This week in ‘deep cuts’ we feature work from the late Michael Aung-Thwin, whose article about omens and prophecies feels particularly relevant to these revolutionary times (for instance, recent flocks of hornbills alighting in Yangon had social media speculating; the popular Pale PDF leader is calling himself Bo Naga, the leader of the Royal Dragon Army, because the Tabaung foretold that the Dragon army will win; etc.). 

See our page for the growing archive of under-appreciated or hard to find Burma Studies texts.

8 Feb 2022, 2pm [EST]

[update: use this link to register]

Call for applications at Chiang Mai University: MA in Social Science (Development Studies) – Focus on Land Relation. Scholarships are available.

For further details, please see the program brochure

The deadline is 25th April 2022

Now that the rush of coup anniversary events have passed, you might be tempted to relax. But don’t you dare get off zoom, tho, b/c there are a number of other good ones coming up, including Burmese poetry at Harvard, Exploring Violence and Resistance in Denmark, and the Marxist Leftist Review on “Myanmar’s unfinished revolution” in Sydney. There is also an ongoing film festival that goes until the 14th.

See our calendar page to keep up on it all.

The AAS conference in Hawai’i is quickly approaching. The BSG is pleased to provide travel support to graduate students who are attending, with preference given to scholars from Burma and those who demonstrate financial need. In the past BSG has covered between $250 and $400 for students, so as to reach as many people as possible. Please fill the form here.

* The application will close Feb 4, and awardees will be notified by the 7th.*

BSG Pubs: Appropriately, given the coup anniversary, we have a new volume of revolutionary Burmese poetry, edited by Ko Ko Thett and Brian Haman. We also have Olivius, Hedström, and Zin Mar Phyo interrogating the role of women in the peace process, and Adam Simpson on humanitarianism in the wake of Covid and the coup (open access!); See here for full citations:

February 1-13, 2022

Over 40 Films, plus Speaker Forums

Donate for a Full Access Pass to stream all the programs.

see here.

You’ve seen new pubs in BSG. But why this fetish of the new, eh? So we are also starting a new initiative at BSG tentatively called “Deep Cuts in BSG” – in which we circulate a (perhaps?) forgotten text or article.

This week we give you: Tinzar Lwyn, “Stories of Gender and Ethnicity: Discourses of colonialism and resistance in Burma.” The Australian Journal of Anthropology 5.3 (1994):60-85, whose later pages (pp 73-83) feature testimonials from women in revolution circa 1988, which are haunting for their resonance with today’s struggle.

All the texts will live on this dedicated page here.

Throw your suggestions in the comments below!

“𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆: 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝘀.” Friday, 4 Feb 2022, 4:00-5.45 pm [EST]: Register here.

This is your annual reminder to please pay your BSG dues. Here is the link.

As the AAS annual meeting approaches – and with it the BSG meeting (see calendar link here) – we remind you to pay your (very affordable) dues for the year ($20 for full members and $10 for students).

Why pay? The dues scheme pays for:

• helping Burmese students defray travel costs to conferences,
• supplies the prize money for our new John Okell paper prize,
• pays for website hosting costs,
• and also (pending approval at the upcoming meeting) will support prospective Burmese graduate students with their application fees (including TOEFL tests).

All that for only $20!