More about Burma

Links

If you are seriously interested in happenings in Burma today, by far the best source of unbiased information is the wonderful Irrawaddy Magazine website. You can subscribe to a daily news feed, and don’t forget to give them at least a small donation, they do great work!

The official government website has a variety of mostly non-political information.

The opposition NLD party website, among much else, has news of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s latest activities.

Burma Campaign is active in the areas of human rights, democracy, and development.

Prospect Burma funds scholarships for Burmese students.

Burma Children’s Fund is a charity with similar principles to HTBD, but working in other parts of Burma.

Books

There are countless fiction and non-fiction books on Burma, whether you’re interested in politics or culture or history. Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street, London, usually has a good selection, both obvious and less obvious. Abebooks is the site for second hand and vintage material.

There are a couple of small publishers which have interesting and less well-known books. Orchid Books is Bangkok-based and from their list I would particularly recommend Gerry Abbott’s ‘The Traveller’s History of Burma’, it’s concise and really excellent. Orchid books are widely available in Bangkok, including the airport bookshops.

I can’t find a website for Kiscadale Publications so maybe it’s now out of business, but they published many fine books on Burma. You may be able via Abebooks to find these, including their reprint of V.C. Scott O’Connor’s wonderful 1904 book, ‘The Silken East’.
In many ways this is still much the best account of Burma and Burmese life, especially the great rivers and their towns, with many pictures. Things change pretty slowly there!