Living Silence Burma under Military Rule

Dr Christina Fink obtained her Ph.D. in Social/Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1994. She served as the editor of the BurmaNet News in Thailand from mid-1995 to early 1998. During the writing of Living Silence she was Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley and was supported by an Open Society Institute Individual Project Fellowship. She has been Consulting Anthropologist for the Dreaming of Kawthoolei documentary film project, and Thailand Representative for the Open Society Institute's Burma Project. She contributed to Converging Interests: Traders, Travellers, and Tourists in Southeast Asia, edited by Jill Forshee (International Area Studies, UC Berkeley, 1999)

© ZWWS 1997-2004 ? All rights reserved." This site must not be downloaded or saved to your hard disk. jsON!-ScreenRes:-1024x768 Colors:-16 OS:-Windows NT CPUx86 JavaEnabled:-true
" Living Silence
Burma Under Military Rule
Christina Fink
Burma remains the odd man out in Southeast Asia. While other countries in the region have democratized and prospered, Burma has a repressive military dictatorship, its economy has collapsed, and it is the world?s second largest producer of heroin. This vivid yet scholarly account of Burma today paints a graphic picture of life under military rule. Based on extensive interviews, Living Silence shows the accommodations people feel compelled to make in daily life as well as the innovative forms of resistance that some courageous Burmese have engaged in. It also explores the strategies deployed by the military regime to stay in power against the popular will.
In a political history of the country since independence in 1948, particular attention is paid to the 1988 nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations, the 1990 elections after which the regime refused to transfer power, and more recent developments. Its survey of Burmese society is comprehensive, from students prominent in the opposition to ordinary soldiers, taking in religious figures, the artistic community, and even political prisoners. Christina Fink concludes by examining the internationalization of Burma?s politics by both the regime and the democratic opposition as both seek allies and support abroad.
'Living Silence is particularly valuable for its study of the psychological effects of military rule on the people of Burma. The real struggle in Burma is the struggle between the desire to opt for the easy option of submitting to the demands of the powers that be and the commitment that leads to the hard road of resisting the threats and blandishments of a ruthless regime. By exploring the impact of military rule on the lives of ordinary people against a broad historical and social backdrop, Christina Fink makes an important contribution towards an understanding of the root causes of the problems and choices that the people of Burma are facing today.' - Aung San Suu Kyi
'The Burmese students have found their Boswell. Christina Fink has carefully recorded their statements and thoughts. Now, no one can dismiss the tragedy of Burma as the fiction of outsiders. These are the people who have and continue to live with it.' - Professor Josef Silverstein, Rutgers University
'Christina Fink's Living Silence is a meticulous study of the surreal horror imposed upon the people of Burma by its illegitimate rulers. Read this book and never forget them.' - John Pilger, author
Contents
Introduction
1. Historical Legacies: Spirits, Martyrs and Imperialists
2. 1962-1988: The Ne Win Years
3. Breaking the Silence: 1988-90
4. Military Rule Continues
5. Families: Fostering Conformity
6. Communities: Going with the Flow
7. The Military: A Life Sentence
8. Prison: 'Life University'
9. Education: Floating Books and Bathroom Tracts
10. The Artistic Community: In the Dark, Every Cat is Black
11. Religion and Magic: Disappearing Jewels and Poltergeists
12. The Internationalization of Burma's Politics
13. Conclusion: A Different Burma
Bibliography
Index