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Photo News - August 2010

Monday, 02 August 2010 16:40 Mizzima News
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Devotees arrive last week from across Burma for one of the few traditional events held at this time of year, the spirit festival in Taungbyone, a village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, believed able to communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival focuses on the shrine to the brothers, beaten to death with bamboo at the order of Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The festival, with its dancing mediums and traditional music, is considered the loudest in Burma. Photo: Mizzima Women lay out salted fish offerings for devotees last week at the spirit festival in Taungbyone, a small village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, who local people believe can communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival’s focus is a shrine to the brothers, executed by being beaten to death with bamboo at the order of Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The pagoda remains, complete with spaces for the bricks the brothers failed to provide. Photo: Mizzima Devotees present garlands at the main shrine during the spirit festival last week in Taungbyone, a village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, who local people believe can communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival’s focus is the shrine to the brothers, beaten to death with bamboo at the order of Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The festival, with its dancing mediums and traditional music is considered the loudest in Burma. Photo: Mizzima Devotees gather in front of the main shrine during the spirit festival last week in Taungbyone, a village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, believed able to communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival’s focus is the shrine to the brothers, beaten to death with bamboo at the order of Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The festival, with its dancing mediums and traditional music is considered the loudest in Burma. Photo: Mizzima Spirit mediums, or Natkadaw, prepare for a ceremony at the main shrine during the spirit festival last week in Taungbyone, a village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with thousands of merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of Natkadaw, believed able to communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival’s focus is the shrine to the brothers beaten to death with bamboo canes at the order of Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The festival, with its dancing mediums and traditional music, is considered the loudest and most colourful in the country. Photo: Mizzima Thousands of devotees wait to make offerings at the main shrine during the spirit festival last week in Taungbyone, a village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, believed able to communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The gala’s focus is the shrine to the brothers who were beaten to death with bamboo at the order of Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. With its dancing mediums and traditional music, the festival is considered the loudest and most colourful in Burma. Photo: Mizzima A Burmese spirit-dancer calls for possession last week at the spirit festival in Taungbyone, a small village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, who local people believe can communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival’s focal point is a shrine with statues of the brothers, executed by Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The pagoda remains, complete with spaces for the bricks the brothers failed to provide. Photo: Mizzima A Burmese spirit-dancer calls for possession last week at the spirit festival in Taungbyone, a small village 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Mandalay in Upper Burma. From August 18 to 25, the village filled with merchants, pilgrims and hundreds of nat (spirit) mediums, or Natkadaw, who local people believe can communicate with the spirits of Taungbyone brothers Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Nge, thought able to bring prosperity and tell fortunes. The festival’s focal point is a shrine with statues of the brothers, executed by Pagan ruler King Anawrahta (1044-1077) for failing to donate bricks for a pagoda he was building. The pagoda remains, complete with spaces for the bricks the brothers failed to provide. Photo: Mizzima A Burmese Buddhist monk passes the office of the National Democratic Force (NDF), a party made up of former members of detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s disbanded National League for Democracy, in Moegote, central Burma, on August 20, 2010. While she has called for a boycott of the polls on November 7, the NDF sees the vote as the only hope for progress in the autocratic nation. Meanwhile, NDF central executive committee member Khin Maung Swe announced this week his withdrawal from standing, citing red tape imposed by the junta’s electoral commission. Photo: AFP A boy joins a demonstration at the Canadian Embassy in London on Wednesday, August 25, led by advocacy group Burma Campaign UK. It called on the Canadian government to publicly support a UN commission of inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity by the ruling military junta in Burma. Photo: Burma Campaign UK Prisoners at Insein listen to a sermon by Thabateai Monastery Abbot Sitagu Sayadaw U Nyanissara on Saturday, August 21, 2010. Yesterday, Burmese authorities granted an amnesty to more than 100 inmates of the notorious jail, though none were political prisoners. Photo: Mizzima Charcoal vendors carry product for sale recently on the west bank of the Chindwin River in central Burma. Firewood and charcoal are still used as a main fuel for cooking in the Southeast Asian country, where in its central ‘dry zone’ food shortages stemming from a three-year drought are worsening with reportedly no aid from junta authorities. Photo: Mizzima Burmese authorities raised from July 1 onwards, the passenger tax at Rangoon International Airport for Burmese citizens 600 per cent, from 500 Kyat (around 50 US cents) to 3,000 Kyat (around US$3). Foreigners, however, must still pay the previous rate of around US$10. Photo: Mizzima Burmese authorities raised from July 1 onwards, the passenger tax at Rangoon International Airport for Burmese citizens 600 per cent, from 500 Kyat (around 50 US cents) to 3,000 Kyat (around US$3). Foreigners, however, must still pay the previous rate of around US$10. Photo: Mizzima Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win gestures during his visit to Falintil or the East Timorese Defence Force in Metinaro on Saturday, August 21, 2010. East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Friday his country was seeking to improve relations with Burma, including commercial ties, but the visit was marked by protests, with clashes between police and rights activists demanding Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. Falintil was the military wing of the political party Fretlin, which began as a resistance movement that fought for East Timor’s independence from Portugal and then Indonesia. Photo: AFP Democratic Party chairman Thu Wai (second from left) speaking at a press conference on Sunday, August 22, 2010. Photo: Mizzima. He predicted the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Committee (USDP) would win the most seats in the upcoming election as other political parties face financial problems. Silent tribute is paid to veteran Shan politician Shwe Ohn, 89, at the Yayway Cemetary in Rangoon on Sunday, August 22, 2010. Photo: Mizzima. Shwe Ohn, who passed away on Friday, dedicated his life to the pursuit of a federal system of governance for Burma. Attendees watch the opening ceremony of the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s (USDP) Mandalay headquarters today, August 20, 2010. Mandalay Mayor Phone Zaw Han and Health Minister Dr. Kyaw Myint presided at the event held at 9:45 a.m. Mandalay Mayor Phone Zaw Han and Health Minister Dr. Kyaw Myint presided over the event at 9:45 a.m. to coincide with similar ceremonies across Burma – all led by mayors and junta ministers.Most Burmese consider nine a lucky number. Photo: Mizzima Party members and attendees, many in traditional Burmese longyi, gather outside the new Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) headquarters in Chanayethazan Township Mandalay, today, August 20, 2010, for its opening ceremony. Mandalay Mayor Phone Zaw Han and Health Minister Dr. Kyaw Myint presided over the event held at 9:45 a.m. to coincide with similar ceremonies across Burma – all led by mayors and junta ministers. Most Burmese consider nine a lucky number. Photo: Mizzima Mandalay Mayor Phone Zaw Han (first right) and Health Minister Dr. Kyaw Myint (third right) open the city’s headquarters of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Chanayethazan Township, Mandalay Division, today, August 20, 2010. Most Burmese consider nine a lucky number, so the ceremonies were held at 9:45 a.m. across the country. Some USDP leaders have boasted they are well positioned to win in the general elections on November 7. Photo: Mizzima Dr. Than Nyein, chairman of the National Democratic Force party, which broke away from the National League for Democracy over opposition to the latter’s boycott of polls to be held on November 7, presides over the opening ceremony of the NDF office in Aungmyaythazan Township, Mandalay, in Upper Burma on August 19, 2010. Also today, the junta’s Union Election Commission announced in state-run media that parties need to obtain permission for their members to gather to conduct campaigns. Photo: Mizzima Monks pass the National Democratic Force office in Aungmyaythazan Township, Mandalay, in northern Burma, during its opening ceremony on Thursday, August 19, 2010. The junta’s Union Election Commission announced in state-run media today that parties need to obtain permission for gathering members to conduct campaigns. Photo: Mizzima A Buddhist monk walks by city hall in central Rangoon, the former Burmese capital, on August 13, 2010, the day the country’s ruling military junta announced it will hold the country’s first general elections in two decades on November 7. Democracy and rights activists and the West say the vote is a sham aimed at legitimising the junta’s half-century grip on power. Photo: AFP A fire official directs traffic in front of Thuria private petrol station at the corner of Anawrahta Road and Kaingtan Street in Lanmadaw Township, part of Rangoon’s Chinatown, where fire broke out at 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. The flames failed to reach cars or the station’s petrol tanks, but two employees were taken to hospital with injuries. The blaze started at an electrical inverter, which it destroyed along with office equipment and stationery, a fire department source said. Photo: Mizzima Scores of onlookers and firemen gather near Thuria private petrol station at the corner of Anawrahta Road and Kaingtan Street in Lanmadaw Township, part of Rangoon’s Chinatown, where fire broke out at 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. The flames failed to reach cars or the station’s petrol tanks, but two employees were taken to hospital with unspecified injuries. The blaze started at an electrical inverter, which it destroyed along with office equipment and stationery, a fire department source said. Photo: Mizzima A Burmese labourer carries a basket of fish as he unloads the cargo of a fishing boat at a port in Rangoon late on August 12, 2010. The fishing industry contributes in a large way to the resource-rich country’s economy, also dominated by traditional agriculture and forestry, but seldom do the nation’s riches benefit the Burmese public. Photo: AFP Transocean’s Development Driller III platform drills a relief well at the site of BP Deepwater Horizon oil well as workers try to stem the flow of America’s worst oil spill, in the Gulf of Mexico on June 12, 2010. The US-Swiss company admitted on August 4 it was under investigation by the US Treasury over its “operations in Myanmar [Burma]”. Photo: AFP Burmese cross the Thai-Burmese border on inner tubes near Mae Sot. The Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge is currently closed at the behest of Burmese authorities because of a diplomatic spat between the neighbours. But pragmatic Thai businessmen desperate to ship goods back and forth between the countries have developed a new system with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. Photo: AFP The Karen’s Buddhist library (for Buddhist scriptures) in the campus of Shwedagon Pagoda is seen on Friday, August 13, 2010, deserted by monks and people following the authorities’ decision to evict them from the building. Photo: Mizzima. Six Buddhist libraries in the campus of Shwedagon have been closed. One of them would be used as a residence when the Buddhist delegates from Sri Lanka came to Burma, the trustee of Shwedagon Pagoda said. Two Buddhist libraries are not closed and they are used as residents for officials from land revenue department and polices. The Karen’s Buddhist library (for Buddhist scriptures) in the campus of Shwedagon Pagoda is seen on Friday, August 13, 2010, deserted by monks and people following the authorities’ decision to evict them from the building. Photo: Mizzima. Six Buddhist libraries in the campus of Shwedagon have been closed. One of them would be used as a residence when the Buddhist delegates from Sri Lanka came to Burma, the trustee of Shwedagon Pagoda said. Two Buddhist libraries are not closed and they are used as residents for officials from land revenue department and polices. A Burmese citizen living in Japan with a T-shirt saying “Boycott 2010 Election” gathers for a rally in Tokyo to mark the 22nd anniversary of the failed bloody uprising against the ruling junta on August 8, 1988. Burma announced on August 13, 2010 it will hold its first election in two decades on November 7 – a vote that activists and the West say is a sham aimed at shoring up the junta’s grip on power since 1962. Photo: AFP. A Burmese delivery man walks past a Union Election Commission branch office in the former capital of Rangoon on Friday, August 13, 2010, the day the junta’s electoral watchdog announced Burma would hold its first elections in two decades, on November 7. The winner of the last polls in 1990, the National League for Democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, activists and the West say the vote is a sham aimed at shoring up the junta’s half-century grip on power. Photo: AFP. A boy entertains himself with a new hat as some 155 people take refuge at Kan Oo Monastery in Insein Township on Thursday, August 12, 2010. They were made homeless by a fire that swept through municipal staff homes and the displaced people’s 20 huts nearby on Tuesday. Authorities let only one person per family return to the huts to collect valuables. Photo: Mizzima Potential buyers inspect home appliances at a sales-centre stall during the four-day Expo 2010 exhibition at Tatmadaw Hall in Rangoon on Thursday, August 12, 2010. The show is open until August 15. Photo: Mizzima Participants enter the Yangon (Rangoon) Expo 2010 retail exhibition at the Tatmadaw Hall in the former Burmese capital on Thursday, August 12, 2010. computer and electronics exhibits have proven the most popular at such shows, which this year have seen poor turnouts. The exhibition is being held until August 15. Photo: Mizzima A farmer prepares paddy for rice-planting in Burma. A study published in US peer-reviewed scientific, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, on Monday asserts that global warming has cut rice yields in parts of Asia between 10 and 20 per cent in the past 25 years. As if Cyclone Nargis, rat infestations and incessant drought were not enough to wilt rice production in Burma, farmers must now face the effects of global warming. Photo: AFP Members of the Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics and the 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar) parties invite monks to share a meal on Sunday, August 8, 2010 to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the “8888” nationwide pro-democracy uprising. During the protests in 1988, people demanded a multiparty system, but the Burmese army, on orders of the military junta, launched a murderous crackdown to clear the streets, killing thousands of protesters. Photo: Mizzima Burmese opposition activists demonstrate on Friday (August 6) at the embassy of Burma in London ahead of yesterday’s 22nd anniversary of the nationwide “8888” uprising. The hundreds of protestors calling for multi-party democracy were gunned down by the military on orders of Burma’s ruling junta on August 8, 1988. Photo: Burma Campaign UK People’s Parliament buildings in Naypyidaw remain unfinished though thousands of construction workers continue to hammer away on the project. By saying that the forthcoming elections would be neither free nor fair, Union Democratic Party chairman Phyo Min Thein yesterday decided to pull out of the junta’s election and quit his party. He said the junta’s electoral commission was a puppet organ and decried its bias towards the Union Solidarity and Development Party. Photo: Mizzima People’s Parliament buildings in Naypyidaw remain unfinished though thousands of construction workers continue to hammer away on the project. By saying that the forthcoming elections would be neither free nor fair, Union Democratic Party chairman Phyo Min Thein yesterday decided to pull out of the junta’s election and quit his party. He said the junta’s electoral commission was a puppet organ and decried its bias towards the Union Solidarity and Development Party. Photo: Mizzima Construction workers at the site of the new Thirimingala Market building near Padauk creek, Hlaingtharyar Township in Rangoon on August 4, 2010. Authorities ordered the market – one of Rangoon’s main wet wholesale bazaars, with meat, fish and vegetables on offer – to move from in Kyeemyindaing Township, where it has operated for 12 years. Photo: Mizzima Farmers spray pesticide at a bean and tomato farm in wetlands on the edge of Inya Lake in northeastern Burma’s Shan State, on August 3, 2010. Scientists and greens say the lake’s aquatic life is being poisoned because of the heavy use of chemical insecticides at such floating farms. Photo: Mizzima Leaders of the National Democratic Force (NDF) including Khin Maung Swe (leftmost) and Dr. Than Nyein (fourth left) attending the signboard installation ceremony at party headquarters on Dagon Lwin Street, Tarmway Township  in Rangoon on Sunday, August 1.  Photo: Mizzima. The NLD splinter group's leaders said they have already selected candidates to contest in 50 townships.

Photo News - July 2010

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 August 2010 19:09 )  

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