Our editorial policy- occasionally, in the interests of balance and variety, we post pieces with which we might not agree totally - here is another -

Burmese Theater by Naypyidaw Inc. by Maung Zarni President U Thein Sein is saying all the right things on camera while the puppeteers behind the scene are doing all the bad things. Ask the Kachin, the Rohingya, the Rakhine, the land-lost farmers, down-trodden workers, the professionals, and the bulk of the Burmese population, really. On her part, the beautiful min-tha-mee or the Princess loves to perform. The audiences loose their mind. This is Burmese theater, Zat Pwe. At some point a curtain will be drawn. The director (s) will move onto to next episode. Well-known advisers, famous dissidents, Noble icon, etc. are all props in this Burmese theater orchestrated deep within Naypyidaw's bunkers. Sanity and reason are virtues when all-around madness is enveloping in and about Burma. Half-century of dictatorship in Burma has produced a citizenry that is mad and hate-soaked. Enjoy the Pwe while it lasts! Maung Zarni

Ben Franklin in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, vaulted ceiling decoration, US Capital, Washington DC, photo copyright Kyi May Kaung