Shan Herald Agency for News |
- Burma Constitutional Debate: Two core crucial points to ponder
- Announcement of 'Consortium of Development Studies in Southeast Asia' (CDSSEA) Scholarships, Year 2014
- To Hopeland and Back (Part VIII)
| Burma Constitutional Debate: Two core crucial points to ponder Posted: 04 Mar 2014 01:48 AM PST By: Sai Wansai Friday, 28 February 2014  Sai Wansai So far as the first point is concerned, all know that the 2008 Constitution has been manipulated from the beginning of its formulation to the nationwide referendum, to be able to achieve the military supremacy stance in Burma political arena for as long as possible. And there is no denying that this is the core problem that needs to be addressed and tackled. The second point is whether the unitary presidential system, which is centrally controlled, is compatible to the people's desired genuine federal union, where political decision-making power is shared between the centre and the states. Amending a few paragraphs here and there is definitely not going to solve the political woes and accumulating, nationwide problems. Eventually, all the people residing within Burma would have to come up with a reality of formulating their own desired constitution and political system they aspired and not just amending the military-drafted constitution, a little here and there, so that the military won't be upset. The people concerned with the well-being of country should now try to think of replacing the military-driven vehicle with its own driver at the steering wheel, rather than just being passive passengers with no real say in plotting the journey and destination. |
| Posted: 04 Mar 2014 01:47 AM PST RE: Announcement of CDSSEA Scholarships for Applicants from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand Wishing to do a Master's Program in Development Studies at the Asian Institute of Technology, Chiang Mai University or Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, 2014 Dear Colleagues, The 'Consortium of Development Studies in Southeast Asia' (CDSSEA) is pleased to announce its offer of master's scholarships for the 2014 academic year to successful applicants from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. The CDSSEA program, which is comprised of the three leading development studies programs in Thailand, namely the MA in International Development Studies (MAIDS) at Chulalongkorn University, the M.Sc. in Gender and Development Studies (MGDS) at the Asian Institute of Technology and the MA in Social Science (Development Studies) (MASS) at Chiang Mai University, has been established with the aim of building leadership skills related to development studies among young and mid-career researchers in Southeast Asia - to strengthen the level of knowledge in the region regarding the regionalization of development and regional connectivity, in line with the emergence of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Under the CDSSEA, we offer scholarships to those who would like to further their study of development issues at one of the three programs mentioned above. Scholarships will be awarded to successful candidates from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam (CLMV) and Thailand. Please note that the deadline for CDSSEA scholarship application is 30 April, 2014. We would very much appreciate it if you could distribute this information to anyone who might be interested in applying for the scholarship, and have attached a brochure for your information. Please feel free to contact the CDSSEA Secretariat at: rcsd@cmu.ac.th or cdssea.cmu@gmail.com, or access our URL: http://rcsd.soc.cmu.ac.th for further queries. Yours sincerely, Dr. Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, Ph.D. RCSD Director CDSSEA Secretariat Consortium of Development Studies in Southeast Asia' (CDSSEA) c/o Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University 239 Huay Kaew Road, Tambon Suthep, Amphoe Muang, Chiang Mai 50200 Tel: 66-53-943595/6 Fax: 66-53-893279 e-mail: rcsd@soc.cmu.ac.th/ cdssea.cmu@gmail.com URL: http://rcsd.soc.cmu.ac.th CDSSEA booklet yr2014.pdf |
| To Hopeland and Back (Part VIII) Posted: 04 Mar 2014 01:43 AM PST Again I'm on my way to Taunggyi via Kengtung. The plane in Yangon Airways, flight YH 737. It seems to have raised its prices. In September I must have paid something like 69,000 kyat ($69). Now it's 77,200 kyat ($77). My Burmese cash has run out but fortunately the airport at Tachilek accepts Thai money. So I got away with it. All in all, I have been given a near VIP treatment by the officials from Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), Immigration and Military Affairs Security (MAS) until I'm at last seated in the plane. So I have only appreciation for that and nothing to complain. As usual, I'm up to my usual truck, when I'm on a plane, looking up for something to read. And I'm not disappointed, because there is a new in flight bi-annual magazine Swosone waiting for me, And there was a lot to read and kill time during my nearly 2 hour flight to Heho, known by Shans as Haiwo: about current Kachin situation, the current Pyu cities and the upcoming Kekku festival in Taunggyi, among others: The reader is reported that renewed fighting broke out between the two sides "after the Tamadaw tried to force the KIA (Kachin Independence Army) to withdraw from the site of the Depein Hydropower plant being built by a Chinese company." Only just short of saying that it was the Tatmadaw (government military) that violated the ceasefire. Luckily the publication may be getting away with it too. On Sriksetra, Hanlin and Vishnu (Aeikthano), long known as Pyu cities, the writer repants of the recently published "History of Myanmar since ancient times" written by Michael and Maitoii Aung-Thwin, who have argued that what is commonly called "Pyu period" should instead by referred to as the "urban" period, despite evidence the Pyu had their own language based on Sanskrit. Which reminds me of Mr Aung-Thwin once writing that the "Threi Shan Brothers" who became prominent during the late Pagan period were not Shans. Well, as my history teacher once said, history is about facts and who's telling the story. I just hope he got his facts right. A week from now, the Kekku festival celebrating the 2,000 small pagodas in Kekku, 42 km (26 miles) south of Taunggyi, is going to start. The writer says architectural style suggests that they were built in the 16th century. It did not say who built them. But it is likely that they were discovered by the PaO who are the dominant nationality in the area. Shans however say it was their cousins Tai Yan coming from the east who were the real originators of the Kekku pagodas. In fact, Shans in that area speak a dialect which is closer to the Tai Yan than the standard Shan, known as Tai Long. I was welcomed by an airport official U Soe Win Kyaw at Heho and my sister. It was an hour's drive from the airport to Taunggyi and the Taunggyi Hotel where I'll be making my home for at least 4 days. As we enter the city's center which looks busy, I ask my young assistant who is going to be my camerawomen throughout the media conference, 4-6 March, "Well, how do you feel? "I feel right at home now," she answers. She has been with SHAN for 5 years now. |
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