Despite some minor difficulties and time constraints, I really had little problem posting to this blog during the recent China visit. Viewing the blog, however, was a different story. I accepted this as only an inconvenience until the recent events in Myanmar. After all, my blog was started on a lark; just a way to share my experiences with others I know in a lighthearted manner. The whole concept of internet communication takes on a different light when lives are in the balance and a country's future is in limbo. I won't go into the politics of the situation, but those who know me will already know my stance.
The situation in Myanmar involving how information is being spread from the flashpoints is remarkable. A little reminiscent to April, 1989, when the Tiananmen Square protests were underway. China shut down satellite transmissions, but the media agencies were able to file reports via telephone and video footage was smuggled out of the country. Those images, including the famous "Tank Man" photo below (Jeff Widener, AP), are striking to this day.
The ruling generals in Myanmar were a little late in figuring out that the internet was hampering their ability to control the situation in Myanmar. Friday, they literally pulled the plug on the country's two internet providers. The New York Times has an interesting article today (albeit a little late) here. All of a sudden, I realize that the inability to view my blog's comments while in China is a rather ominous reminder that freedoms are not always to be taken for granted. I also wonder that if I have the chance to visit Yangon in years' time, if it will have the same impact on me as when I visited Tiananmen Square, nearly 15 years after the protests, with the image of Tank Man and the hushed voices of news correspondents reporting via their phones, seared into my memory.
Later...
G
1 comment:
Well said.
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