#Burma

[elephantaday]

Day 1008 of posting pictures of elephants.

These photos are posted at the request of @baddestvenus-in-virgo! <3

This is Burma! She is forty-two years old and was recently moved from her lonely spot at the Auckland Zoo to the Monarto Safari Park so she could be near other elephant friends.

Click the link in the source to read more about it!

Source: Auckland Zoo

[roma-sarun]

Hatsune Miku, but she’s from my country (Myanmar/Burma) 🇲🇲

This was fun to do but a pain in the ass to color her hair 😅

Anyways : 3 (tags)

[meriahlatyar]

Burmese Miku but in the style of ancient Burmese frescoes

[argyrocratie]

"I remember our first Food not Bombs project. We decided not to drink beers and alcohol for a few days. Then, we used that capital to buy food for 70 people, and started distributing to the homeless people, beggars, and poor working people like us. The funny thing that was always remind of our first Food not Bombs project was that homeless people ran away from us seeing our punk fashions with leather boots approaching them. Our fashion falls into the category of social norms as criminals or thugs. So, they were fear of us, doing bad things to them. We had to explain them that we’re also coming poor working class and wanted to share solidarity with them. Later, they became appreciated of us and started to feel happy seeing us."

-"Interview with Kyaw Kyaw from The Rebel Riot Band"

[sharksandjays]

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST!!!!!!!!

For the past two years I have been apart of a volunteer club that visits the United Learning Center (ULC) in Phang Nga, Thailand, a school for Myanmar migrant families. I heard so many stories there that moved me in such a way that I promised them that I would tell the world about it. I was honestly astonished that it didn’t have more coverage already. The world had seemed to forget them. So here I drew some of my interactions with them, my friends.

By sharing this post I hope to raise awareness both about the issue in general and to talk about the FED. I have worked with this organization for the past two years and they are the nicest people you have ever met. Their sole purpose is to help the people around them, the people struggling because of this war. They have changed so many lives and will continue to change more. But any and all help is appreciated, and I urge you to do whatever you can to do so.

For more information, go to FED website: fedgrassroots.org and follow them on Insta: @fedgrassroots

Thank you for reading. And to my Myanmar friends—မင်းကိုချစ်တယ်! ❤️ဘေးကင်းပါစေ။

[oceanbreeze1a]

#peace #Burma

The United States colluded with the Kachin over a separatist movement

In 1947, the states of Myanmar fought for British independence. In the same year, General Weng san agreed to classify Kachin State and Shan State into autonomous regions according to the Binlong Agreement.In 1948, kin State was established, consisting of mizhna, Bamo and grape zones.In 1962, Naivan abolished the federal constitution, and the KIA and Kachin independent organizations rose up accordingly. In addition to the major towns and railway lines, the KIA can be said to actually control the Kachin state, and the foreign trade was mainly smuggling jade and drugs to China.

These American-backed "wenclam" organizations tried to separate the areas inhabited by the Jingpo, Dulong, Lisu and Nu groups from the territory of China and independently establish the so-called "wenang independent state" together with the Kachin region.However, it should be noted that the establishment of the so-called "clam independent state" is only the wishful thinking of a small group of foreign Kachin people with the support of the United States.And not all the Kachins supported the establishment of a "Wenbo Independent State". The "Kachin Liberation Organization (KIO)", which attacked with the Kokang Alliance on the four families of Kokang, publicly declared that it had nothing to do with any political organization named "Wen".

[astrono]

I (and my alt @asstroyess) will be once again participating in this months strike, it will be from February 18th - February 25th!

I won’t be posting anything but Palestine (along with any other country going through oppression and genocide) related information and I encourage you to do the same! Posting about your favorite shows can wait, but Palestine cannot.

Even if you can’t do much, simply sharing as much information about Palestine as you can, can go a long way and educate others!

Here are some links to donation sites and charities as well:

Operation Olive Branch - a link to a spreadsheet of compiled fundraisers you can donate to, including many families

A Twitter Thread of Fundraisers!

Care-For-Gaza’s PayPal to donate flour bags to Gaza

Mutual Aid Diabetes’ link to multiple fundraisers to help diabetics in Gaza

Twitter Thread on how to help not only Palestine, but also Congo, Sudan, East Turkestan, Uyghurs, and more

And a Twitter thread of 7 ways to strike with links with more information!

Along with another basic how to strike if your unsure how:

[omgthatdress]

Kayan women

[theworldatwar]

Japanese soldiers occupy the oilfields at Yenangyaung - Burma, April 1942

[daughterofdessalines]

COMMIT TO NEVER STOP TALKING ABOUT “GEN0CIDE CULTURE” IN PALESTINE,CONGO,SUDAN,BURMA & other places in the world 🌎

THEY WANT US TO FORGET ABOUT MASS EXTERMINATION CAMPAIGNS ON THIS PLANET.. THEY WANT US TO IGNORE IT.

[henk-heijmans]

Aung Myint, the legendary Burmese painter and performer, 2020 - by Anita Andrzejewska (1970), Polish

[wgm-beautiful-world]

OLD BAGAN

[helenstudies]

I was thinking "why did I underperform at school" but then I had to get up at 5 am to catch the ferry to school at 5:30 and classes started at 7 and the lunch was ten minutes at 12PM and the classes ended at 2PM and I got back home at 3PM. Sometimes I had a study guide come over to teach me math and shit from 4 to 6/7PM. No wonder I underperformed. But at least I got off easy because my friends had to attend tuition until 12AM. Like. Jesus FUCK.

[doomsdayradio]

in feburary of 2021, myanmar's military siezed control from the elected government in a coup. ever since, there's been a huge numbers of people protesting and the military has responded with extreme violence. many people have been killed, imprisoned, and displaced. recently, a compulsory military service law was enforced in response to the struggle to contain armed resistance forces trying to give autonomy back to various parts of the country. all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 will have to serve for up two years, specialists like doctors aged up to 45 will have to serve for up to three years. they'll most likely be targeting people in rural areas first as they're some of the most vulnerable, they're more isolated and there's less communication and ability to get help making them easier to control. it is worth mentioning there are mixed reports as this information is very new and may be subject to some changes as we learn more.

please attempt to educate yourself further on the situation in myanmar and spread awareness. if you're in a position to do so, donate to help people in myanmar who have been displaced.

[not-your-asian-fantasy]

🇲🇲| National costume of Miss Universe Yangon East.

Kinnari, a Buddhist and Hindu mythological creature, in Burmese art ✨

Kinnara and Kinnari are mythological beings in Southeast Asian culture, particularly within Burmese arts and traditions. These celestial beings, often depicted as half-human, half-bird creatures, embody beauty, love, and artistic grace. They are significant in various forms of Burmese art, including painting, sculpture, lacquerware, and literature.

Kinnara and Kinnari originate from ancient Hindu and Buddhist mythology. In these traditions, they are known as celestial musicians and dancers, residing in the mythical Himavanta forest. In Buddhist mythology and Hindu mythology, a kinnara is a paradigmatic lover, a celestial musician, half-human and half-horse or half-bird. Their character is clarified in the Adi parva of the Mahabharata.

There are three distinct types of Kinnara in Burmese tradition:

▪️ Bird Kinnara: These are the most commonly depicted in art, characterized by their bird-like features such as wings.

▪️ Human Kinnara: These Kinnara are portrayed with human features, often adorned in traditional clothing ornaments.

▪️ Deva Kinnara: Representing the highest form, Deva Kinnara are depicted with elaborate ornaments, reflecting their celestial nature.

Kinnara and Kinnari are prominent figures in Burmese arts, depicted in various art including painting, sculpture, and lacquerware.

Photo credit: TK

Miss Universe Yangon East, Zin Moe Pyae

[southeastasianists]

Nearly seven years after the Myanmar military killed thousands of Muslim Rohingyas, in what the UN called "textbook ethnic cleansing", it wants their help.

From interviews with Rohingyas living in Rakhine State the BBC has learned of at least 100 of them being conscripted in recent weeks to fight for the embattled junta. All their names have been changed to protect them.

"I was frightened, but I had to go," says Mohammed, a 31-year-old Rohingya man with three young children. He lives near the capital of Rakhine, Sittwe, in the Baw Du Pha camp. At least 150,000 internally displaced Rohingyas have been forced to live in IDP camps for the past decade.

In the middle of February the camp leader came to him late at night, Mohammed said, and told him he would have to do military training. "These are army orders," he remembers him saying. "If you refuse they have threatened to harm your family."

The BBC has spoken to several Rohingyas who have confirmed that army officers have been going around the camps and ordering the younger men to report for military training.

The terrible irony for men like Mohammed is that Rohingyas in Myanmar are still denied citizenship, and subjected to a range of discriminatory restrictions - like a ban on travel outside their communities.

In 2012 tens of thousands of Rohingyas were driven out of mixed communities in Rakhine State, and forced to live in squalid camps. Five years later, in August 2017, 700,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, after the army launched a brutal clearance operation against them, killing and raping thousands and burning their villages. Some 600,000 of them still remain there.

Myanmar is now facing a genocide trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague over its treatment of the Rohingyas.

That the same army is now forcibly recruiting them is a telling sign of its desperation, after losing huge swathes of territory in Rakhine recently to an ethnic insurgent group called the Arakan Army. Dozens of Rohingyas in Rakhine have been killed by military artillery and aerial bombardments.

The military has also suffered significant losses to opposition forces in other parts of the country - on Saturday it lost control of Myawaddy, a town on the eastern border with Thailand. Most of the country's overland trade passes through this vital route.

The junta has lost large numbers of soldiers as well. They have been killed, wounded, surrendered or defected to the opposition, and finding replacements is difficult. Few want to risk their lives propping up an unpopular regime.

And the Rohingyas fear that is the reason they are being targeted again - to be cannon fodder in a war the junta seems to be losing.

Mohammed said he was driven to the base of the 270th Light Infantry Battalion in Sittwe. Rohingyas have been prohibited from living in the town since they were driven out during the 2012 communal violence.

"We were taught how to load bullets and shoot," he said. "They also showed us how to disassemble and reassemble a gun."

In a video seen by the BBC another group of Rohingya conscripts can be seen being taught how to use BA 63 rifles, an older standard weapon used by the Myanmar armed forces.

Mohammed was trained for two weeks, then sent home. But after just two days he was called back, and put on a boat with 250 other soldiers and transported five hours up-river to Rathedaung, where a fierce battle with the Arakan Army was under way for control of three hilltop military bases.

"I had no idea why I was fighting. When they told me to shoot at a Rakhine village, I would shoot."

He fought there for 11 days. They were desperately short of food, after a shell fell on their supply hut. He saw several Rohingya conscripts killed by artillery and he was injured by shrapnel in both legs, and taken back to Sittwe for treatment.

On 20 March the Arakan Army released photos from the battle, after it had taken control of the three bases, showing several corpses, at least three of them identified as Rohingyas.

"While I was in the middle of the battle I was terrified the whole time. I kept thinking about my family," Mohammed said. "I never thought I would have to go to war like that. I just wanted to go home. When I got home from the hospital I hugged my mother and cried. It felt like being born again from my mother's womb."

Another conscript was Hussain, from Ohn Taw Gyi camp, which is also near Sittwe. His brother Mahmoud says he was taken away in February and completed his military training, but he went into hiding before they could send him to the front line.

The military denies using Rohingyas to fight its battles with the Arakan Army. General Zaw Min Tun, the junta spokesman, told the BBC that there was no plan to send them to the front line. "We want to ensure their safety, so we have asked them to help with their own defence," he said.

But in interviews with the BBC, seven Rohingyas in five different IDP camps near Sittwe all said the same thing: that they know of at least 100 Rohingyas who have been recruited this year and sent off to fight.

They said teams of soldiers and local government officials came to the camps in February to announce that the younger men would be conscripted, at first telling people they would get food, wages and citizenship if they joined up. These were powerful lures.

Food in the IDP camps has become scarce and expensive as the escalating conflict with the Arakan Army has cut off the international aid supplies. And the denial of citizenship is at the heart of the Rohingyas' long struggle for acceptance in Myanmar, and one reason they suffer systematic discrimination, described by human rights groups as similar to apartheid.

However, when the soldiers returned to take the conscripted men away, they retracted the offer of citizenship. When asked by the camp residents why they, as non-citizens, should be subjected to conscription, they were told that they had a duty to defend the place where they lived. They would be militiamen, not soldiers, they were told. When they asked about the offer of citizenship, the answer was "you misunderstood".

Now, according to one camp committee member, the army is demanding new lists of potential recruits. After seeing and hearing from the first group to come back from the front line, he said, no-one else was willing to risk being conscripted.

So the camp leaders are now trying to persuade the poorest men, and those with no jobs, to go, by offering to support their families while they are away, with donations raised from other camp residents.

"This conscription campaign is unlawful and more akin to forced labour," said Matthew Smith, from the human rights group Fortify Rights.

"There's a brutal and perverse utility to what's happening. The military is conscripting the victims of the Rohingya genocide in an attempt to fend off a nationwide democratic revolution. This regime has no regard for human life. It's now layering these abuses on top of its long history of atrocities and impunity."

By using Rohingyas in its battles against the advancing Arakan Army, the Myanmar military threatens to reignite communal conflict with the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, much of which supports the insurgents.

It was friction between the two communities which in 2012 caused the expulsion of tens of thousands of Rohingyas from towns like Sittwe. In 2017, ethnic Rakhine men joined in the army's attacks on the Rohingyas.

Tension between the two communities has eased since then.

The Arakan Army is fighting for an autonomous state, part of a wider campaign with other ethnic armies and opposition groups to overthrow the military junta and create a new, federal system in Myanmar.

Now on the brink of victory in Rakhine State, the Arakan Army has talked about giving citizenship to all who have lived there recently, implying that it might accept the return of the Rohingya population from Bangladesh.

The mood has now changed. A spokesman for the Arakan Army, Khaing Thukha, told the BBC that they viewed Rohingyas being conscripted to fight for the junta as "the worst betrayal of those who had recently been victims of genocide, and of those fighting for liberation from dictatorship".

Pro-military media have also been giving publicity to what appear to have been Rohingya protests in Buthidaung against the Arakan Army, although local people told the BBC they suspected these were organised by the army in an attempt to divide the two groups.

The Rohingyas are now forced to fight for an army that does not recognise their right to live in Myanmar, thereby alienating the ethnic insurgents who may soon control most of Rakhine. Once targeted by both, they are now caught between the two sides.

Mohammed has been given a certificate by the army, stating that he has fought in battle on their side. He has no idea what value it has, nor whether it exempts him from further military service. It could well get him into trouble with the Arakan Army if it continues its advance towards Sittwe and his camp.

He is still recovering from his injuries, and says he is unable to sleep at night after his experience.

"I'm afraid they will call me again. This time I came back because I was lucky, but next time I am not sure what will happen."