The Oppressed People of Burma Essay -- Essays Papers

The Oppressed People of Burma Burma, like many other Southeast Asian nations, is a land of much culture and diversity of ethnic groups. Unfortunately, unlike the people of other nations, the people of Burma have been stripped of their human rights. Since the military junta had overtaken the Burmese government in 1988, the people of Burma have been among the most oppressed people in the world. The continuation of the government’s brutality has caught the attention of many outside nations around the world who increasingly have been intervening in Burma’s issues to help its people. As these occurrences are a major issue for the people of Burma, these problems are not restricted to its boundaries. They are also becoming a problem for some of Burma’s neighboring countries such as Thailand. With a quick look at current events, it is clear that the oppression of the native people in Burma is still in its most intensive state. But first, an introduction of Burma’s background will spark interest as to how a culturally rich country could turn into a land full of people in search of their basic human right -- freedom. Burma is considered the land of rice and teak wood, in addition to its being rich in many other natural resources. The official language is Burmese and the major religions include Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. A population of 49.5 million inhabits the land, in a 261,789 square mile area. The ethnic composition consists of the Burmans, the Shans, the Karns, the Mons, the Chins, the Kachins, as well as a significant population of Indians and Chinese who have migrated from their respective homelands. (Compton’s Encyclopedia) Three-quarters of the population live in rural areas. In recent decades, Burma has bee... ... Larry. â€Å"ASEAN under pressure to use its influence.† Bangkok Post. 15 May 2003. 21 May 2003. http://www.bangkokpost.com/150503_News/15May2003_news24.html Mydans, Seth. â€Å"Officials in Burma deny that dissident was hurt.† International Herald Tribune. 4 June 2003. 4 June 2003. http://www.iht.com/articles/98436.html Srivalo, Piyanart. â€Å"Drugs to top Thai-Burma talks.† Asian Tribune. 30 December 2003. 14 May 2003. http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=1745 Tammachatwichit, Tavorn. â€Å"The Pipeline.† 17 May 2003. http://www.ibiblio.org/freeburma/boycott/oil/pipeline2.html The Nation, â€Å"Door to shut on refugees.† Asian Tribune. 20 December 2002. 14 May 2003. http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=1748 Theparat, Chatrudee. â€Å"Thailand to unveil hub aim at summit.† Bangkok Post. 5 May 2003. 21 May 2003. http://www.bangkokpost.com/050503_Business/05May2003_biz45.html