What Our Readers Say

Sizing Up an Icon

Suu Kyi's principles might be noble and honourable, but at the end of the day, history will judge her by the consequences of her decisions. Unknowingly, she helped China to "virtually" invade Burma through her insistence on sanctions by Western countries. She never publicly asked China or other Asian countries, like Singapore, to follow the same strict rules. China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand were able to get monopolies on the natural resources of Burma. Moreover, China (together with North Korea and Russia) are the main suppliers of weapons for the military junta (and for the ethnic rebel armies!).
—Tocharian

Burma Army Tells Locals to Leave Myitsone Area

I wish the Burmese government would consider not only the environment, but also the return on an investment in the long run. If that area is reserved for nature and invested as a tourist attraction like the US's Grand Canyon National Park, I suppose it would become one of ASEAN's greatest attractions. The government should weigh up the costs and benefits of a Myitsone Dam against a Myitsone National Park. The question is: how do we want to shape our country? 
—Moe Thida

Burma's Exiled Media Calls for United Front

Amen to that. What a role call—Mizzima News, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press, Karen Information Center, Khonumthung News, Network Media Group, Independent Mon News Agency, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News, Kantarawaddy Times and Kachin News Group. A hundred flowers truly blossoming that must make us all proud, but—alas and to our shame—not on our native soil. Let us all look forward to that day when they can proudly represent our free media in all our splendid diversity.
—Moe Aung

Is Shwe Mann Trying to Steal Thein Sein's Reform Mantle?

Can't you see Thein Sein and Shwe Mann are not rivals? It's just a make-belief role play to fool observers. No matter how you look at it, there has been no change whatsoever.
—Hein Zaw

NLD Supporters Attacked in Naypyidaw

The country has to get rid of this deep-seated habit of bullying and bribing as the only method to do politics and business. If that continues, Burma is a long way from "freedom of fear", but more importantly, from abolishing the poverty of the vast majority (99%) of the population. If this rampant corruption and coercion does not end soon, "reform, democracy and opening-up" will be just empty rhetoric that the upper class (1%) can use to enrich themselves. Then there would be even more bullying and bribing than before.
—Tocharian

Training the Next Generation of Kachin Rebels

Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 May 2000: "States may accept volunteers from the age of 16." 

I joined the US Army when i just turned 17—nobody called me a child solider.
—Ryan Libre