PACK JOURNALISM
Partly underwritten by Washington as a free press paradigm, ‘The Irrawaddy’ now embraces racist Burmese government rhetoric that fuels ethnic cleansing.
Joshua Carroll is a freelance reporter based in Rangoon, Burma. He has written for Al Jazeera, The Independent and The Times (of London). He is the winner of the Independent’s Wyn Harness Prize for Young Journalists 2012.
THE ROHINGYA TRAGEDY
‘Muslims are not allowed to settle here or stay overnight,’ reads a sign. ‘No one here is allowed to marry a Muslim. Anyone breaking the rules will be labeled a traitor.’
‘DARKNESS LAW’
Burma jails transgender people for wearing a ‘disguise,’ and a top aide of Aung San Suu Kyi laughs hysterically at the idea LGBT Burmese need their rights protected.
The October Putz
As elections approach this weekend, a Burmese poet’s ribald joke—and jailing—shows there are still many serious threats to freedom of expression.
Not What You Think
Western clichés about peace-loving saffron-robed monks fall by the wayside amid protest marches on the mean streets of the Burmese commercial capital.
The Hangover
The rise of Burmese Buddhist extremists threatens free speech throughout the country. But 2.5 years in jail for using Buddha to advertise cheap margaritas on Facebook?
THE BODYGUARD
He was a former bodyguard for Aung San Suu Kyi and a prominent freelance reporter. But despite Burma’s new reforms, the army killed him just like in the bad old days.
Backsliding
Burma’s government, hailed by President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a model of reform, is a model of repression for reporters.