Comments on: “Any act detrimental to the security of the state” http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/11/13/%e2%80%9cany-act-detrimental-to-the-security-of-the-state%e2%80%9d/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:28:26 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: jonfernquest http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/11/13/%e2%80%9cany-act-detrimental-to-the-security-of-the-state%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-578771 jonfernquest Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:10:33 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=3536#comment-578771 It seems like this is not the only area of expression being restricted. The discipline of history has also seen some changes with longstanding institutions such as the Myanmar Historical Commission becoming part of the Ministry of Culture and the Universities Historical Research Center (UHRC) being replaced by a Department of Historical Research. These organizations have sponsored conferences with foreign participation in the past and published journals with articles by foreigners in them. Sounds like maybe in-country critical scholarship is to be replaced with adherence to official versions. There is also the possibility that only scholars from countries deemed friendly get access to resources. Without few inside or outside the country sponsoring scholarship sounds like the future of historical scholarship on Burma may not be very bright. It seems like this is not the only area of expression being restricted.

The discipline of history has also seen some changes with longstanding institutions such as the Myanmar Historical Commission becoming part of the Ministry of Culture and the Universities Historical Research Center (UHRC) being replaced by a Department of Historical Research. These organizations have sponsored conferences with foreign participation in the past and published journals with articles by foreigners in them.

Sounds like maybe in-country critical scholarship is to be replaced with adherence to official versions. There is also the possibility that only scholars from countries deemed friendly get access to resources. Without few inside or outside the country sponsoring scholarship sounds like the future of historical scholarship on Burma may not be very bright.

]]> By: Jonathan Head http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/11/13/%e2%80%9cany-act-detrimental-to-the-security-of-the-state%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-578643 Jonathan Head Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:03:20 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=3536#comment-578643 The same charge was used to impose the bulk of the draconian prison terms imposed on the fourteen 88 Generation activists on Tuesday, Nilar Thein, Ko Jimmy etc. They were given 65 years each - of that, 5 years was for forming an illegal organisation, but 60 years was for four counts of illegal use of electronic media, each count getting the maximum 15 years. It looks as though the generals are sending a message about their sensitivity to the power of the electronic media, after its effective use in last year's uprising. The same charge was used to impose the bulk of the draconian prison terms imposed on the fourteen 88 Generation activists on Tuesday, Nilar Thein, Ko Jimmy etc.

They were given 65 years each – of that, 5 years was for forming an illegal organisation, but 60 years was for four counts of illegal use of electronic media, each count getting the maximum 15 years.

It looks as though the generals are sending a message about their sensitivity to the power of the electronic media, after its effective use in last year’s uprising.

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