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Burma: Speaking truth to power(cuts)

By Francis Wade Tue, May 22, 2012 12:37PM UTC View Comments

It’s always been about power in Burma, whether it be the Machiavellian governance of its leaders, or the blackouts that for decades have plagued the energy-rich country. The ties that bind the two are intrinsic – back in 2007, it was dramatic fuel price hikes that prompted tens of thousands of monks and civilians to...

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Law: the bane of Burma’s landowners

By Francis Wade Fri, May 18, 2012 3:41PM UTC View Comments

A farmer ploughs field with the use of draught cattle to grow crops in the village of Ohn-chaung, Burma. Pic: AP.

The issue of land rights hangs like a heavy cloud over Burma. More than 60 percent of the country is reliant on agriculture as a primary source of income, yet farmers are not allowed to own the land they work – instead, they effectively rent it from the government, meaning that lucrative arable fields can...

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The curious case of Thailand’s ‘Most Wanted’

By Francis Wade Fri, May 11, 2012 3:45PM UTC View Comments

Thailand’s Deputy PM Chalerm Yubamrung let slip recently that Karen rebel leader Maj Gen Na Kham Mwe, who controls territory along Burma’s border with Thailand, is among the country’s top five most wanted men. Na Kham Mwe heads a faction of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which until mid-2010 had been closely allied with...

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Burma’s military MPs: Suu Kyi’s challenge (and opportunity)

By Francis Wade Wed, May 02, 2012 3:32PM UTC View Comments

Military representatives attend a regular session of Burma's parliament. Despite appearances, they may not be as unified as they'd lead us to believe. Pic: AP.

Her boycott of parliament now over, Aung San Suu Kyi enters a decision-making arena that is by turns hostile, dynamic and full of surprise. Although the standard depiction of a hall dominated by military-backed MPs is generally correct, there are small but important divergences within the 80 percent-plus ruling faction that Suu Kyi will hope...

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Is it safe for Burma to repatriate refugees?

By Francis Wade Wed, Apr 25, 2012 1:16PM UTC View Comments

Burma refugees, with their belongings, walk on a street to a pier in Mae Sot, Thailand after being displaced by fighting in 2010. Pic: AP.

Burma’s government has told armed ethnic groups that it will seek to repatriate refugees to sites in the country’s east, an announcement that is likely to trigger heated discussion about conditions in Burma’s conflict zones months after Naypyidaw set out to convince rebel groups to sign ceasefires. The chief interlocutor between the government and rebels,...

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