Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group International Burma Studies Conference 2012 Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL, USA October 5-7, 2012 Number 89 & 90 Spring/Fall 2012 Dear Readers, conversations beyond what After a longer has, up to now, been a fairly Bulletin of the than expected small group of people. If hiatus of interest grows enough, we Burma Studies several can reconsider the decision to Group months, we publish only once a year. have now Southeast Asian Council I hope readers will find this new completed the Association for Asian Studies format to be more attractive latest issue of and interesting, one which you the Bulletin of the Burma Studies all will want to contribute to. Spring/Fall 2012 Group. I have taken over duties Eliciting contributions has been from Ward Keeler. For those a long-standing problem for the of you who do not know me, I Contents Bulletin, so I thought it might have been involved in Burma be useful to talk a bit about Studies since I began studying who we are and what we look Introduction the Burmese language in 1995. Patrick McCormick Pg. 2 for in the Bulletin. From what I have been living in Rangoon I have been able to see as the since 2006 and got a PhD in new editor and formerly as a From My Election Diary, history in 2010, but I have also March-April 2012 reader of the Bulletin for several been working there since 2008. Hans-Bernd Zollner Pg. 4 years, it appears that readers After some discussion, we have are the “usual suspects”: Those “Rohingya”, Rakhaing and decided that we can no longer of us who attend and present at the Recent Outbreak of Violence - the Burma Studies conferences A Note justify bi-annual publication Jacques P. Leider Pg. 8 given the time involved in held every two years either in preparing each issue and the DeKalb or abroad; academics involved in Burma Studies Myanmar 2011: A Photo Essay fairly small size of readership, Kinue Weinstein Pg. 12 which is currently under 150 as a field—the people in art, subscribers. To address our anthropology, ethnomusicology, International Burma Studies small readership and printing history, and linguistics, among Conference 2012: A Report expenses, not to mention the others, who present at Burma Lilian Handlin Pg. 14 waste of natural resources panels at meetings such as involved with printing on paper, of the Association for Asian Mawlamyaing Diary - In Search of we have decided to try a new Studies, or who have taught or Lao Speakers: A Trip to Mon State format for the Bulletin. I hope published related to Burma; Mathias Jenny/Patrick McCormick Pg. 16 to bring it in line with other and others in the US and similar publications, such as the abroad, particularly Britain, newsletters from the centers for who have some connection Southeast Asia Studies in the with Burma. While there have US. These are generally short, been subscribers who are in color publications, usually themselves in Burma, overall under twenty-five pages, made Burmese, especially those inside as PDF files, but which can the country, have not been very still be printed should readers involved. Is this the nature of choose to do so. Putting the the beast, that is, is something Bulletin online will also mean like a Burma Studies Group that it will have a potentially largely going to be of interest far wider readership, and thus to academics and other people we may be able to expand our overseas? While the curtailed 2 participation of Burmese people or contributions need not opening in Burma and there is inside the country has been be academic in the sense of again discussion of engagement understandable until quite the Journal of Burma Studies, with Burma and Burmese recently, is there more we could which is a peer-reviewed educational institutions. do to reach out to people inside academic journal. Rather, the the country? Bulletin can be a place for This Issue scholarly – perhaps better put as In the meantime, I’ve brought From what I have seen, the “informed”—discussion. Bulletin is one way for people in together some contributions the Burma Studies community When I have talked with some for your consideration. The to talk to each other, keep Burma Studies friends and most recent is the International each other informed of what colleagues, we have turned over Burma Studies Conference held they have been doing, and to ideas that have been discussed at Northern Illinois University learn about what others have more widely in outside society, in DeKalb, IL on October 5-7, been doing. Inevitably there not just academia, but which 2012. has been a strong emphasis people inside Burma Studies • Lilian Handlin gives us her on academics and language have not yet really taken up. thoughts on the most recent teaching and learning, which Some themes that have emerged Burma Studies Conference. reflects the reality of how that we might think about as a many of us have come to the group. I have alluded to some • Kinue Weinstein has Burma Studies Group. As part of these already – is Burma contributed a photo essay from of that role of the Bulletin, I Studies too focused on North a recent trip to Myanmar. would like to encourage some American academia? Are sustained conversations. We we aware of what’s going on • Hans-Bernd Zöllner has already have Michael Charney’s elsewhere in the world, as in contributed an essay on the by- Burma Research listserv, which Europe and Japan? What do we elections from January 2012. is a useful way to ask questions make of the fact that so many • Jacques Leider, a historian and elicit help or information. people in Burma Studies are of Burma who has specialized Other than that, there are some not from the country. Does in Rakhaing history, has websites like the New Mandala that matter? Yet again, does contributed an essay to help that combine aspects of being from the country grant us understand the situation of academia and journalism with someone a privilege or burden the Rohingya and the recent an element of the chat room, of representing the whole violence. offering articles with a space country? Some have asked, for postings from readers in what has academic inquiry done • Finally, I have contributed a reaction to the articles. for the people of Burma? To the short account of a recent trip last question, we could ask, is that Mathias Jenny and I took I see the Bulletin as falling academic inquiry meant to do in Mon State looking for Lao somewhere in between the something in the same way that speakers. two. As started under Ward an “intervention” in the sense I hope in future to generate Keeler’s tenure, I would like to used in the development world? build on themes: for example, more discussion from an ever- earlier issues had a number of I would like to think that these greater number of participants contributions from students discussions can indeed be and contributors, especially and teachers of the Burmese useful and interesting for all those in Asia and in Burma language asking them to tell us of us, not just those of us who itself. their stories of how they came are involved in academia in the Patrick McCormick to study the language and their traditional sense, especially now experiences. Our discussion that there appears to be some 3 From My Election Diary, March-April 2012 Hans-Brend Zollner From March 23rd to April 10th to cover (maybe 40, maybe 60) to assemble under the red this year, I visited Myanmar and how long the journey will banners of the NLD with the once again. The main purposes last (between one and a half fighting peacock emblem. of my visit were to investigate and three and a half hours). the possibility of holding a The chairmen of the township workshop on the Nagani Book “Us” and “Them” branch and local unit give Club, on which my Myanmar We drive westwards and after short speeches. With the Literature Project is based, and crossing three rivers and canals assistance of “our leader,” as to advertise my “Minesweeping on bridges the ruling junta Aung San Suu Kyi is always through Mindsweeping” built in recent years, and after called, a new era has begun. project, which aims to turning south and passing a Then a guest speaker elaborates compile a “people’s history” Shinbyu procession, we reach on the difference between of Myanmar acceptable to all Twante Township after about “old” and “new.” The times political and ethnic groups an hour’s drive. In the old days, of the “dictators (anashin)” in the country. Unavoidably, it took much longer. But that’s are over, the time of freedom the by-elections on April 1st no reason to be thankful to the and independence has come. I constituted another focus of Tatmadaw leaders: “They” just ask about the main difference the journey. The following are used “our” money. The same between the two kinds of some excerpts from my travel applies to the asphalt road we’re leadership. “We love our leader diary. They by no means give a using. Some green banners and hate the dictators” is the balanced account of the events inform the traveller that it answer. was built by the USDP, the and its meaning, but are merely Entering Aung San Suu Kyi- some of what I noticed. ruling party, with the financial assistance of a certain company. Country Saturday March 23rd The border between Twante In one of the villages of Twante and Kawhmu Townships is Pilgrimage to Watheinka Township, we notice a big red clearly marked.