 Plain Speaking Three young people—a Rohingya, a Rakhine and a resident of Rangoon—give their frank views on the situation in Arakan State, where the question of whether the Rohingya are a Burmese ethnic group rages on. |
 Burma’s Gaza? Reporting from an area of Arakan State where Rohingyas are a majority, MIN KHET MAUNG finds sharply divergent views over the Rohingya issue. |
 The Row over the Rohingya What do Irrawaddy readers think about the controversy surrounding the status of the Rohingya in Burma? NEIL LAWRENCE summarizes some of the arguments presented in our online comments section. |
 Unwanted Anywhere As Rohingya refugees continue to flee Burma in open boats, YENI describes how the country’s Muslim minority came to be so oppressed by successive military governments and describes the human rights abuses they suffer. |
 Than Shwe’s ‘The Art of War’ In its continuing military buildup, the Burmese junta appears to have taken some pages from Mao Tse-tung’s interpretation of Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War,’ suggests AUNG ZAW in a review of Naypyidaw’s defense strategies. |
 To Fight or Not to Fight As the 2010 election approaches, Burma’s insurgent ethnic armies are coming under increasing pressure to cooperate in redrawing the country’s political map. THE IRRAWADDY assesses the chances of success of the regime’s efforts. |
 It’s Time to Play the Villains’ Game Two issues hold the key to unlocking the political stalemate in Burma, says KYAW ZWA MOE, who urges the US to make them the focus of any contacts with Naypyidaw. |
 The Chinese Road to Mandalay Ruled for many colonial-era years by Britain, Mandalay is now falling under the influence of a new wave of outsiders—the Chinese. MIN LWIN describes how these newcomers are changing the face of Burma’s second city. |
 A Crazy Business A new book on the Golden Triangle drugs trade, by Bertil Lintner and Michael Black, is reviewed by DAVID SCOTT MATHIESON, who recommends it to anybody concerned with developments in Southeast Asia. |
 Brothers in Bronze American sculptor Jim McNalis unveils his latest Burmese work—busts of the famous Moustache Brothers. |
 Betting on Soccer A new football league is planned in Burma in the hopes of boosting sagging standards of play. |
| • Intelligence |
| • News in Brief |
| • Business |