Burma's Pens Mightier Than Censors

(NEWSER) - In the wake of the ruling junta's efforts to waylay foreign aid following May's Cyclone Nargis, Burmese citizens—including former political prisoners—created a grass-roots relief effort to help the embattled populace. In doing so, writes George Packer in the New Yorker, they may have created the catalyst for long-awaited political change in a once-prosperous nation impoverished by its military rulers. More»

But it'll be years before they know how to make a bomb

(NEWSER) - Burma has been secretly acquiring the materials it needs to build a nuclear weapon, though the country currently lacks the technological expertise to do so, according to a new report. Based on documents and photos smuggled out of the country by an army defector, the study concludes with “high confidence” that Burma is seeking technology that “is only for nuclear weapons and not for civilian use or nuclear power.” More»

Detained Burmese leader seeks to overturn extension of house arrest

(AP) - Lawyers for detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi today appealed her recent conviction that extended her years of house arrest, a day after the ruling junta announced it was releasing thousands of prisoners. Reporters were banned from the hearing, where her lawyers insisted that the law under which she was convicted is invalid because it applies to a constitution abolished 2 decades ago. More»

Diplomatic efforts to 'engage' generals won't lead to democracy

(NEWSER) - The extension of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest today serves as the latest reminder of the injustice at the core of the Burmese government. Past US policy revolves around sanctions, which further isolate the country and drive it into China’s economic embrace. Some congressional figures have called on President Obama to find a way to “engage” the ruling generals to enact change in Myanmar, the Christian Science Monitor reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Authoritarian regimes around the world, including Burma, China, and Cuba, have been censoring some or all news coverage from Iran, afraid the rebellious sentiment may spread, the Washington Post reports. But news is trickling through anyway, inspiring small acts of defiance. In China, political bloggers have compared it to the Tiananmen Square protests, coloring their pages green in solidarity. More»