Myanmar by its military junta. But what is not often immediately obvious from the outside is the horrible and inhumane conditions people have been forced to silently endure under the successive rules of the country’s autocratic and tyrannical regimes for more than the last four decades.
Vancouver, Canada: Hurricane Katrina has painted the real picture of the mass suffering of people and for the first time the Americans have witnessed it, while in Burma, the people have been used to this scene as it was repeatedly played again and again for one and half decades of Burmese
(Editor’s Note: In the wake of India’s renewed offensive against Burma’s pro-democracy opposition groups, notably the Chin National Front since July 2005, many activists based in India are increasingly frustrated and are helplessly feeling that their cause has been betrayed by the world’s largest democracy, a country they have always looked to for support.
