NAME — Jordan Denari
AGE — 17
11th-14th Century: Begun as an independent Buddhist monarchy, Burma falls to the Mongol empire in the 13th Century and becomes a satellite state of China beginning in the 14th Century.
1886: After French influences and then three Anglo-Burmese Wars, all of Burma is now a British Indian colony. The occupation creates tensions among the country’s more than 100 ethnic groups. Of those groups, Burmans make up 68 percent of the population; Karen, 10 percent; and Chin, about 5 percent.
1942: Japan invades and occupies Burma during World War II, but Britain regains control over Burma in 1945.
1948: After World War II, Burma gains its independence from Britain. Despite its promises, the new, democratic government fails to make certain ethnic regions autonomous. Armed separatist movements escalate and continue unabated.
1962: A coup d'état, led by Gen. Ne Win, overthrows the democracy and sets up its idea of a socialist state -- nationalizing the economy, forming a single-party state and banning independent newspapers.
1988: Burmese citizens grow restless with a poor economy and human rights abuses by the military that include rape, forced labor and forced relocation. They revolt, demanding governmental change. Student-led protests culminate this year when the military represses protestors in a massive killing resulting in the slaughter of more than 3,000 unarmed people. Thousands more become political prisoners.
1989: The military regime renames Burma “Myanmar,” which in Burmese has the meaning of “strong and fast,” but many countries and pro-Democracy movements continue to use the name “Burma,” in protest of military occupation.
1990-91: Although Aung San Suu Kyi’s(CQ) National League for Democracy party wins the election, she and her party are not allowed to take power. Suu Kyi, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy work in 1991, has been in and out of house arrest ever since.
2002: Human Rights Watch, an international humanitarian organization, releases a report that finds Burma has about 70,000 child soldiers, more than any other country in the world.
2005: The United Nations’ Human Development Report measures countries’ achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment, and adjusted real income. It ranks Burma 132nd out of 170 countries. For years, an increasing number of people in the country suffer from poverty, disease and lack of fresh water.
2007: Demonstrations fueled by rising fuel prices grow into massive civilian protests calling for democracy and human rights. Thousands of Buddhist monks march and hundreds are arrested. The largest since 1988, the protests receive international attention when the junta cracks down on demonstrators with brute force. Traditionally a country closed to outsiders, including journalists, protest information and pictures came via cell phones and e-mail. While the government has admitted only the deaths of a dozen people, the United Nations reported at least 31 dead and another 74 people missing.
April 2008: More than 20 activists stage a peaceful rally and are detained by the military junta in the western city of Sittwe. This is where Buddhist monks joined anti-military marches that swelled into nationwide protests last September. The activists oppose Myanmar’s proposed constitution, which many of them believe is fraudulent and will result in more military rule.
UPCOMING: Saturday: (May 10): Vote on new constitution to be held. But few people have seen a copy of the proposed laws, and government leaders restrict discussing the referendum in public. Pro-democracy activists call for its defeat, saying it perpetuates military rule. They also called on international observers to take part in the referendum, which the government has resisted.
Sources: The New York Times, Reuters News Service, U.S. Campaign for Burma, Human Rights Watch, New York Times World Almanac, The Times (London), United Nations Human Development Report Office, BBC World Service.
