New Mandala

Since the March-May 2010 incident, publications on Thai politics and history have become livelier than ever. Among these, the National Library of Australia has recently made a number of acquisitions that will be of interest to New Mandala readers. Two notable volumes published in 2012 are Wasana Nanuam’s กูคือป๋า ข้าชื่อเปรม : อมตะแห่งป๋าเปรม [I am Pa, [...]

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2009 was the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous “Red Prince” Souphanuvong, president of the Lao PDR until 1986, and Advisor of Communist Party’s Central Committee Party until his passing in 1995. Such centenaries are auspicious times in Lao culture, and consequently there have appeared several biographies of the “beloved leader”. Featured here [...]

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The release of over 6000 prisoners from jails in Burma last week, including over a hundred prisoners of conscience, attracted a lot of news internationally. Many reports gave an impression that the amnesty was an exceptional event. In fact, governments in Burma, or Myanmar, have long issued amnesties, as a variety of publications in the [...]

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The period from June to August 2011 was undeniably historic for Thai politics, especially Thailand electing her first female prime minister. We have put together here a collection of covers from various Thai magazines of the period. These covers, with their images and captions, communicate the boldly diverse attitudes of the political factions vying for [...]

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In 1988, during the last months of the Burma Socialist Programme Party’s rule, Brigadier General (Retired) Aung Gyi (pictured above as a young officer; photo taken from a recently published book of interviews with Myat Khaing) wrote a series of letters to General/U Ne Win about the economic crisis, the need for change, and the [...]

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In April-May we have received a range of publications that we feel will be of interest to New Mandala readers. Selected 6 titles are presented with cover images. The first is น้าเล่นไฟ (Nam len fai) by longstanding and well known novelist, กฤษณา อโศกสิน (Kristsana Asoksin). The novel won the Outstanding Fiction Award under the Outstanding [...]

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Here is some of the domestic news coverage of the March earthquake in Shan State, from Weekly Eleven, above, and Flower News, below. (Click on images to read/view full size.)

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The National Library of Australia is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of two new significant collections of research papers. “หมู่บ้าน … ไม่สงบ :  ภาพความรุนแรงภาคใต้ในมิติ ชาติ, นานาชาติ และอนาคต” ชัยวัฒน์ สถาอานันท์, บรรณาธิการ และหัวหน้าโครงการวิจัย (Village without peace:  Images of the southern conflict in three aspects — nation, outsiders, future / editor and head of research project, Chaiwat [...]

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The 25 February 2011 edition of Snap Shot journal contains a short article in which the new CEO of The Myanmar Times, Dr. Tin Tun Oo, takes issue with the reportage of some domestic news journals and international news bureaus on the criminal cases against his predecessor, Australian businessman Ross Dunkley. According to Snap Shot, [...]

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At the end of 2009 the Historical Research Department, Ministry of Culture, Naypyidaw, published a chronology of officially important events in the history of the country now known as Myanmar, beginning 405 million years ago and ending on 30 December 2008. The two-volume chronology, which uses the Roman calendar, is among new acquisitions at the [...]

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Viewers of MRTV who have trouble seeing the body parts of rap or rock singers clearly need not adjust their sets or eyeglasses. Exposed biceps and earlobes may from time to time appear smudged, so as to protect the viewing public from unsightly tattoos and men’s earrings. For overworked censors, the good news is that [...]

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