Skipping rope and Myanmar

It's quite nice how young children anywhere in the world enjoy themselves. In a restaurant last week in Mong Kok, the young boy juggled a plate with three jellies making his way back to the table where his mother, father and younger sister sat. Of course he had to try and bite the jelly before sliding into the booth.
Two young girls skip rope outside a refugee camp in Bangladesh. [Photo courtesy of Andrew Birj, Reuters]. The girls play like any other children world wide. Except they are from the Rohingya minority group in Myanmar.
Now meet Jake. He's a young student from Myanmar. He's doing his undergraduate in journalism. He's living on campus and completing six courses this semester. During his semester break he will go back home to visit his parents. They own a small plantation with rubber trees. I haven't got his photo as he doesn't want to be identified. He's from the Mon state in Myanmar.
The Myanmar government, run by a military Junta, will hold elections next month. The first elections in 20 years on 7 November 2010. There is political repression and systematic violence against any dissenting voice in Myanmar. Under Electoral Laws enacted in March 2010, no political prisoner can take part in the elections or hold membership in any political party. Also the former political leader, Aung Sang Syu Kee, will be released from house arrest about 16 November.
If Jake was to be identified and his name and image were to be connected to the new reports on freedom in Burma, it is more than likely that he would be jailed for a lengthy period.
The Buddhist monks of Myanmar protested against the military Junta in November 2007. And the suppression of human rights is real, visit the amnesty international site for background on the human rights abuses.
In Myanmar there are 135 ethnic minority groups. With many of the ethnically-specific political parties also having an armed wing.
Last month the Military Ruler of Myanmar, Senior General Than Shwe, visited China to be congratulated by President Hu Jintao. The Military General was afforded a state reception in Beijing.
Perspective is easy for me to highlight here. But it is only through the good work of investigative journalists that we uncover the unsavoury truths in daily life and public institutions. We need more young journalists trained and skilled like Jake. His education and experience will lead to far more important truths.
See the Amnesty International report for information on Myanmar and the coming elections or visit Irrawaddy.org.
No poetry today, unless you have a suggestion? Is there anything you would like to include?