Society and Culture, global - general studies

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Websites/Multiple Documents

Description: Lots of Asian texts - somewhat Zen-slanted
Source/publisher: Terebess
Date of entry/update: 2015-03-28
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Hungarian
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Description: "The Bagan Empire was first to unify the territory of present-day Myanmar under Burmese language and culture, that grew into a world-renowned centre of Buddhist learning. Host Peter Lee learns how its fabled king, Anawrahta, overcame the dry conditions of his land by taming rivers into canals and weirs which are still used today. As a bigger harvest grew his population, Bagan was ripe for expansion, and Peter takes part in the traditional elephant dance that celebrates a Buddhist pilgrimage of King Anawrahta’s. While the Bagan king wished to turn Bagan into a new Buddhist state, Peter heads to a sacred mountain to see the battle that unfolded between Buddhism and Myanmar’s indigenous animist gods, called Nats. It's expansion transformed Bagan into a capital of diverse peoples, who each brought their own in founding a new Burmese culture and identity. And the legacy of its temple building still lives on in a strong faith that’s practiced among the Burmese people today. For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER! https://www.youtube.com/cnainsider ========================================================== About the series: Host Peter Lee explores the history of four Southeast Asian empires that made their mark on the world. Travelling from Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia to Indonesia, Peter explores ancient ruins, epic legends and vibrant traditions to chart the rise and fall of four distinct empires, and how their legacy still shapes cultures and identities in the region today..."
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Source/publisher: " CNA Insider" (Singapore)
2020-05-20
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Cotton and silk blouses, along with long flowing longyis, can accentuate a woman’s beauty and elegance. Many Myanmar chose their best dresses for the monastery, usually featuring carefully coordinated colours, jagged lines and patterns, floral motifs and the occasional frilly collar or cuff.
Description: "Some of the most elegant dresses are crafted from fine silk, but more and more women are choosing fabrics that have been coloured by natural dyes, with very different patterns. A new style of lady’s fashion has emerged, the so-called “eco-printed” dress. It is created with more pastel colours and floral or leaf-patterning. Ma Phyu Ei Thein, owner of Sunflower Art, an organic dye textile and crafts gallery, has been interested in Myanmar silk and cotton fabric since around 2006. She has noticed a change in the market, with an increased demand for the new designs and fabrics. During the early 2000s she spent some time overseas, exploring the fashion and production processes in other countries, before returning to Myanmar with some designs from Japan. Her idea was to introduce similar fabrics to local consumers, with a more local take on the designs. “We used a lot of poor quality chemical dyes before 2006 and, as a result, our products just weren’t up to international standards. The Japanese clients didn’t give us very good feedback,” said Ma Phyu Ei Thein..."
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Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-03-06
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar offers an impressive blend of culture and modern life. Unique music, dance, exciting festivals, delicious food, and beautiful traditional crafts along the cities bustling with activities define the way of life in this exciting and unexplored South Asian country. Myanmar has been at the cultural crossroads of Asia where amalgamation of ideas went hand in hand with exchange of material, giving rise to a distinctive cultural identity to the country. Buddhism, with its origin in India, found its way into Myanmar in the 1st Century CE and blended well with pre-existing non-Buddhist beliefs. The splendid architecture and sculpture of Myanmar’s numerous temples and monasteries, notably those at Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan, the site of the ancient kingdom of west-central Myanmar, bears the testimony of Myanmar’s cultural richness, that has been surprisingly preserved in its pristine form even today. Among Myanmar’s most prominent cultural institutions are the state schools of dance, music, drama, and fine arts at Yangon and Mandalay, as well as the National Museum of Art and Archaeology at Yangon. There also is an archaeological museum at Pagan. A number of other museums focus on state and regional history..."
Source/publisher: "Elets News Network"
2020-03-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Outrage is growing in Myanmar after the emergence of a 12-minute porn video shot in Bagan, the country’s best-known tourist hotspot and a UNESCO heritage site with thousands of hallowed Buddhist pagodas. The video was posted on PornHub by users “YeeesYeeesYeees”, who describe themselves as a 23-year-old Italian couple with piercings and tattoos. According to the site, the pair boasts more than 81,000 subscribers and over 35 million video views since they joined 11 months ago. But the couple’s naked antics against one of Bagan’s ancient pagodas have been less than well-received in Myanmar, with condemnation spreading online. “Our Bagan pagodas are The Holy Land,” wrote Mg Khin Gyi on Facebook with multiple angry emojis. The video in question had been viewed nearly a quarter of a million times by Thursday evening – but registered twice as many dislikes as likes. Managing director of New Fantastic Asia tour company, Tun Tun Naing, questioned what seemed to be “negligent” security at Bagan’s sites and called for action..."
Source/publisher: Agence France-Presse (AFP) (France) via "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2020-02-14
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Italian couple’s footage against backdrop of Myanmar’s ‘holy land’ provokes outrage
Description: "Outrage is growing in Myanmar after the emergence of a 12-minute pornographic video shot in Bagan, the country’s best-known tourist spot and Unesco heritage site featuring thousands of revered Buddhist pagodas. The video was posted on PornHub by users who described themselves as a 23-year-old Italian couple. The couple’s naked antics against the backdrop of one of Bagan’s ancient pagodas have provoked an angry reaction in Myanmar, with condemnation spreading online. “Our Bagan pagodas are the Holy Land,” wrote Mg Khin Gyi on Facebook with multiple angry emojis. The video had been viewed nearly a quarter of a million times by Thursday evening – but had registered twice as many dislikes as likes. The managing director of New Fantastic Asia tour company, Tun Tun Naing, questioned what seemed to be “negligent” security at Bagan and called for action. Myo Yee, the Mandalay chairman of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, added his voice to the rising clamour, saying the case was bad news for an industry hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak..."
Source/publisher: "Agence France-Presse (AFP)" (France) via "The Guardian" (UK)
2020-02-13
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Thanaka – that yellowish paste that Myanmar people of all ages, men and women alike, have smeared on their face for centuries – will be proposed for UNESCO Cultural Heritage listing, according to a government plan.
Description: "Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture will submit a proposal to UNESCO in March to include thanaka on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. “Thanaka is used by most people in Myanmar. It is found in literature, especially in the Konbaung era, as well as in songs,” said U Toe Hla, an archaeologist and chair of the Expert Group on Analysing Intangible Cultural Heritage. “It is used in religious ceremonies.” Those who work in the sun and plant rice wear thanaka for health, and others wear it for beauty. U Toe Hla said thanaka conforms to the requirements of the UNESCO list, which are practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals, recognise as part of their cultural heritage. He said it is important for Myanmar to apply for the recognition of thanaka as part of its cultural heritage before other countries claim it. Daw Nu Mya Zan, former deputy director general of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library, said, “Myanmar thanaka is used by every ethnic people from birth to grave. It is commonly accepted around the country,” she said..."
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Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-02-07
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Past the numerous izakaya bars and chain restaurants flanking Takadanobaba’s Sakae-dori street, there’s a simple brown building with a signboard reading “Swe Myanmar.” Although Swe Myanmar is one of many Myanmar restaurants in Takadanobaba, known to many as Tokyo’s “Little Yangon,” one aspect makes it unique: The owner, Than Swe, 56, is a foreign national who has been granted refuge in immigrant-averse Japan, where only one in 250 applicants are granted asylum status. While Than Swe and his wife, Than Than Kyaing, 56, are happy to operate the restaurant, the business was more of a last resort than a lifelong desire. In 1989, Than Swe fled to Japan when he was just 26 in fear of government persecution for his role leading student democratic protests against the military dictatorship. Before leaving, Than Swe had worked closely with Aung San Suu Kyi as a member of the initial group that directed the popular uprising, simultaneously working as a university geology instructor. “Seeing Aung San Suu Kyi and many protesters arrested one after another, I made up my mind to flee the country,” Than Swe says, recalling the harsh military crackdown. At that time, Than Swe was one of a small number of people in the country, then called Burma, to hold a valid passport. Such documents were only issued to those scheduled to go abroad on approved business trips, and Than Swe had been issued his in anticipation of a future trip to Japan..."
Source/publisher: "Japan Times" (Japan)
2020-02-01
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "China and Myanmar have started filming a jointly-made documentary, entitled "Drink from the Same River", to reflect their natural bond. The project is part of an effort to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations..."
Source/publisher: "China Global Television Network (CGTN)" (China)
2020-01-11
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thirty-thousand monks assembled in the early morning chill in Myanmar on Sunday (Dec 8) for a spectacular alms-giving event, partly organised by a controversial mega-temple under scrutiny across the border in Thailand. With many barefoot, Buddhist monks from Myanmar and Thailand and senior religious officials from a dozen countries collected alms next to an airport in the central city of Mandalay, that is also a heartland of the faith. As the sun rose over the ancient town, a sea of saffron and maroon-robed monks assembled in an area the size of a football field. They meditated, prayed and collected alms in an event meant to tighten the relationship of "monks and Buddhists between (the) two countries" and to "strengthen the monkhood" in the region, according to a statement. "I hope we can continue to hold bigger events in the coming years," said U Thu Nanda, a 24-year-old Burmese monk..."
Source/publisher: "The Straits Times" (Singapore)
2019-12-08
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Border and boundaries may separate people by countries, but they can’t diminish their desire for exchanges. In an elementary school in the southwestern Chinese city of Ruili, which shares a long border with Myanmar, children from both countries study together and receive equal treatment. As the school’s mission goes: education has no borders, and love shortens distances. Join CGTN’s Yang Jinghao to explore this special school near the border..."
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Source/publisher: "China Global Television Network (CGTN)" (China)
2019-04-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "When you read this, I won’t be around. I am bound for Asia: Hong Kong and then onto Myanmar (Burma). It is probably the longest, scariest trip I have ever taken. If you are a praying person, please stop and say a prayer for me. It isn’t the first time I have been to Asia. In 1974, I was getting ready to graduate from Bible College when I was asked to join a mission team for the summer in Hong Kong. There were four girls and two guys on our team named “The Harbingers” (Messengers). One of the students was Wong Yan Wing who was in my graduating class. He was returning to his homeland and taking a team with him to lay a foundation for a new church work in Mei Foo Sun Chuen. Nearly all the schools in Hong Kong were operated by churches. They were thrilled to have a group of college students come and present a program consisting of music, drama and art. I was the “art” portion of the program and drew a picture of a rock wall surrounding a garden while Wing beautifully sang the hymn “In the Garden.” I may have done some drama, also. In Hong Kong they say or write the last name first and the first name last. So “Wong Yan Wing” was “Wing Wong” to us or just “Wing.” He used to say, “My father’s name is ‘Ling,’ my name is ‘Wing,’ I have a sister named ‘Ying’ and a brother named ‘Ming.’ So, when you call our house be sure you don’t ‘Wing’ the ‘Wong’ number!” Ha! I still think that’s funny..."
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Source/publisher: "Havre Daily News" (USA)
2019-12-02
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Doubtless there was a fair bit of politicking going on when the Unesco World Heritage Site bods sat down in Azerbaijan last month to decide which spots were going to make it onto the list. The good news is that – after applications spanning more than 20 years – Bagan, the 1,000-year-old archaeological theme park that’s home to 2,000 or more temples and pagodas, finally got the thumbs-up. Despite an earthquake or two in recent years and some spam-fisted development that has impinged on the ancient capital’s authenticity, it’s still well within the bounds of possibility to wander off and totally immerse yourself in what is undoubtedly one of the architectural marvels of Asia. Where to stay: Sink a pick just about anywhere in Bagan and you’ll unearth some archaeological treasure or other. So while the hotel count has risen over the years, it hasn’t proliferated unchecked, hence the absence of the bigger brands that might otherwise be attracted to such a prominent destination. The watchword is small and (almost) perfectly formed..."
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Source/publisher: "South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
2019-08-12
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar held an investment forum in Taunggyi, northern Shan state Tuesday to promote investment in tourism and agriculture in the state, according to the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Wednesday. The event was organized by the ministry, Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and Shan State Investment Committee. A total of 92 foreign investors joined the forum. Myanmar Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and Chairman of the MIC U Thaung Tun highlighted at the forum that Myanmar, as an agro-based country, considered agriculture sector to be important to achieve sustainable development, stressing that agriculture growth was critical for inclusive development and for food security. He called for raising agricultural productivity to ensure national growth, believing that the forum would enable many agro-businesses to thrive an flourish in Shan state..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-11-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A consecration ceremony was held Monday for a Buddha statue donated by Myanmar for victims of the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan. Monks from the Southeast Asian country, which also suffered damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, offered prayers in front of the 5-meter-high marble statue. It was placed last month on a hill overlooking Shizugawa Bay in the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture. The hill is in a forest park created by the operator of Minami Sanriku Hotel Kanyo to commemorate the disaster that left more than 15,000 people dead. A Myanmar trading house gave the statue to the hotel operator, which had shown officials of the company around the disaster-hit area. "While this may be minuscule for the rebuilding, I hope it will be a tourism resource to bring about exchanges between people," said Maung Htet Myat Oo, the 52-year-old co-head of Tomosada International Trading Co..."
Source/publisher: "The Mainichi" (Japan)
2019-11-25
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Arts & Culture
Topic: Arts & Culture
Description: "The Irrawaddy Literary Festival recently wrapped up its fifth year with over 100 panel discussions and workshops featuring more than 100 Myanmese writers together with several international authors. Since 2010, when pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from years of house arrest, Myanmar has undergone a number of political reforms following 50 years of military rule. With this backdrop of the country gradually opening up, the three-day biannual literary festival gives participants unfettered space to freely discuss sensitive political and social issues between locals and foreigners. The event was held from November 9 to 11 in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city and considered the centre of the country’s culture. Some 5,000 people attended, with this year’s theme “Youth and Literature” a bid to involve schools and universities as much as possible. Topics of discussion ranged from political cartoons to writing poetry, the challenges of translation, and journalism in the age of fake news. Engaging in these panels was not a problem for foreign visitors as a group of 30 volunteers provided simultaneous translation for the festival..."
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Source/publisher: "South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
2019-11-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Zay Linn Htike remembers as a boy waiting to watch his family’s favourite Korean drama series at home. It was called Autumn In My Heart, a program that swept Myanmar close to two decades ago. “We didn’t have a generator. So if there was an electricity blackout, my mother grabbed me and went to another house, where people gathered and enjoyed Joon Suh and Eun Suh with the help of generator,” he recalled. “We were that crazy about Korean television series.” It was the early 2000s and Myanmar was living under the relative darkness and isolation of military rule. At that time there were only two television stations - both state run. “Back in the day it was 24-hour news and propaganda and nationalistic songs and then they’d have a one-hour belt of Korean shows. It was prime time. It was the only option,” said Jin Park, the general manager of MKCS Global, a major distributor of Korean entertainment content in Myanmar..."
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Source/publisher: "CNA" ( Singapore)
2019-11-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "When you live in a place long enough it can become boring, and the things that were once exciting are now ordinary and humdrum. As you walk across the congested streets, or contemplate moving to another country during a blackout, it’s time to remember the things that make this country stand out. Here are the top ten most interesting things about Myanmar.....In the early 1960s foreign students would flock to Yangon to study, when English was the prized language of instruction. Though things have changed significantly after decades of military misrule, Myanmar is still an interesting place for people and languages. Though not as many people speak the global lingua franca anymore, the country is home to more than 100 different native languages. From Kachin and Chin languages in the north, Burmese, Shan, Padaung, Rakhine in the central parts, and Mon and Karen in the south, some languages even have dozens of unique sub-languages and dialects..."
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Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-10-25
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Japanese culture, including anime and movies, is currently enjoying a wave of popularity in Myanmar, particularly among the youth, and there is a sharp rise in people learning Japanese.Japan enjoys favorable relations with many countries worldwide. Due to its proximity to China and the Korean Peninsula, it is easy to gain an impression of anti-Japan sentiment, resulting from historical and territorial issues. But in fact, Japan has positive relations overall with the great majority of countries. Among these countries, one that stands out in particular for me is Myanmar, which I was recently able to visit. Now, the two countries are linked with daily direct flights, and there is much interest in investment by Japanese companies. But coverage of Myanmar in the Japanese media mainly relates to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the Rohingya crisis. The pro-Japan sentiment of the Burmese people receives little attention. In January and February 2019, a Japanese film festival was held in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital, and Mandalay, its cultural capital. It screened recent Japanese films including an entry in the Chihayafuru series, Her Love Boils Bathwater, Honnōji Hotel, and the hit anime In This Corner of the World. Event organizers were surprised at the popularity, with over 20,000 attending, double the numbers from last year..."
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Source/publisher: nippon.com (Japan)
2019-07-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: " A cultural exchange program of Chinese ethnic groups was inaugurated at China Cultural Center in Myanmar's Yangon Tuesday morning. Set to last till Nov. 15, the program "Colorful Chinese Nation-Walking into the Mekong River (Myanmar)" is organized by the China Ethnic Museum or the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park and sponsored by the China Cultural Center in Myanmar's Yangon and Beijing National Cultural Heritage Protection Foundation. Li Xiaoyan, counselor of Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, said that the cultural program aims to deepen the bilateral cultural exchange and cooperation between Myanmar and China as well as friendship between the two people. The 11-day cultural program features exhibition displaying intangible cultural heritage crafts by different ethnic groups in China. The program also includes a photo exhibition displaying dozens of photos and a workshop where the observers can study the tie-dyeing technique of the Bai ethnic group..."
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Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-11-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Nepal and Myanmar inked a memorandum of understanding(MoU) on cooperation in tourism and culture for strengthening relationship in this field following bilateral talks held today in the presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari and State Counselor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi. President Bhandari is currently on a five-day state visit to the Republic of Union of Myanmar at the friendly invitation of the President of Myanmar U Win Myint. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Union Minister for International Cooperation of Myanmar, Mr Kyaw Tin, signed and exchanged the two MoUs after the bilateral talks held at the Presidential House in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar. President Bhandari arrived in Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday evening and held talks with her Myanmar counterpart U Win Myint at the Presidential House today. Earlier, Myanmar Army presented a Guard of Honour to President Bhandari..."
Source/publisher: "The Himalayan Times" (Nepal)
2019-10-17
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar is making a second bid to list its ancient city of Bagan as a World Heritage Site, more than 20 years after the global body rejected its first attempt. About 300,000 tourists flock to Bagan annually, and the move could give tourism a boost. It could also pave the way for more committed protection to the 3,822 sacred monuments there..."
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Source/publisher: CNA
2019-06-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: Myanmar Fairy Tales - မြန်မာ နတ်သမီးပုံပြင်
Source/publisher: Myanmar Fairy Tales
2019-07-18
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: With the deadline fast approaching for the submission of the World Heritage Nomination Dossier for Mrauk U in 2020, heritage experts, consultants and affiliated professionals are hard at work to finish in time. Mrauk U, the capital of the historical Arakan Kingdom in present-day Rakhine State, is an outstanding example of ancient urbanization preserving architectural remains such as forts, temples, stupas, and other structures, all of which exhibit a variety of multicultural elements. ‘First, we must protect Mrauk U heritage region,’ said Thura U Aung Ko, Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture. ‘Secondly, this protection must be in line with international standards.’ The city served as an important trading port on the Bay of Bengal between the 16th and 18th centuries. In particular, historians and experts are convinced that the power of the Mrauk U Kingdom and its crucial military and economic role in the region derived from a well-engineered water management system. Recent investigations carried out by a multi-disciplinary team lead by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture - Department of Archaeology and National Museums (DoA) and UNESCO have contributed to a better understanding of this complex engineering system. The combination of water management and defensive infrastructure including trenches, fortified walls, water gates and canals, and their strategic siting inside and outside the city, demonstrate in part why Mrauk U was such an important and powerful capital. The city is ‘an exceptional testimony to the Rakhine cultural tradition of extant and advanced water military-agrarian landscape settlement’, said Dr Shikha Jain, a Cultural Heritage expert. With the complex, continuing conflicts and rapid economic development in Rakhine State, World Heritage inscription is all the more important to help protect the site and raise awareness about the cultural and communal values at stake. While World Heritage inscriptions safeguard cultural components of the site, the local community and other sectors must benefit from nomination as well. ‘For sure, the nomination raises awareness about heritage issues, gives people pride about their legacy as well as their history and it challenges people to feel responsible for the ruins,’ said Dr Jacques P Leider, an historian and Rakhine expert from the renown Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient. ‘Rakhine people are already very proud of their heritage and the nomination can truly transform this energy into the noble aim of preserving the historical sites according to international standards.’ An additional challenge is to guarantee that the nomination will have a positive impact on the local economy to contribute to much-needed positive change in Rakhine State. In this sense, topics such as community development, tourism planning and environmental management are also addressed during the process leading to nomination as more stakeholders are brought into the conversation. To achieve long-term sustainability of Mrauk U, local authorities, relevant ministries and other participants need to coordinate their efforts. The conservation of cultural values needs to be balanced with people’s expectations, mitigating factors that may affect the site while promoting the livelihoods and development of the local community. ‘Every step of [the] planning process must be done in a transparent, inclusive and participatory manner,’ said Min Jeong Kim, Head of UNESCO Myanmar Office, adding it is necessary to avoid potential conflict and ensure that mistakes from the past are not repeated. With support from UNESCO, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, World Bank, Southeast University and other national and international experts, the DoA is coordinating the joint effort to inscribe the ancient capital on the World Heritage list.
Source/publisher: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
2019-02-15
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: The monk sat cross-legged in the Manhattan hotel room in augbergine robes on an aubergine prayer mat, a thermos of tea, his reading glasses and a book, Mindfulness in the Marketplace, arranged neatly by his side. Thich Nhat Hanh took time out from a U.S. tour to speak briefly with TIME about the monastic uprising in Burma. (See video) Nhat Hanh has a long history as one of Buddhism's truly international spokespeople. ["Thich" is a name adopted by all Vietnamese monks and nuns upon ordination.] He first came to global attention in the early 1960s, when he led fellow monks in his native Vietnam to oppose the prosecution of the war there by either side — a position that eventually led to the deaths of several of his followers and his own exile. He continued his opposition from the United States, where his counsel was influential in convincing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to announce his own opposition to the conflict. King subsequently nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize. He continued speaking and writing (in a variety of languages — he is a polyglot), working out a theory of "engaged buddhism," exploring the commonalities between his philosophy and other world faiths, attaining a popularity (and book sales) in the U.S. second only to that of the Dalai Lama, and lending his opposition to a series of world conflicts, including America's involvement in Iraq. He now lives in a monastic community he founded in France. Buddhism has three major branches: Theravada, historically the simplest, which is now practiced primarily in South Asia and is the faith of the Burmese monks; Mahayana, of which Hanh's own Zen discipline is part; and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan branch, which is labeled Vajrayana. In conversation, however, Hanh stressed the unity of the three and their solidarity with the embattled Burmese. "They also practice mindfulness and concentration inside like us," he said. He said the Burmese monks had "done their job. It is already a success because if monks are imprisoned or have died, they have offered their spiritual leadership. And it is up to the people in Burma and the world to continue." Pressed on the question of martyrdom, he replied: "We nourish the awareness that monks are being persecuted and continue to suffer in order to support the people in Burma for the sake of democracy." Perhaps the most striking gesture made by his Burmese bretheen before they were attacked was the symbolic act of turning their begging bowls upside down. In a Western culture where almsgiving happens in the confines of a church or synagogue, this may have seemed odd. But Nhat Hanh pointed out that it was a powerful statement of denial to the regime leaders. "In Buddhist culture," he explained, "offering food to the monk symbolizes the action of goodness, and if you have no opportunity to support the practice of spiritualilty then you are somehow left in the realm of darkness." Their supreme act of condemnation: giving the regime no chance to do good. The importance of monks in Burma was also suggested, in a grisly way, by reports that hundreds of Burmese soldiers had been arrested for refusing to shoot at them. In the U.S., the connection between Buddhism and social action is not readily understood. Many Americans perceive Buddhism as a philosophy that regards this world as transitory and unimportant; in this country, the most widely disseminated kind of Buddhism is a stripped-down version of Theravada practice with a strong emphasis on ritual supplemented by meditations on meta, or loving-kindness. Said Nhat Hanh: "Meditation is to get insight, to get understanding and compassion, and when you have them, you are compelled to act. The Buddha, after enlightenment, went out to help people. Meditation is not to avoid society; it is to look deep to have the kind of insight you need to take action. To think that it is just to sit down and enjoy the calm and peace, is wrong." After a brisk interview about Burma, Nhat Hanh gave some sense of the topics that were most on his mind that afternoon: He talked first about global warming and then about eating low on the food chain. He told a Buddhist story of a couple who were forced to cross a desert with their young son and, running out of food, killed and ate the child, whose diminishing corpse they carried with them, constantly apologizing to it. "After the Buddha told that story, he asked the monks, 'Do you think the couple enjoyed eating the flesh of their own son?'" Nhat Hanh recounted. "The monks said 'no, impossible.' The Buddha said, let us eat in such a way that will retain compassion in our heart. Otherwise we will be eating the flesh of our son and grandson." It was a stark and stern reminder of the steel beneath the flowing robe, gentle smile and peaceful demeanor.
Creator/author: David Van Biema, Thich Nhat Hanh
Source/publisher: Asia Society
2007-10-12
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: During a recent walking tour in Yangon, 32 young people explored the city’s diverse communities and how people with differing religious and ethnic identities can live in harmony with each other. Over the course of the day, the youth, who represent eight of Myanmar’s ethnic groups, visited quarters of the downtown area where different groups, including Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and Jews, live side by side in vibrant communities. The event marked Myanmar’s first celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, highlighting themes that are vital to Myanmar’s future in many ways. Peaceful co-existence among different ethnic and religious communities is, of course, a top priority in a country that has been wracked by internal strife for decades. How can Myanmar build on World Day for Cultural Diversity and Dialogue to realize these aspirations and build a more harmonious and just society for all? Continuing violent conflicts in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states are fueled by a complex mix of drivers, but certainly ethnic and communal identities and perceived differences contribute to a continued level of volatility. Even outside the conflict zones, prejudice and discrimination too often lead to hate speech and social conflict. Myanmar’s extraordinary diversity with 135 distinct ethnic groups and manifold language groups presents unique challenges. Yet the walking tour in Yangon, through disparate communities that have for the most part have lived peacefully side by side, also explored models of coexistence and cooperation between communities without compromising each’s identity or values. Following the tour, which marked Myanmar’s first celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, an event at City Hall was attended by members of the Yangon Region Government, diplomatic community, and young people and other representatives of ethnic communities. “Appreciation of cultural diversity should be at the roots of development, not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to better achieve sustainable development goals,” said Min Jeong Kim, Head of UNESCO Myanmar Project Office. The event also provided an occasion for the young participants, who were selected based on their membership in ethnic cultural and literary associations, to share their voices about cultural diversity based on their experiences. Representing the Bamar, Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine and Shan ethnic groups, the young people divided themselves into four groups symbolizing Diversity, Harmony, Prosperity and Unity, each comprising eight participants. “Diversity means coexisting in peace despite differences” was the lesson drawn from the walking tour, espoused by the group of the same name. “Through the historical narrative of the walking tour, we learned that people of different cultures in Myanmar used to learn, share and adopt each other’s culture,” representatives from Harmony said. “This celebration reminds us of the uniqueness and beautiful concept of diversity. It is our responsibility to cherish the similarities and embrace the differences of our culture.” The paired goals of development and peace also has particular resonance. “Despite our differences, we are all human and everyone is the same at the end of the day,” Prosperity members said. “With respect and understanding of diverse cultures, we will be able to drive towards sustainable development goals and thus achieve peace.” There was recognition that peaceful co-existence also involves an appreciation of differences. “We do not have to be feared to express ourselves, our ethnicity and our individualism,” Unity representatives said. “Throughout this walking tour, we witnessed signs of diversity everywhere we visited. However, it still remains a duty of every citizen to create an enabling environment for more people to accept the fact that diversity is beautiful.” “This celebration is a wonderful opportunity for the promotion of cultural diversity in Myanmar,” said U Maung Maung Soe, Minister of Municipal Affairs for the Yangon Region Government. “It is hoped that it will bring unity and a sense of harmony among the diverse cultures in Myanmar.”
Source/publisher: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
2019-06-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Creator/author: Chuang Tse (Burton Watson, trans)
Source/publisher: Internet (Akasha)
Date of entry/update: 2015-03-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "...The four arguments Mander gives are: Argument 1 ? TV conditions us to accept someone else?s authority... Argument 2 ? TV facilitates consolidated power through the colonization of experience... Argument 3 ? TV physically conditions us for authoritative rule... Argument 4 ? The inherent biases of TV..... "...the unknown but negative effects of watching this mesmerising box of tricks in the corner of our living rooms.
Creator/author: Jerry Mander
Source/publisher: Harper Collins
1978-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-03-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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