| Editorial_May 2006 |
 Beyond Rangoon Rumors are flying in Rangoon about the fate of the former capital, as many residents fear that the city will fall prey to foreign developers. Edward Blair assesses the impact of the regime’s relocation to Naypyidaw on the future identity of Rangoon. |
 Rangoon Bets on Business While the dust has yet to settle in Burma’s new capital, Rangoon stands at a crossroads. Clive Parker reports on developments that indicate the former capital will remain the country’s commercial hub. |
 A Capital Error The Burmese government has at considerable expense carved a new capital out of the jungles of central Burma. Aung Lwin Oo considers the cost—politically, socially and economically—of a move that many in the country and beyond its borders call reckless and bizarre. |
 Japan's Burma-Watchers While many Japanese non-governmental organizations provide humanitarian and developmental aid in Burma, Neil Lawrence reports that a growing number of pro-democracy advocates feel the country’s position on Burma needs to be more politically focused. |
 Arakan Goes Mobile In one of Burma’s most oppressed and poor regions, a flourishing black-market trade in Bangladeshi mobile phones has taken root. Clive Parker looks at the cross-border trade in cell phones that has started to connect Arakan State to the outside world, and the Burmese authorities’ attempts to clamp down. |
 Out of Sight, Not Mind Restlessness in Indonesia’s Papua provinces is indicative of the difficulties that many Southeast Asian nations face in dealing with ethnic uprisings. John McBeth analyzes the violence in Papua in the context of other insurgencies in Burma, Thailand and Vietnam. |
 The End of the Beginning While the political crisis in Thailand engendered by widespread anti-Thaksin sentiment seems to have passed, Dan Smith suggests that Thaksin’s departure as prime minister may be only the beginning of the story. |
 Let the People Speak Anti-Thaksin protesters in Bangkok have been characterized by many in the western press as undemocratic. Bruce Kent counters that such movements are the right of all citizens who feel that their leaders pose a threat to democratic institutions. |
 Art in Captivity In the depths of Burma’s horrid jails, political prisoners transform their suffering into art. Yeni reports this month on the ways in which the country’s captive artists transcend their boundaries. |
 Fictional Travel in Real Burma In her latest book, novelist Amy Tan leads her readers on a surreal journey through military-ruled Burma. Edith Mirante reviews Saving Fish from Drowning, the story of a quirky group of travelers who confront head-on the miseries of the country’s authoritarian regime. |
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