Burma's junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe reportedly worries about possible assassination attempts against him these days, say military intelligence sources.
Only two junta proxy parties will contest for constituencies in Naypidaw in the upcoming election as opposition parties say they cannot hope to win there because most of the voters work for the government.
Thein Sein orders government employees to vote for the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party as the government's pro USDP electioneering goes into overdrive.
National reconciliation and ethnic self-determination are two sides of the same coin, and they must be addressed in the new parliament and in regional and state parliaments.
One day in March 1988, when I was a third year student at the Rangoon Arts and Science University, the noise of loud shouting reached our classroom from the recreation center.
New Delhi’s Shame
India's pragmatic concerns allowed Burma's Snr-Gen Than Shwe to besmirch its national icon and a hallowed Buddhist shrine.
Mr. Beard Breaks Away
Col. Saw Lah Pwe led a major defection of DKBA troops. Now the remaining DKBA leaders must choose between their business interests and fellow Karen, writes SAW YAN NAING.
Boom or Bust? ALEX ELLGEE reports that the Burmese junta is moving ahead with the Myawaddy special economic zone, which may or may not benefit the DKBA.
Parting with the Past
The Irrawaddy spoke with THAN NYEIN, the chairman of the National Democratic Force party, and with SAI AIK PAO, the chairman of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party.
Can the Opposition Remain Relevant? MIN ZIN argues that the opposition in Burma should be measured both in terms of the public support it draws and its ability to achieve both its intermediate and ultimate goals.
There’s No Place Like Naypyidaw
Photojournalist MYAT MOE MAUNG captures the look and feel of the Burmese junta's new capital.
Explosive Uncertainty
A series of bombings earlier this year in Burma has revived memories of similar incidents in the past. WAI MOE asks whether they could also foreshadow the shape of things to come?
Fighting for Scraps
While the junta-backed USDP gorges itself on the assets and membership of its predecessor, BA KAUNG reports that small parties are scrambling for funds and ducking surveillance.
Prostration and Diplomacy
Snr-Gen Than Shwe made a pilgrimage to India in search of bilateral accords, development aid, legitimacy and atonement. He got at least some of what he was after, writes ZARNI MANN.
Rangoon’s Road Worriers HSAT LINN looks at the mean streets of Burma's crumbling former capital, which make residents' daily commute a constant source of trepidation.
Free Trade, Disputed Waters
China and Asean have put in place a free trade agreement and an investment fund, but disputes over the Mekong River and the South China Sea remain, SIMON ROUGHNEEN reports.
CULTURE
Protecting the ‘Dear Leader’
A Burmese biographer's book about Kim Jong Il raises the ire of Pyongyang's embassy in Rangoon.
BOOK REVIEW
Dignity in Distress JIM ANDREWS reviews “Nine Thousand Nights, Refugees from Burma: a People's Scrapbook.”
THE BACK PAGE
Burmese Band Rocks SEA
Out of 3,000 bands from Southeast Asia, a Burmese rock band reaches the final 30 in a competition sponsored by AirAsiaRedTix.com and MTV Asia.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
One day in March 1988, when I was a third year student at the Rangoon Arts and Science University, the noise of loud shouting reached our classroom from the recreation center.
New Delhi’s Shame
