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12 Nov 2010 12:02

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World: Post-elections, Myanmar might set Aung San Suu Kyi (sorta) free

Now that the election’s over and the power is firmly in the military junta’s hands, long-house-arrested Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi may finally get (some) freedom. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Nov 2010 09:50

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World: In Myanmar/Burma, military’s stranglehold showed with election

  • 80% of all votes went to the military-aligned party source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Nov 2010 21:38

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World: Even Myanmar’s citizens think today’s elections are a sham

  • what Today’s elections in Myanmar (also called Burma) didn’t have very many voters, despite it being the military-controlled country’s first election in two decades.
  • why A lot of reasons, but one man put it like this: “Auntie Suu told us not to vote.” Despite her lengthy house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi still has hold in her country. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Nov 2010 20:15

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World: Myanmar (a.k.a. Burma) having (possibly democratic) elections

  • 29
    million     number of people who will be able to vote in tomorrow’s elections in Burma (also known as Myanmar)
  • 1.5
    million     number of those people who won’t be able to because it’s too dangerous for voting to take place
  • 50 number of years that Burma has been under depressing military rule
  • 20 number of years since the country had any sort of election (sham or not)
  • 3,000 candidates are vying for a seat in Sunday’s election source
  • » Critics say it’s a sham: Well, let’s see. Foreign journalists won’t be allowed in the country during tomorrow’s elections. Nor will independent observers. And the leader of the opposition party, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, is currently under house arrest and largely has been since the last election. Wonder what makes them think that this election is a sham.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2009 11:27

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World: John Yettaw’s free! Here’s the inevitable getting-off-plane pic

Yettaw (center), looks like he’s having a hard enough time walking right now, let alone swimming across a freaking moat. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2009 11:16

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U.S., World: Activists: Will Jim Webb’s visit to Myanmar actually bear fruit?

  • It’s too premature to say this is very positive. … It could break the ice.
  • Nyo Ohn Myint • A former aide of Aung San Suu Kyi, on whether Sen. Jim Webb’s meeting with the human rights activist will be of any use to Myanmar’s political climate, as well as personal tensions between Suu Kyi and Senior General Than Shwe. Webb, who supports easing sanctions on the country (also known as Burma), was the first major U.S. politician to meet Than Shwe. Activists say this could be a face-saving situation where the country doesn’t actually give anything up. Either way, at least he got John Yettaw home. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Aug 2009 20:32

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U.S., World: Jim Webb in Myanmar: We knew we always liked that guy

Sen. Jim Webb (with home-jailed activist Aung San Suu Kyi) proves in Myanmar what Bill Clinton did in North Korea: Diplomacy works. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Aug 2009 09:30

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U.S., World: Aung San Suu Kyi’s stupid visitor, John Yettaw, is getting released

  • Credit Sen. Jim Webb for the diplomatic work. John Yettaw, the out-of-shape American who swam across a moat to save Burmese human rights leader Aung San Suu Kyi but just made things worse, will be getting out of seven years of hard labor. It’s thanks to Webb, a Virginia senator who comes off as a miniature Bill Clinton in this context. While Yettaw gets out, there’s no word on Suu Kyi, who was sentenced by Myanmar to more house arrest in a decision that angered many. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2009 21:08

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World: There’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on in Asia, guys

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Jul 2009 11:54

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World: Aung San Suu Kyi is probably wishing he never got swimming lessons

  • eleven days until the closing arguments for jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial in Myanmar. She is widely expected to be found guilty.
  • five years that she could be put in jail – all for having an uninvited (and very determined) American swim to her lakeside home source
Posted by Nathalie Heiberg • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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