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Burma! Myanmar? BURMA!

2009-05-18 · John · watch on YouTube · World affairs · news analysis

John explains Burma's decades of military rule, from Ne Win's superstitions to Aung San Suu Kyi's annulled 1990 election win and house arrest, and argues that after her arrest over John Yettaw's swim, Burma's neighbours, especially India, must press the junta to reform.

What is said

00:00:18 — Burma's background: geography, colony, democracy, 1962 coup; why John says Burma, not Myanmar

  • ★ John says Burma is a Southeast Asian nation bordering Thailand, China and India. — 00:00:24 · China
  • ★★ John says Burma, a former British colony, became independent in 1948, had a British-style democracy until 1962 and was then the wealthiest nation in Southeast Asia. — 00:00:28
  • ★★★ John says a 1962 military coup began 47 years of military rule that left Burma one of the poorest and most oppressive places in the world. — 00:00:36
  • ★★ John observes that what follows the words 'there was a military coup' is generally pretty bad, and jokes about sending militaries a memo that coups are bad. (playful) — 00:00:40
  • ★★ John says Burma's military rulers renamed the country Myanmar in 1989, and many people now use that name. — 00:00:59
  • ★★ John refuses to say Myanmar because the junta chose it: if a US military junta renamed his country, he would not want others to use the new name. (playful) — 00:01:04 · United States

00:01:22 — Ne Win's superstitions, the 1988 protests, the ignored 1990 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel and house arrest

  • ★★ John says Ne Win, the first military ruler, bathed in dolphin blood to stay young and tried to switch Burma's currency to base 9, his lucky number. — 00:01:22
  • ★★ John says Ne Win resigned in 1988 on the astrologically auspicious date 8/8/88, after which huge student protests broke out. — 00:01:41
  • ★★★ John says the Burmese government responded to the 1988 protests by killing more than 10,000 protesters. — 00:01:52
    • number check: more than 10 000 — doubtful
  • ★★★ John says protest leader Aung San Suu Kyi won the 1990 elections the junta agreed to under international pressure, but the military refused to honour the result. — 00:02:00
  • ★★★ John says Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize the next year and has spent most of the last twenty years under house arrest in her lakefront house. — 00:02:19
  • ★★ John says Burmese people see Aung San Suu Kyi as Indians see Gandhi, and she is so popular the generals are scared of killing her. — 00:02:31

00:02:42 — John Yettaw's swim, Suu Kyi's arrest, and the call for neighbours (India) to pressure Burma

  • ★★★ John says American John Yettaw flew to Burma and swam to Suu Kyi's lakefront house, where she let him recover; he was caught leaving. Her house arrest bars foreign visitors. — 00:02:46
  • ★★★ John says Aung San Suu Kyi has now been arrested and faces 5 years in prison for violating the terms of her house arrest. — 00:03:05
  • ★★★ John argues Burma's neighbours let the junta get away with it; China won't care about human rights, but India must press harder, or Burma won't be led by its Gandhi. — 00:03:16 · China

00:03:35 — Plugs: questions for Tuesday, Sydney event on June 3

  • ★ John tells Nerdfighters he will answer their questions on Tuesday and asks them to leave questions in comments. — 00:03:35 · Nerdfighteria, Question Tuesday
  • ★★ John tells Australian Nerdfighters he will appear in Sydney on June 3rd; booking information is in the sidebar. — 00:03:40 · Nerdfighteria

Humor (significant)

  • Noting coups tend to end badly, John wonders about informing the world's militaries. — 00:00:46 > «explaining to them that, uh... 'coup-ing' is bad.»
  • To explain why he will not say Myanmar, John imagines a US military junta renaming America. — 00:01:11 > «the Democratic Socialist Republic of Poopyface Funnypants,»
  • After Aung San Suu Kyi wins the 1990 election, John voices the military. — 00:02:11 > «We didn't say that we would honour the results of those elections.»
  • John asks Hank if he knows what Burma's government gives you for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. — 00:02:19 > «House arrest.»

Threads in this video

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