Category: Interviews

Interviews

Exclusive Interview With Benedict Rogers, Author of Than Shwe’s Biography

[CG Note: Benedict Rogers, East Asia Team Leader of Christian Solidarity Worldwide UK, has been actively involved in Burma issues for more than 10 years. He has travelled extensively on human rights fact-finding missions to Burma on the Thai-China-and-India-Burma borders and has also contributed enormously towards helping the ‘voiceless’ peoples of Burma by speaking and writing for and on their behalf.

His much-awaited book Than Shwe: Unmasking Burma’s Tyrant is due to be published next month, May 2010, with a foreword by Vaclav Havel, former President of Czech Republic. In this exclusive interview by Chinland Guardian, Van Biak Thang talked to Benedict Rogers more about Burma’s secretive junta chief Than Shwe.

Interviews

Chin National Day: Interview with Pu Lian Uk

19 February 2010: [CG Note: Pu Lian Uk is an elected Member of Parliament of the 1990 General election in Burma as an independent. He was also a former Secretary of Chin Literature and Culture Sub-committee, of the Rangoon University during his student life. He is a former political prisoner in Burma for leading the Chin federal movement of the 1970s and for submitting the “Proposals from Chin Youth” to the military regime demanding federalism for the Union of Burma. He is one of the founding members of the Chin Forum and is presently residing in the USA.

Interviews

Interview With Founding Director of CAD Kung Za Hmung

18 Feburary 2010 [CG Note: In the wake of mautam-caused food crisis in Burma’s Chin State, CAD (Country Agency for Rural Development) has been actively involved in responding to alleviate the effects and helping those victims suffering from starvation.

Interviews

Chin National Day: Interview With Salai Kipp Kho Lian

[CG Note: Salai Kipp Kho Lian, one of the founding members of the Chin Forum, was born in Meiktila, Burma. While studying Architecture at the Rangoon Institute of Technology he was detained by the Burmese military junta in 1972 for 13 months for taking part as a signatory of the Proposal of Chin Youth demanding Federal Democracy System for the country. In 1974, he took part during the U Thant funeral Strike and was arrested again along with 10,000 other demonstrators inside the Rangoon University campus. He took part actively in organizing the Thakhin Ko Daw Hmaing Centennial Strike in 1976.

Interviews

SPDC’s Upcoming Election: Interview with Dr. Salai Ngun Cung Lian

[CG Note: Dr. Salai Ngun Cung Lian, one of the Chin Forum Managing Board Members, who was born in East-Maraland, Burma, received a Burmese Refugee Scholarship from the United States Information Agency in 1996 and earned his BA in International Economics and Cultural Affairs from Valparaiso University and his LL.M from the IU School of Law – Bloomington in 2001.

Interviews

Interview with Director of Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)

12 November 2009 [CG Note: London-based Burma Democratic Concern (BDC), founded in 2008, has been noted for its strong campaigns and lobbying activities both inside and outside Burma to restore democracy, human rights and rule of law in Burma. Recently, BDC was publicly attacked in one of the state-owned Burmese language daily newspapers. Director of Burma Democratic Concern (BDC), Myo Thein, talks about BDC, its activities and 2010 elections in Burma.]

Interviews

Interview With Burma’s Chin Female Rock Singer Sung Tin Par

23 October 2009 [CG Note: Her on-stage singing talent wows the audience in the whole country of Burma, and yet her off-stage warm-hearted and humble personality surprises the people around her. After making enormous efforts in raising awareness and fund for Chin mautam victims by performing voluntarily in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia last year, Sung Tin Par once again took the sweat out of the concerts, along with other Chin singers, in Denmark, Norway and Germany. Sung Tin Par

Interviews

Interview With Rising Chin vocalist and composer Cung Lian Thawng

03 October 2009 [CG Note: Well received and highly rated as one of the rising Chin musicians, Cung Lian Thawng, aka Thawngbawi, not only sings but also composes songs and plays musical instruments including violin, guitar, drum, organ and harmonica. As one of the four Chin singers invited to perform at Chin Live Aid gigs in Europe, Thawngbawi excited his fans and audiences during a month-long tour in Denmark, Norway and Germany.

Interviews

Interview With President of Chin Community In Norway Rev. Pum Za Chin

[04 October 2009, CG Note: Sometimes only strength is not enough but experience and insight are essential to accomplishing an activity. President of Chin Community in Norway (CCN) and Zomi Christian Fellowship Norway (ZCF Norway), Rev. Pum Za Chin, together with the Chin people living in Norway, could clearly prove this

Interviews

Interview With Talented Sweet-Voiced Chin Singer Dawt Hlei Hniang

[03 October 2009, CG Note: Being renowned for her sweet voice since her childhood, Dawt Hlei Hniang, aka Hniang Hniang, once again took a voluntary action for a month-long concert tour in Europe to raise awareness and fund for Chin victims of mautam food crisis.

Born in Falam and raised in Hakha, the 27-year-old of Tlangpi village sings not only in Chin but also in Burmese, winning the first prizes of the nationwide singing competition called ‘su-kah-yee-tee’ while in High School. With one of Burma’s greatest vocalists and composers Htoo Ein Thin, Hniang Hniang recorded a much-expected album but it is not released till today as he passed away in 2004 before the recording was completed.