Biography of Than Shwe, Burmese Dictator

Biography of Than Shwe, Burmese Dictator Than Shwe (born February 2, 1933) is a Burmese politician who ruled the country as a military dictator from 1992 to 2011. He was known for being a secretive, vindictive commander who showed no qualms about having dissidents, journalists, and even Buddhist monks beaten, jailed, tortured, and executed. Despite his absolute power, Than Shwe was so reclusive that most Burmese people never even heard his voice. Smuggled video footage of the sumptuous wedding thrown for the generals daughter sparked outrage across the country, as it provided a glimpse of the lifestyle of the very rich. Than Shwes regime was so brutal and corrupt that he is considered one of Asias worst dictators. Fast Facts: Than Shwe Known For: Than Shwe was the military dictator of Burma from 1992 to 2011.Born: February 2, 1933 in Kyaukse,  British BurmaSpouse: Kyaing KyaingChildren: 8 Early Life Very little is known about the early life of secretive general Than Shwe. He was born on February 2, 1933, in Kyuakse, in the Mandalay Division of Burma. At the time of Than Shwes birth, Burma was still a British colony. Few details of Than Shwes education have emerged, though some sources report that he attended public elementary school before dropping out of high school. Early Career Than Shwes first government job after leaving school was as a mail delivery clerk. He worked for the post office in Meiktila, a city in central Burma. Sometime between 1948 and 1953, the young Than Shwe enlisted in the Burmese colonial army, where he was assigned to the psychological warfare unit. He participated in the governments ruthless counterinsurgency campaign against ethnic-Karen guerrillas in eastern Burma. This experience resulted in Shwes several-year-long commitment to a psychiatric hospital for post-traumatic stress disorder. Nonetheless, Shwe was known as a merciless fighter; his no-holds-barred style brought a promotion to the rank of captain in 1960. He was promoted to major in 1969, and in 1971 he graduated from a military training program at the Frunze Academy  in the Soviet Union. Entry into National Politics Captain Than Shwe helped General Ne Win seize power in the 1962 coup that ended Burmas brief post-independence experience with democracy. He was rewarded with a steady series of promotions, rising to the rank of colonel by 1978. In 1983, Shwe took military command of the Southwest Region/Irrawaddy Delta near Rangoon. This posting close to the capital was to aid him enormously in his quest for higher office. Ascent to Power In 1985, Shwe was promoted to brigadier general and given the twin posts of Vice Chief of Army Staff and Deputy Minister of Defense. The following year, he was promoted again to major general and given a seat on the Burma Socialist Partys Central Executive Committee. The junta crushed a pro-democracy movement in 1988, leaving 3,000 protestors dead. Burmese ruler Ne Win was ousted after the insurrection. Saw Muang took control, and Than Shwe moved into a high cabinet position- according to one writer, because of his ability to bore everyone else into submission. Following the abortive elections of 1990, Than Shwe replaced Saw Maung as head of state in 1992. Supreme Leader Initially, Than Shwe was seen as a more moderate-style military dictator than some of his predecessors. He freed some political prisoners and released pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in the late 1990s. (She won the 1990 presidential election despite being in prison.) Than Shwe also oversaw Burmas 1997 entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), signaling an openness to trade and increased market freedom. He also cracked down on some official corruption. However, Than Shwe became a stricter ruler over time. His former mentor, General Ne Win, died under house arrest in 2002. In addition, Than Shwes disastrous economic policies kept Burma one of the poorest countries in the world. Human Rights Abuses Given his early association with the brutal put-downs of the Karen independence and pro-democracy movements, its not surprising that Than Shwe showed little regard for human rights during his tenure as Burmas supreme ruler. Freedom of the press and free speech were nonexistent in Burma under his leadership. The journalist Win Tin, an associate of Aung San Suu Kyis, was imprisoned in 1989. (Aung San herself was also rearrested in 2003, and was under house arrest until late in 2010.) The Burmese junta used systematic rape, torture, executions, and disappearances to control the people and quell dissent. Monk-led protests in September 2007 resulted in a violent crackdown, which left hundreds dead. Personal Life While the Burmese people suffered under Than Shwes rule, Than Shwe and other top leaders enjoyed a very comfortable lifestyle (apart from worries about being deposed). The opulence with which the junta surrounded themselves was seen in a leaked video of the wedding reception of Than Shwes daughter, Thandar, and an army major. The video, showing ropes of diamonds, a solid-gold bridal bed, and huge amounts of champagne, outraged people inside Burma and around the world. It was not all jewels and BMWs for Shwe, though. The general is diabetic, and some experts believe he may be suffering from intestinal cancer. He has spent time in hospitals in Singapore and Thailand. Than Shwe is something of a recluse, however, so this information has not been verified. On March 30, 2011, Than Shwe stepped down as the ruler of Myanmar and retreated further from the public eye. His hand-picked successor, President Thein Sein, has initiated a series of reforms and has opened Myanmar to the international community to a surprising extent since he took office. Dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi was even allowed to run for a seat in the Congress, which she won on April 1, 2012. Sources Myint-U, Thant. Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012.Rogers, Benedict. Burma: a Nation at the Crossroads. Rider Books, 2015.

Diversity Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Diversity Management - Essay Example This discussion stresses that different types of discrimination reflect the aspects which were mentioned while exploring the notion of diversity. In other words, a person can be discriminated again because of featuring a particular characteristic. For example, a company may be willing to employ young employees since they have a better physical condition, are generally better at adopting new technology and can find common language with the clients. With this in mind, some employers might be willing to dismiss employees only because they are â€Å"too old†. As the paper states the people who belong to the majority provide the employees who represent the minority with worse working conditions and do not allow them to be promoted. In spite of the fact that there is no explicit mentioning that a person who qualify for promotion should belong to a particular race, it becomes obvious that some races receive better jobs and others – do not. A similar situation in a pharmacy sto re in the United State: the African American employees were often assigned to less desirable stores and had to work in conditions that were worse than their white counterparts. As one can clearly see the employer did not want the people from a different race to be successful on the job. Another example is found in the UK with a police office of colour being denied of promotion for racist reasons. Nowadays, the equality of genders is something that is being widely promoted and is supported by the applicable legislation. In spite of the fact that a gender gap exists, it is closing slowly, but surely.

Does The Use Of Technology Specifically Phones And Facebook Diminish Essay

Does The Use Of Technology Specifically Phones And Facebook Diminish Real Life Interactions - Essay Example A good example is the development of internet, which despite it being very useful brought forth cybercrime that, is affecting all persons either directly or indirectly. The phones are very essential in communicating with others who are not around us. This is very good for human development either politically or economically. Despite this, phones produce electromagnetic waves, which are not good for human health. Furthermore, the phones reduce physical interaction between persons as all transactions are completed without face-to-face interaction. This paper seeks to give an in-depth analysis of technology, specifically the use of phone and internet and they diminish real life interactions based on personal observation and interview results from five individuals.Due to the nature of the society we are today, the use of the phones has been on the increase. In the past, access to phone was limited and thus those who did not have phones had to travel to meet others. In such case, the huma n face-to-face interaction was common and had benefits attached to it. The face to face-to-face interaction reduced the chances of lying, which was very good for human social development. The duration a person spends on his phone in a day, depend on the nature of work he is undertaking. For example, businesspersons spend a lot of time on their phones to ensure that all transactions are carried out as planned despite them being absence.... The interference with their normal brain functioning affects various activities they are involved in, human face-to-face interaction included. Some people use phones for leisure and pleasure activities. This is well demonstrated by people who spend quantitate period playing various games available in the phone. In most cases, these games usually require one player. As a result, the addicts of such games spend a quantitative period of lime alone. Without the phone, the person would have interacted with other persons face to face in his recreation activities. In the children and youth development, learning from others not only the academic knowledge but also the general knowledge is mainly learned through interaction and observation of other people. Thus, the uses of phone impair face-to-face interaction of people, which may have adverse effect on child development. This does not mean that children should be denied access to phones. Consideration is necessary in ensuring those phones a re availed to children at the age of about fourteen years when it would not have much adverse effect on their development. Despite this, they should be advised and monitored. It is evident that people are involved in various activities in order to satisfy their needs. The activities may require their presence or not. In order to ensure that they effectively undertake them, people usually have more than one phone, each dedicated to a particular purpose. Using the phone, they are able to coordinate various activities in their absence. This makes it one of the most preferred methods of communication, as the response to the conversations is real time through calls. There are also methods of communication such as emails and messages. Their choice

The Black Death Essay Example for Free

The Black Death Essay What were the short term and long term impacts of the Black Death on Medieval society? The Black Death is one of the most fatal diseases in human history and took its peak in Europe from 1348 to 1350. Half of Europe’s population was wiped out due to this disease and the short and long term impacts greatly affected the structure of Medieval Society. The Black Death or otherwise known as the plague was thought to have begun in Central Asia, which spread down the Silk Road and eventually to Europe in the 14th century. The disease was caused by the fleas on infected rats, which spread the infection by biting a person or animal. However, the disease could also be contracted by breathing in airborne droplets from a person who already had the plague. Trading ships helped spread the plague as there were many rats on board who could jump off at the harbours they were trading in. Symptoms for the plague began in the first few days and included headaches, feeling of weakness, aches in the legs and groin, a white coating on the tongue, fever, vomiting, muscles pains, bleeding of the lungs and mental instability. The victim would also begin to develop black buboes on the armpits, leg, neck or groin that are red when first formed but will eventually grow to the size of an egg, turn black and burst, ultimately killing the victim . This disease killed very quickly, between 2 to 4 days and gave the victim a strong desire to sleep, which would kill them if it was allowed. There were many ‘treatments’ to the Black Death, many of them ineffective and superstitious such as wearing a magpies beak around your neck and cutting a hole in your head to let out bad spirits. However, there were wise women that lived in villages who provided medicine from herbs that actually worked. In all, there were not many effective way to cure the plague as people back in the Medieval times had little scientific understanding and believed the plague was a punishment sent from God, hence there were people called flagellants who went around whipping themselves and begging for God’s forgiveness. The short impacts of the Black Death had changed Medieval society greatly. Whole families and towns were wiped out and it is estimated that around 200 million people in Europe fell to the plague. Villages and towns began barring anyone from entering in fear of the plague and some of the rich chose to escape overseas. People began running amok, drinking and enjoying themselves as much as they could as they believed they had not long to live. Others thought that living quietly would cure them of the plague while a large amount of people believed that the world was going to end. The Crusades (a religious war fought between the Christians and the Muslims) came to a halt as the soldiers fighting the war had mostly died from the plague. Prices for everything also went down as most of the customers were dead and Free land become quite common as the people who owned the land were all dead. There were so many deaths that there was no one to farm the lands and barely anything had been harvested, resulting in starvation. The Long term impacts of the Black Death were better living conditions for the peasants after the plague as there were hardly any people left so the peasants remaining could get more wages subsequently improving their houses, tools and clothes. Higher wages also meant that some could send their children to school where they learnt to read and write to get better jobs. More schools were built due to this development and life became much easier for the poor. The power that the church had over the people was also diminishing as many believed that the plague was sent to punish the wicked, which was mainly the peasants but when even people of the church began to die, people began to question the church’s power. There were also more opportunities for women as many men had died so the women had to fill in for their jobs. For the first time, women could be the head of a household and own a wage earning job such as a blacksmith. Peasants were not so bound to the land anymore and this caused problems as the feudal lords of those times lost power and more peasants began looking for a better life. However, these were not the only long term impacts of the Black Death and in 1381; an event occurred in England that had never taken place before in the Medieval Ages. This event took place due to the smaller number of people to work the land; the peasants wanted more wages and freedom so that they could live a better life. Taxes also grew higher because of war and the Poll Tax in 1381 was the highest ones, leading the Peasants to rebel in what is now called ‘The Peasant’s Revolt’. The Peasants Revolt was an event in Medieval history where common people fought for more rights and freedom. It began in the villagers when Essex refused to pay taxes and attacked the tax collectors starting a riot that spread through Kent and Essex. The peasants eventually grouped together and decided to march to London to force the King to give them more rights. They elected a leader called Wat Tyler on the 7th of June, released a priest called John Ball and assembled together outside of London where King Richard (the present 14 year old king) met the rebels at Mile End. Wat Tyler demanded six things from the King. He demanded that Serfdom was abolished, that there be no more feudal services for the peasants, that land would be held freely at 4d an acre per year, the church lands must be given to the people and that there should be no legal difference between one man and another. King Richard agreed to these requests and pardoned the rebels. The same day, King Richard went to meet the rebels again at the Banks of Thames but confusion amongst the rebels stopped him from landing. Some rebels left after being pardoned but some stayed and murdered two of the King’s advisors in the tower of London. After this, the King went into hiding when the peasants destroyed the Duke of Lancaster’s palace and freed the prisoners. Finally, the King met with the rebels again and Wat Tyler made more demands but was stabbed to death when some felt he was threatening the King. The rebels were disbanded and killed under order of the King, the revolt had failed. However, it would not be until at 500 years later that Wat Tyler’s demands became a reality. The Black Death was a devastating disease that occurred in Europe in the 14th century that wiped out half of the population. The short term impacts were not only of mass death but also of the events that took place afterwards, such as the Peasant’s Revolt that resulted from the short term impacts of the plague. Whether short term or long term, the Black Death greatly impacted Medieval Society and triggered some of the most major events in English history.

Siddhartha :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

Siddhartha    Siddhartha is extremely proud of his ability to think, fast, and wait.   These qualities also allow him to get a job with Kamaswami as a merchant. These are basically Siddhartha's life achievements.   Being able to do these things shows he is intelligent and more than able to do most tasks.   This is probably why he flaunts it, and is proud of these abilities so much.   In this essay I will discuss each of these abilities individually, and show how they apply to his life, what they do to teach him, or show him, and also show how they help him or hinder him in various situations.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The ability to think obviously is something to be proud of.   When a man can think on any topic, give feedback, and reflect on it, they are considered very valuable in any situation or job.   When Kamaswami first meets Siddhartha, he is instantly impressed with his ability to read and write.   We see how this ability to think can gain a man instant respect.   All Siddhartha's life he has been reading, writing, meditating, and studying.   It is quite evident tat if you or I worked that hard, we would feel the same achievement he has, and try to apply our abilities to anything we do.   Aside from thinking though, Kamaswami is also very impressed with waiting as we see when he says, "Writing is good, thinking is better.   Cleverness is good, patience is better."      Ã‚  Ã‚   As much as Siddhartha thinks, his ability to wait is something that really defines his character even better.   This is also incorporates with fasting, as well as thinking, but by itself waiting is extremely important. I have found, in all my years, myself to be quite impatient.   This will probably harm me later in my life.   The ability to wait also spurs the ability to think, and fast.   Throughout all his studies, Siddhartha had to wait out the array of different teachings he went through to know truly in his heart, that they didn't apply to him.   To wait on something shows wisdom, and maturity.   These are traits that no good businessman can ignore, as Kamaswami realizes.   That is a major reason Siddhartha was hired.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, fasting is something that once again requires patience, and deep

Philosophy Meaning Essay

PHILOSOPHY greek meaning â€Å"love of wisdom†, encompassed the love of all wisdom, but only in recent centuries came to refer to a special branch of enquiry, separate from other sciences, such as â€Å"natural philosophy†. * is universally defined as â€Å"the study of the wisdom or knowledge about the general problems, facts, and situations connected with human existence, values, reasons, and general reality. † It seeks reasons, answers, and general explanations to life and its factors. Thus, if we talk about philosophy, we talk about a school of thoughts. â€Å"philosophers† which makes a profession of studying things in their separation from human life and practice. The main branches of Philosophy are Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics and Ethics. Western philosophy is referred to as the school of thought from Greek philosophy that influenced the greater part of Western civilization. * takes its roots from Rome and Christianity, specifically Judeo-Christianity. * Latin * Rational, Scientific, Logical schools. Western civilization is more individualistic, trying to find the meaning of life here and now with self at the center as it is already given and part of the divine. Eastern philosophy is based mainly in Asia, more specifically the Chinese philosophy. * Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism. Chinese. Hinduism, Integral Yoga, Islam, Zen * Relationship with religion; Integration Search for absolute truth: * Systemic approach – all events in the universe are interconnected * Searching inside yourself – by becoming a part of the universe through meditation and right living. Eastern philosophy is drawn much more into groups or society or people’s actions and thoughts as one in order to find meaning in life as they try to get rid of the false â€Å"me† concept and find meaning in discovering the true â€Å"me† in relation to everything around them, or as part of a bigger scheme. Summary: * Western philosophy is mainly used in the Western parts of the world, such as in the European countries, while the Eastern philosophy is prevalent in Asian countries. * Both philosophies center on virtues. * West’s Individualism ( and the East’s Collectivism (A human being is an integral part of the universe and the society. People are fundamentally connected. Duty towards all others is a very important matter. Collectivism is stronger. ) * Eastern philosophy takes more of a spiritual approach while Western philosophy is more hands-on. The Ionian Philosophers * comes from Aristotle; first source to attempt systematic exposition of their doctrines. Thales * Prediction of the eclipse, and other astronomical activities. * Prediction of solstices * Mathematical discoveries (geometry ) * Cosmology * Natural phenomena – including the heavens – could be discussed as processes governed by natural laws. * Believed that the Earth was a large (? at) disk ? oating on an in? nite ocean of water, and that earthquakes resulted from disturbances in this ocean that shook and cracked the Earth. * concept of â€Å"unity underlying diversity† – some fundamental principles tying together all the multitude of things we see on Earth * water was the fundamental element from which all things were derived. Anaximander * Zoogony and anthropogony * thought the Universe formed out of an in? nite chaos he called the â€Å"boundless† due to a â€Å"separating out† of opposites (such as hot and cold, wet and dry). * ? rst recorded attempt to model the Universe. (the Earth was a cylinder and that the Sun, Moon and stars were all located on concentric cylinders, or hoops, rotating about the Earth. ) Anaximenes * one ruling material principle is air; imperceptible. * Air was the fundamental material of all things. * ? rst attempt to explain the diversity of the world with qualitative differences in terms of quantitative differences. Babylonians and Egyptians were excellent at mathematics. Greeks began to move away from their mythical view of the world and started to seek explanations of natural phenomena; later called science. * All questioned the origin of the Universe, what was here in the beginning, and what things are made from. They all believed that material substance (rather than some spiritual or supernatural substance; thus the name materialists) made up the Universe. In other words, matter is the only substance, and reality is identical with the actually occurring states of energy and matter. * ‘physicalism’. to distance oneself from what seems a historically important but no longer scientifically relevant thesis of materialism.

Police Enforcement And Law Enforcement Essay - 2037 Words

Every day, law enforcement officers encounter danger while carrying out their duties. The foremost duty of law enforcement officers are to serve and protect citizens. Most law enforcement agencies do this successfully. However, many people view law enforcement officers as the enemy. People need to be better informed about law enforcement and why officers take specific actions in certain circumstances. In our society, police are in a very dangerous position when it comes to the amount of force they can use when dealing with an individual. Officers use discretion when deciding the best course of action for the situation, whether it be physical force, persuasion, or coercion. They must take the correct course of action, because if they are too lenient or to forceful, even when dealing with petty things, they can be reprimanded by superiors and the public. Should police use force? Which circumstances warrant use force and what are the limits of force they can use? These questio ns are often asked when police are compelled to use force. A majority of the population have erroneous beliefs concerning law enforcement agencies. Many believe police should not have the authority to use force, no matter what the situation. Often people believe everything can be resolved in peaceful terms with no one injured or killed. Likewise, people do not understand the need to use force and the responsibility of use of force by the police. Sometimes problems cannot be solved in aShow MoreRelatedPolice Enforcement And The Law Enforcement2570 Words   |  11 PagesThroughout law enforcement history there has been events that have occurred or changed made to better law enforcement for both the officer and the community. Since the early 1900s, law enforcement has been a part of our society and been there to enforce laws and protect the citizens of our country. Law enforcement has not always been the same though. 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