Ask Lemmy

OK, here goes, everything I can think of. Probably forgetting some things or remembering them wrong. I'll put question marks around things I'm not sure of. Feel free to correct anything I get wrong.

• Burma / Myanmar: two different names derived from the same language but from different registers. "Myanmar" is from ¿the formal register? And "Burma" from ¿the informal register?
• Also related to "Bama", the main ethnic/linguistic group, who are traditionally Buddhist and speak a language that is part of the greater Sinitic-Tibeto-Burman group. Its own script (¿but related to Indic scripts?)
• Many Buddhist monks and nuns, ¿often not for life but for a shorter period? A few monks extreme ethno-nationalists, expressing / inciting hatred of ethnic minorities in public and on social media (Facebook).
• Lots of other ethnic groups around the edges of the country: Karen, Shan, Rohingya etc. Several long-running (like, since the 1940s) ethnic rebellions against the central Burmese state, often based in inland mountainous areas. These ethnic groups and rebels often finding refuge just across the border in Thailand, sometimes fleeing by boat to Bangladesh, India and Malaysia.
• History of wars with Siam (Thailand). ¿Powerful empire 11th to 18th centuries? War elephants!
• Bordered by Thailand to the east, China (¿Yunnan province?) to the north and Laos to the northeast; India and/or Bangladesh to the west, and the Bay of Bengal. Amazon Prime series Jack Ryan got the geography wrong (IIRC they claimed some "cove" (i.e. an inlet of sea or ocean) in the Shan state, which is up in inland mountains).
• Mandalay is a major city ¿and port? there. And the inspiration for a casino in Las Vegas.
• Coastal areas subject to cyclones, occasionally truly devastating.
• Former British colony, briefly united with British India. Eric Blair (George Orwell) worked there in the British colonial administration.
• Occupied by Japan during World War Two. British and some US forces fought against IJA there, inc Chindits and Joseph Stillwell. Lots of dense jungle warfare. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was set there, written by Pierre Boulle, the same author who wrote "The Planet of the Apes"!
• "Golden Triangle": Kuomintang forces exiled from China by Communist takeover established themselves in northern Burma and went into the opium growing business. The Triangle, I think a reference to the area where the borders of three countries meet: Burma, China and Laos. Later, that area became a centre of both legitimate cross-border trade, and transnational (often Chinese) organized crime: people-trafficking/slavery, scam call centres, smuggling, casinos etc.
• Aung Saan key leader in Burmese independence, assassinated. Father of Aung Saan Su Kyi.
• Since independence, mostly long periods of authoritarian, military control, often with a socialist bent. The military is often called the ¿Tatmadaw? Oppressive, ready to use violence against the people.
• Ne Win was one such military leader, Burmese of Chinese (¿Hakka?) ancestry.
• Occasional periods of democracy or almost-democracy (e.g. the military writes rules that favour themselves, like guaranteed seats in the legislature; ¿veto power on legislation?). Periods of democracy usually ended by violent action from the military.
• The Tatmadaw have dictated changes to names, flag, capital etc. "Burma" to "Myanmar", "Rangoon" to "Yangon". Moved capital from largest city Rangoon to ¿purpose-built? ¿Napidaw?
• Old flag a bit similar to and often confused with the flag of the Republic of China (Kuomintang, still used in Taiwan). Some people from Taiwan now bring the old Burmese flag to international sporting events that ban the Republic of China flag, e.g. the Olympics.
• Aung Saan Su Kyi long a leading figure in the democracy movement (NLD?). British husband. Spent long periods in exile and house arrest. The military wrote the rules to specifically exclude her ¿and her kids? from power e.g. 'no one with a foreign spouse or parent or children may become president'. So when she did "achieve power", she essentially governed through a proxy president. Subject of the film The Lady. Lost some favour outside of Burma when she seemed to be OK with the Tatmadaw's persecution of Rohingyas (Muslims accused of being Bangladeshi migrants).
• Latest coup... 2-3 years ago? (The yoga influencer with the coup happening live in the background!) Led by a general whose "business interests" were beginning to be threatened by the actions of the almost-democratic government. Tacit or open support for the coup from China and Russia (including ¿arms sales?), condemnation from the West. ¿China building/already built major port or naval base in Burma?
• Finally greater cooperation between mainstream Bama democracy supporters (especially younger ones, students) and the ethnic rebellions. Quite a lot of defections/surrender by Tatmadaw personnel to the rebels. Some battlefield successes for the rebels, including taking the major city in the Golden Triangle and freeing the slaves in the scam call centres. China maybe now more ambivalent: they prefer the pro-China authoritarians of the Tatmadaw but many/most of the victims liberated by the rebels were Chinese, and they want the Chinese gangs suppressed, which the Tatmadaw didn't do (¿too profitable?).

They have a different style of applying makeup.

https://www.google.com/search?q=myanmar+makeup&tbm=isch

1. Coup. Myanmar is currently under a military junta after the democratically elected leader was arrested by the military.

2. Civil war. As far as I remember, there was a lot of different factions fighting against the military regime.

3. It used to be called Burma.

4. The Democracy before wasn't exactly democratic. The military has 25% of the legislature which (i think) has somehow to do with blocking a supermajority required for constitutional changes (right?)

That's about all I know.

I know that it exists and is right next to china. Thats it

top gear special

yea that's pretty much it

The Royhinga genocide and military dictatorship

Didn't J. Peterman go there to find stuff for his catalog? (Seinfeld reference)

I’ve been there in the good between times in 2018 solo backpacking after quitting my job and buying a ticket to Vietnam with intention of finding a better country to live in. Loved it. The government only let tourists go to certain places so i couldn’t rent a motorcycle and go wherever like my usual travel style. The one i could was electric in bagan. Came from Chang Mai to mandalay, to bagan, then to inle lake then Yangon IIRC. The people, food , wats, and country was incredible. Given that i didn’t get off the tourist trail much I wish i had spent a lot more than ~2 weeks there. I think about these guys maybe late teens or early 20s i hung out with on a roof one day in mandalay and wonder what happened to them with this war. I support the toppling of the junta and watched intently via reddit Myanmar subs when it was starting and until i switched to Lemmy. On a lighter note I miss those handmade cigarettes.

It’s a fancy name for Burma.

Coups are national pastime.

They have a racism problem about as bad as any country on Earth.

The food is fantastic but not as good as Thai cuisine.

Isn't that where top gun is at... maybe that was miramar. Lol. Close enough.

Everything I know about Myanmar comes from this video: Honest Government Ad | Visit Myanmar!

My time in Northern Thailand made me want to explore over the border. It seems the closer we got to the more remote border regions the more beautiful the landscape became. Some of the Burmese food around Chiang Mai was amongst the best I've ever had. Kao Soi in particular, although maybe this is more Burmese influenced than actually Burmese?!

I know a bit of WWII era mythology about Burma.

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers

Perhaps Myanmar is somewhere near there.

But non-sarcastically, you are correct that Southeast Asia is a blind spot from the US that we really should know more about. You’d think a disastrous military intervention in the region would spur learning more but that doesn’t seem to have happened

I know so little about Myanmar, that I was fully expecting a John Oliver gotcha of "you're so unfamiliar with Myanmar, that you didn't even notice that's not Myanmar on the map! That's Bangladesh!" or something along those lines.

I know that the military government built a giant ghost city Napyidaw to act as the capital, including something like 8 lane roads for the almost-nobody who lives there.

Rambo 4 took place there.

Visited nearly 10 years ago. Visited Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin. I enjoyed the north, it was more relaxed. Watching the sunset from Mandalay Hill overlooking the Irrawady was amazing!

Surprised to learn of the ethnic diversity, something not talked about much.

Not very much outside of what's been mentioned here, could you tell us about your home country? What's it like? What do you wish people knew about Myanmar?

I’ve visited Myanmar for vacation some years before the last military coup. The people were so very friendly and welcoming, it was a real pleasure. I’d like to come back some day. It’s such a shame that the civil war broke out after the country has stabilized somewhat.

There's a really inspiring revolution ongoing. The journalist James Stout has been doing some excellent reporting on his patreon and on Cool Zone Media with his contacts in the rebel movement.

That I have to confirm access to all websites and services ran by my employer is blocked from there because of sanctions. I'm reminded of that every time we do a compliance check.

I was friends with one of the main branch of the Myiang family, one of the first Burmese families to take a Western last name. I also know that Burmese pythons aren't as scary as some people make them out to be. And that 'Crab Rangoon' has nothing to do with Yangon.

Oh, and that there's been a violent coup d'etat since about 3 years ago, and an oppressive, bloody genocide of the Rohingya population in the Rakhine state, which has been ongoing and unchecked through 2017. Cities have been destroyed, families have been murdered, and the world looks on without giving half a damn.

The dancing in front of the coup video came from there.

Next to nothing? Let's see:

• Wasn't/isn't there a civil war/coup that broke out like 2-3 years ago?
• 15 years ago there were problems with radical Buddhist groups going after Muslims.
• ...
• Age of empires 2 gave them Arambai as their unique unit, I think their unique techs were something forgettable with elephants and Manipur Cavalry, which increased attack boni of cavalry against buildings
• In EU4, that area is divided between Ava, it's Tributaries, and Pegu. I think modern Myanmar sees itself as the successor of one Ava tributary, that broke of and conquered/united the region. ~~Was in Hsinpaw?~~ (I was thinking of Taungu)

• Civil War (sadly)
• The nobel peace price winner who played a vital role transformating the country to a democracy, before the civil war happend. (Have to look up the name)
• The Royhinga genocide
• Lots of minorities and factions
• And the Top Gear special

Thailand bad ending.

It's capital has one of the widest roads in the world.

Facebook/Meta made itself to be the de facto method for accessing the internet in the region, and then refused to regulate its engagement-based algorithm as it fueled violence and unrest in the region

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/myanmar-facebooks-systems-promoted-violence-against-rohingya-meta-owes-reparations-new-report/

Facebook owner Meta’s dangerous algorithms and reckless pursuit of profit substantially contributed to the atrocities perpetrated by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya people in 2017, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

The Social Atrocity: Meta and the right to remedy for the Rohingya, details how Meta knew or should have known that Facebook’s algorithmic systems were supercharging the spread of harmful anti-Rohingya content in Myanmar, but the company still failed to act.

“In 2017, the Rohingya were killed, tortured, raped, and displaced in the thousands as part of the Myanmar security forces’ campaign of ethnic cleansing. In the months and years leading up to the atrocities, Facebook’s algorithms were intensifying a storm of hatred against the Rohingya which contributed to real-world violence,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

Also beautiful places

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2019/07/bagan-myanmar-photos/594985/

If you have a moment, do you have any foods from Burma that you would recommend we try someday?

With the full strength of my American education, here's what I've got:

I think it's in or near Asia?

(Of course my own ignorance is really my fault.)

Nothing really, unfortunately. I've seen this video on it, but forgot everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMaaUTWzv8U

The only thing I could tell of the top of my head is, that Russia recruits mercenaries there.

Not much beside it being a miltary dictatorship since the sixties and that it currently is in a state of civil war

Alas, very little good.

Civil war for the last few years, with China flooding the area with arms via the Wa, who've been de facto independent for a long time and the PRC's go between in the area.

Lots of ethnic groups and mostly continued interethnic violence and indepent movements for a long time. This is linked to the Rhoyinga (sp?) getting shunted into camps and pushed between countries.

Arakin Army is one of the big ones, along with the aforementioned Wa State.

China is now getting ready to send ground troops in, and set up favourable economic zones for Chinese economic imperial expansion.

Also famous for scam centres which have been the focus of Thai and Chinese authorities lately, and had been making money for criminals from those countries and paramilitary groups.

"It will always be Burma to me." - J. Peterman.

I know that it used to be called Burma. It is a former British colony. There are a lot of people that live there and there are a lot of pretty temples. that's about it really.

Before the British what did your country call itself? What is one fact about your country that you want everyone to know?

I live nearby and have never been but it sounds cool. like a lot of countryside and rice and dirt roads and people who are very friendly and nice and plus opium. coconut curry and shit

Honestly civil war sadly

Aside from being a military dictatorship in a civil war, I know that it has some very beautiful buddhist temples.

Very little. I know it's a military dictatorship and that there's been some sort of genocide going on there in recent years that people have alleged was fueled by information on Facebook. I know it used to be, and sometimes still is, called Burma, which is really just a different variation of the same name.