27 April 11:00a (PDT); zoom sign up here

This week we feature Inoue and Takahashi, respectively, in a volume introduced by Kei Nemoto (whose work on DoBama deserves mention in Deep Cuts…); then Kobayashi and King write about the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor; and finally Debnath et al on Rohingya in a geo-strategic perspective. See here for full citations.

zoom link shorturl.at/knovD

This week we feature Benedicte Brac de la Perriere’s wonderful gem of an essay on “Lay Lay,” a pwe-sa (broker) in Yangon. Through an ethnography of Lay Lay’s life, in which she acts as a go-between for various enterprises and schemes, we learn how this ubiquitous but understudied social role functions. In the end, when Lay Lay turns to political activism, we see the similarities between economic and political pwe-sa. (And I can confirm that Lay Lay indeed became a social activist, as I actually met her in my own research on contentious politics in Myanmar!)

Izzy Rhoads likewise explores the pwe-sa in her article in the recent Kyed edited volume (see here for e-book download). Rhoads shows that pwe-sa are not simply market-facilitators, but their significant market experience and superior access to information makes them effective justice brokers as well, in which they serve as “primary arbiter[s] in housing-related dispute settlement[s]” (284).

On this theme, we will also throw a plug for Kristina Simion’s Rule of Law Intermediaries: Brokering Influence in Myanmar (Cambridge University Press, 2021). It’s a bit too soon after publication to just brazenly throw the entire PDF up on the site, so it will have to stay just a shout out. But her work also looks at the pwe-sa figure, also in the realm of the law.

Also, one last quick thing: there are a number of other gorgeous articles in this much ignored volume Burmese Lives in which Brac de la Perriere’s essay lives, so I’ve decided to upload the whole book (minus Boutry’s article, which i couldn’t get to download. See his tribute page as a consolation).

see here for PDFs.

see here for more information: https://burmastudiesgroup.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/action-vote-for-bsgs-executive-committee-right-now/

Way back in Deep Cuts # 2 we featured Michael Aung-Thwin (and then ultimately Aurore Candier as well, scroll down), on prophecies, given their contemporary importance.

Today Naw Theresa, writing in The Diplomat, provides an in-depth summary of many of the current prophecies and rituals, and how they link with the uprising. It’s chock full of links so you can check out all of the prophecies and occult actions yourselves.

See “Prophecies, Rituals, and Resistance in Myanmar,” The Diplomat. April 19, 2022

This week we feature Sarma, Faxon, and Roberts introducing an exciting special issue on “resource frontiers” in Burma; we have (a different) Roberts and Nyi Nyi Kyaw exploring public/private distinctions in Yangon; and then Islam and Islam on Rohingya child outcomes in Bangladesh. See here for full citations: https://burmastudiesgroup.wordpress.com/recent-publications-2/.

Kyaw Hsan Hlaing, Independent Journalist, hosted by Yale’s Council on SEAS. More information here.

see our full calendar here.

ANU’s MRC 2022 Dialogue Series. Register here.

This week a new article is out by Nathaniel Gonzalez on inter-religious collaboration in Mingalar Taung Nyunt. It brings to mind a host of literature on similar topics on these issues that those interested should also consult. For instance, back in 2017 Walton, Schissler, and Phyu Phyu Thi analyzed what helped foil the နောက်ကွေကလက်မဲကြီး-orchestrated riots then. On similar community-led efforts we also have Chan Myawe Aung San’s article on the way that cultural and religious festivals and events enable community cohesion in a deprived Yangon Buddhist and Hindu neighborhood, and Harrison’s article on Muslim life in Mawlamyaing. Then, for some historical context of inter-religious inclusion, see the article by Htet Min Lwin (up for BSG chair – don’t forget to pay your dues so you can vote, here!)

see here for the PDFs!