Andy Paul

It’s all over the news. Burma is “thawing.” The United States and the EU have suspended their sanctions. Democratic party leader Aung San Su Kyi has been elected to parliament in the most significant election after twenty years of house arrest. However, her party has refused to take its allotted 43 seats in parliament due to discrepancies about the constitution with the military-led state party. Images of Schewedagon (see below) have appeared every where, inviting international tourists and investors. In this dramatically positive phase of transition, it is important to not forget why the pro-democracy movement is so critical in Burma.

Last night, the film The Road was screened at the University of San Diego. Made by four native San Diegans who traveled to Thailand in 2006 where they crossed the border into Burma, it reveals how life is for one of the country’s predominant ethnic groups, the Karen. In…