| Editorial_October 2006 |
The Irrawaddy’s Clive Parker reports from inside Burma’s new capital that the expensive, and perhaps unnecessary, relocation is proving to be far more costly than the generals might have expected. |
Aung Zaw looks at Burma’s recent capital relocation in terms of the country’s social and cultural history, as well as previous moves under Burma’s past monarchs. |
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Aung Lwin Oo considers whether the Security Council can provide the UN with the necessary means to trigger democratic reform in Burma. |
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Burma’s political prisoners have suffered years of oppression behind the walls of the country’s sordid prisons. Kyaw Zwa Moe speaks with former prisoners and discovers that the problems don’t always end with their release. |
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Gems provide Burma’s military government with much-needed profits. But Yeni reports that the country’s rich gem crops are increasingly being smuggled to foreign markets. |
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Internet restrictions have been an unfortunate reality of online life in Burma. But Clive Parker looks at recent efforts to bypass internet censorship and finds that the junta may be losing its grip on the net. |
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The sprawling Indawgyi Lake has been a vital natural resource for Kachin State. Khun Sam reports that this wildlife heritage site is now being plundered by the junta and foreign investors. |
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The rush of excitement over September’s coup in Bangkok has passed. Kavi Chongkittavorn examines what Thailand’s military rulers need to do to preserve the peoples’ good will. |
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Burmese literature has in the past served as a barometer of political will and a vehicle for cultural identity. Khin Maung Soe reveals that contemporary writing has lost touch with its historical roots. |
 Burma’s Lost World Bertil Lintner reviews The Naga of Burma: Their Festivals, Customs and Way of Life, one of the few works to examine the traditions of this little-studied Burmese minority, by J D Saul, with photographs by Dominique Viallard. |
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Thailand’s military coup in September was initially well-received by a population weary of Thaksin’s extravagant and autocratic reign. Dan Smith reports that doubts are starting to surface. |
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| • News in Brief |
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