Fighting in Burma’s Western state of Rakhine has left thousands of houses burnt down and an estimated 64 dead according to the Burmese government.

The victims were mostly Muslim Rohingya and satellite pictures released by Human Rights Watch show entire districts razed to the ground.

This recent rise in violence is but the latest in a long running civil war that has been ongoing since the country gained its independence from British rule in 1948. Shortly following Burma’s independence, the Burmese government, which mainly consists of Bamar people who make up two thirds of the population of Burma, created the Burmese constitution denying ethnic minorities constitutional rights or participation in government.

There are a total of 135 ethnic minorities officially recognized by the Burmese government as well as several unrecognized groups, the most notable of these being the Rohingya.

The exclusion of ethnic minorities from government is one the main reasons behind the civil war in Burma with many groups, such as the Shan and Chin people, having formed militias to fight for autonomy in their home areas as well as power in the decision-making process of the whole country.

The fighting has not solely been over ethnic minorities struggling to gain the power and rights they believe they deserve. The civil war is also being fought because, according to Burma Campaign UK the ”Burman dominated governments see their own race, culture and religion as the best and have been trying to impose it on others”.

This is particularly true of the Muslim Rohingya who mostly live in Rakhine state, which has been the center of violence last week and also last June. Called “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world” by the UN the Rohingya are officially stateless and not recognized as citizens in the Burmese Constitution. Despite the fact that they have resided in the country for centuries, the Rohingya are viewed by many Burmese as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Thein Sein, the current president of Burma, has called the Rohingya a threat to national security and stated his willingness to hand 800,000 Rohingya over to the United Nations refugee agency to be settled in another country.

With the president of Burma publicly expressing such views, it adds credibility to remarks made by Tun Khin of the Burmese Rohingya organization in the UK, who claimed on channel 4 news that last weeks events were “proper planned by Rakhine National Democratic party”  and that the state incited the local Muslim population to attack the Rohingya. This is confirmed by Burma Campaign UK who say ”what has happened in recent months is clearly mainly instigated and implemented by Rakhine and Burman nationalists with a mixture of overt and tacit backing from the government.” The government also recognized that the violence was not spontaneous, saying in a press release  ”… there are persons and organizations who are conducting manipulation in the incidents in Rakhine State behind the scene”. However they could not be contacted for comment on the matter.

As well as inciting and backing violence against the Rohingya, the government could be guilty of failing to properly protect the Rohingya. This is certainly the view of Human Rights Watch who said,”In Arakan State, the Burmese government inadequately responded to the sectarian violence between the ethnic Arakan and Rohingya populations. When it finally did take action, state security forces targeted the minority Rohingya for killings, mass arrests and looting, causing massive displacement.”

These attacks by either the government or local population on the Rohingya people come shortly after the government made steps towards democracy with several small reforms. First was the release of human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010 after 15 years under house arrest. There was then the first elections after 49 years of military rule, even if the elections were widely regarded as being rigged. While these actions were a move in the right direction, these reforms have only distracted the international community from what is happening to the Rohingya.

Right now, the Rohingya are the only ones the government are targeting. But what happens when Thein Sein has successfully got rid of the Rohingya, will it stop there? The international community must wake up and realize that it is not just the Middle East that is in the midst of civil war. We cannot continue to pick and choose which countries we help, and which we ignore. The Libyans and Syrians are not the only ones being persecuted by their leaders, the world needs to hear what is happening to the Rohingya and other minorities in Burma and act to protect them.

Image Courtesy : Government of Thailand [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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Harrisburg, U.S.A. – The State Museum of Pennsylvania presents “Artists Conversations,” a three-part program in conjunction with “Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2012,” on exhibit through Sept. 9. The State Museum will also offer special guided tours of the exhibit on Fridays and Sundays. The programs are free with museum admission and reservations are not required.

“Artists Conversations” pairs a selection of “Art of the State” artists with museum staff members to share their perspectives on the 2012 exhibition. The first program in the series will feature five members of the Harrisburg Camera Club who each have works in the show: Geoff Crego, Jim Crowley, Andrew Hoff, Don Uvick and Bob Willis. Museum staff photographer Don Giles will join the club members on Sunday, July 15, at 1 p.m. to provide an insightful insiders’ tour of the exhibition.

“This is the second year in a row that Harrisburg Camera Club members have had at least five pieces in ‘Art of the State,’” State Museum Director David W. Dunn said. “We are impressed with this record and their expertise, and look forward to hearing them share their insights with our visitors.”

“Artists Conversations” will also be held on Friday, Aug. 17, at 6:30 p.m. for Harrisburg’s 3rd in the Burg, pairing artist Carol Oldenburg, York, with Dunn, and on Sunday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. for Harrisburg’s Gallery Walk, teaming sculptor Mark Pettegrow, Bucks County, with State Museum Education and Outreach Chief Beth A. Hager.

In addition, guided tours of “Art of the State” will be offered every week throughout the exhibit’s run. The tours are approximately 25 minutes long and are offered on Fridays at 12:15 p.m. and 1 p.m., and on Sundays at 2 p.m. The Friday tours are a part of The State Museum’s special “Learn at Lunchtime” summer series in which admission is free every Friday through Aug. 31, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“Art of the State” is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists.  This year’s show features 129 pieces by 115 artists working throughout the state. “Art of the State” is co-presented by the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council and The State Museum.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania’s fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary eras, a pivotal Civil War battleground and the Commonwealth’s vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania’s story is America’s story.

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A visit to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is an opportune time to walk through a town rich with historical American culture. Gettysburg, located in the southern region of Pennsylvania and just miles away from neighboring Maryland, is the site of the deadliest battle in the Civil War.

With the Civil War standing as a monumental turning point in the history of the United States, visiting Gettysburg is often considered a deeply moving experience in understanding where the country has been to get to where it is today.

One of the most popular destinations when traveling to Gettysburg is the Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center. For any first time tourist or returning traveler, making this Visitor Center a first stop priority is key in getting a detailed scope of the historical town.

Within the Visitor Center is a museum full of relics originating from the Civil War. Both the Confederate and Union are equally represented in the museum and a walk through the space is an educational opportunity to get immersed in American history. From one display to the next, visitors are able to get a vivid picture of how life was during the war through what the soldiers wore as uniforms, what kind of items they carried with them, the types of weapons they used, and even how they slept in small tents.

“A New Birth of Freedom,” is an important short film to watch at the Visitor Center, narrated by Morgan Freeman. With historical accounts of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s monumental Gettysburg Address, this movie is a great way for visitors to continue understanding why the small town of Gettysburg is such an important part of American history.

Along with the museum and film, the Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center also has a famed Cyclorama. Created by artist Paul Philippoteaux in the 1880’s, the Cyclorama is an expansive 377 foot long oil painting that depicts in detail the Battle of Gettysburg.

The painting stands at an astonishing 42 feet high and visitors can bask in its sheer size as they listen to a recorded narration of the chain of events during the battle. The lighting and special effects in the large room that houses the Cyclorama makes the experience much more interactive and is recommended for anyone who comes to Gettysburg.

A visit to Gettysburg wouldn’t be complete without taking a battlefield tour. There are plenty of tours running from Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center, along with other independent tour companies throughout town. Visitors can embark on a guided tour bus that drives around the 6,000 acre Gettysburg Battlefield, where the historical events took place.

Audio tours are also available, giving tourists the chance to drive around in their own car while listening to detailed facts of the battlefield. A battlefield tour takes two hours to complete and is a truly one of a kind experience. The streets of downtown Gettysburg are also full of historical buildings and locations where the Civil War unfolded.

The David Wills House now stands as a museum, and its importance is unlike any place else. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln stayed at the house of David Wills, an attorney in Gettysburg. It was there that Lincoln penned the end of his Gettysburg Address. Walking through the David Wills House is like stepping back in time, where people can still see the room the Gettysburg Address was written in, along with the bed Lincoln slept in.

Baltimore Street is a main thoroughfare in Gettysburg. A nice walk along this street is a perfect way for visitors to see more local attractions. Along this road is the Soldier’s National Cemetery and the neighboring spot where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.

Baltimore Street also hosts a variety of museums, including the Hall of Presidents and Confederate States Museum. Ghost tours are popular in Gettysburg and many starting points are on Baltimore Street. Nearby Steinwehr Street is another great place to take in museums and buy souvenirs depicting the Civil War.

Finally, downtown’s Lincoln Square is a hub for local cuisine and small shops that can satisfy many shoppers’ tastes. With a history so strongly weighed by shifts in American culture, Gettysburg is a place not to be missed. Visiting Gettysburg is a humbling educational and travel experience that shines light on how thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives for the greater good of the United States of America.

For more information on planning a trip to Gettysburg, visit gettysburgfoundation.org

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Civil-War-Museum-Gettysburg-Gift-Center/120645324880

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An area most people would be unable to point out on a map, the narrow strip of land bordered by both the Black and Caspian seas has been a point of contention for centuries.

Strategically located and historically known as where Europe fades into Asia, this mountainous region is reminded of policies enacted by Communist leader Josef Stalin twenty-plus years after the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia (Stalin’s birthplace), declared independence from the Soviet yoke. But this region is not so easily divided.

There are more than three types of people here, with at least fifty different ethnic groups all trying to establish themselves.  With no Kremlin and powerful military to qualm nationalistic interests, tribal feuding emerges resulting in a multitude of regional conflict.

The Chechens, with their terrorist attacks in Moscow railways may be the most notorious of this lot, but are just one example of post Soviet problems presented in the 21^st century.

Societies that may be similar, but speak drastically different dialects crowd these narrow and ancient settlements, a region that harbors the most ancient forms of Christianity and churches. This small area has spent time being ruled by such superpowers as Persia, Turkey, Byzantium and Russia, but managed to keep their way of life alive against such odds.

Armenians have had a glorious history; only to have experienced such tragedy during their vast existence. A nation known to be passionate with the written language, their chronicles cover a range of history, and even translations of neighboring literature.

The holocaust of World War two even has ties to this enigmatic region. Hitler mentioned the forgotten Armenian genocide prior to his invasion of Poland in 1939. In the years between 1915-1918, 1.5 million Armenians would die from unnatural causes, and continue to suffer from the humiliation of denial.

By creating an ethnically Armenian exclave within the borders of Azerbaijan in 1923, Stalin caused conflict amongst both peoples claiming the area to be their own, creating internal strife that would in turn, weaken both nations of any potential cooperation against Moscow.  The plan worked and is still working nearly nine decades after it was initiated.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 1988-1994 was a result of borders created by Stalin to create disunity between the peoples of this region. The effects are still relevant today as both Turkey and Azerbaijan have a closed border policy resulting from Armenia’s victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The war ended in bitter peace and severed trade routes with the West. This currently strains Armenia economically, falling further behind her neighbors while oil-rich Azerbaijan bypasses  Armenia and routes their new pipeline from the Caspian, to Georgia, and out through the Black Sea.

War between Georgia and the territory of South Ossetia has been declared three times in the past two decades. The Ossetians are an ancient Indo-Iranian ethnic group that presently has both a north territory within Russian borders, and an adjacent southern province that is a continuing point of conflict with Georgia claiming ownership.

The first war was in 1991-1992 and would break-out again in 2004.

With the Georgian-Russian war over South Ossetia contained since 2008, the conflict lasted ten days and resulted in a cease-fire.  Presently, Russia and Venezuela are the only countries that recognize South Ossetia as a separate government from Georgia, who was receiving and implementing weapons provided by the USA and NATO.

With Ossetia backed militarily by Russia, comparisons can be made to the ideological cold-war conflicts in Southeast Asia. Poor host countries serving as the battleground for empires to show off weaponry.

The notorious Chechens still have animosity toward Moscow and are not afraid to hide it. After Stalin deported the entire Chechen population to Siberia or Kazakhstan, some returned home to the mountains and developed national identity once Communism fell. The Islamic Chechnyns committed jihad acts against their northern neighbor, and former ruler, Russia in recent history.

Numerous suicide bombs in and around Moscow, and the immensely tragic hostage situation at a North Ossetian elementary school in 2004 are just more examples of a region in strife.

The Armenian Genocide is a hotly debated subject to this day, as Turkey and the United States do not declare this loss of life due directly toward the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Many Armenians will agree on the contrary, and place the systematic slaughter off their people and culture on Turkish sabers and rifles.

Obama had addressed this issue during his campaigning, assuring the world that the tragedy would finally be recognized appropriately. The promise is left unfulfilled to this day, as the USA has a vested interested in Turkey’s strategic location, operating several air-bases in the most ‘western’ of Middle Eastern countries.

What can explain an area so small and isolated, yet, so full of war and conflict? The easy explanation is to blame communism as a failed social experiment, with Transcaucasia as a result of it. Or is it that diversity and multiculturalism doesn’t work? That when you have dozens of different peoples all vying for domination in a confined area, that such aspirations will turn violent toward your neighbor?

Either way, it is a tragic circumstance for a place that is used to being controlled by someone else.

Sergey Kamshylin / Shutterstock.com

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Nine former Salvadoran soldiers turned themselves in earlier this month. They will face the charges of killing six Jesuit priests and two women during El Salvador’s civil war. The priests, five of whom were Spanish, their housekeeper and her daughter were shot dead by soldiers in 1989.

They had been indicted in Spain and the case was filed using Spain’s universal jurisdiction law, which holds that some crimes are so grave that they can be tried anywhere.

The men handed themselves in at a military base after reportedly hearing that Salvadoran police were going to detain them under an international arrest order issued by Interpol.

Among those who were indicted by the Spanish court, a total of 20 former soldiers, are two former defence ministers.The man accused of ordering the killings, Gen Rene Emilio Ponce, died in May. Ten other suspects remain at large.

Among those who handed themselves in is Gen Rafael Humberto Larios. He was the minister of defence at the time of the shooting and was present at the meeting where Ponce ordered the killing, according to a report by a United Nations Truth Commission who investigated the killings.

The judge, Eloy Velasco, said the priests had been targeted because they had pushed for negotiations between the government and left-wing rebels.

He said the men, who worked at the Central American University, had taken the lead in pressing for negotiations between the right-wing government and the left-wing rebels.

“That was the fundamental motive for the killing,” the judge added. Around 70,000 people were killed during the 12-year civil war before a 1992 United Nations-brokered agreement brought peace to the country.

Human rights groups have welcomed the move by the nine former military men, although they hold out little hope that the Salvadoran Supreme Court will extradite them to Spain.

Gualberto Becerra / Shutterstock.com

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Want to travel back in time to view the journey of the Civil Rights Movement come alive again? See the signs, photographs, news clippings and hear speeches that were a part of the movement in a new exhibit, For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights, presented by the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” These words were spoken by the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the US civil rights movement, in his “I Have a Dream” speech.

King delivered the speech on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., as part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It is considered to be one of the greatest American political speeches ever delivered.

Just as important to the speeches and marches was the culture that emerged around it and its publication. The media played a key role on the road to equality. Through media, the events of the Civil Rights movement were captured by recordings and photographs; this allowed millions to be involved and informed regardless of distance.

For All the World to See, is an exhibit that takes people back in time throughout the movement, see signs that once filled cities and streets that advocated segregation, “For Whites Only, No Negros, Mexicans, or Dogs.” Hear inspirational speeches, from some of the leaders of the movement. See footage from the Marches for civil rights, or see photographs of people with hope and ambition.

“My work as a cultural historian has been concentrated on how visual images can alter and inspire and move public opinion,” Maurice Berger, curator of the exhibition told CNN.

During that time period, the images and speeches helped unite a voice of positivity and sense of hope amongst the black community. Through the use of media blacks in America were able to be informed and be a part of the process to strive for their civil rights.

“Six or seven years ago, I decided to build an archive of Civil Rights materials and begin to get an understanding of how these images looked, who saw them, and how they operated within culture and society,” he continued.

The modern U.S. Civil Rights Movement started with the arrest of a black woman by the name of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama. Police arrested her because she refused to give her seat to a white man on a Montgomery city bus which under the Jim Crow regulation was against the law. This event was widely publicized and sparked a boycott of the city buses.

The images that circulated throughout the United States exposed the oppression of African Americans as well as changing the way African Americans depicted themselves, according to Berger.

For All The World To See, opened in June in NMAAHC’s gallery at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. For All The World To See also has a virtual exhibit that is available for the entire world to see at CADVC’s online exhibition site.

The exhibit will be held at the following locations on the following dates:

• NMAAHC gallery at Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, DC (June 10-November 27, 2011);

• Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland (November 2012 to March 2013);

• Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts (April 2013-August 2013); Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada (Fall 2013)

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While uprisings continue in the Middle East against dictator governments there is another form of civil violence taking place in the African nation of the Ivory Coast.

The current president Laurent Gbagbo is widely reported by international agencies including the UN as having lost the most recent election campaign to opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. Despite this Gbagbo declared himself the winner of the last election and since then the Ivory Coast has been rocked by civil violence and unrest as pro-Gbagbo military and pro-Ouattara rebel forces battle each other across the nation.

The UN and French military forces have become increasingly involved in the campaign, firing missiles on Gbabo’s presidential palace and a nearby military camp. The UN claims the attack came as a result of the military using heavy weaponry against civilians.

The country’s state television station in Abidjan has been the site of conquests and losses for both sides, but appears to now be in the hands of Gbagbo supporters as it is now releasing stories condemning the UN and the French and calling on supporters to continue their loyal fight.

The city of Abidjan is in almost total lock-down with residents hiding in their houses to escape the increasing violence.

Australia’s Save the Children Foundation has said it fears that up to 500,000 children have been forced to flee heavy fighting across the Ivory Coast.

Save the Children’s Director of Emergencies, Mike Penrose said, “Children are being exposed to violence – they have been hearing gunshots for days, explosions as well.  It’s an extremely stressful and frightening situation for them.

There isn’t enough food, there isn’t any water.  Families have been extremely weakened for lack of food to eat.  People cannot wash themselves.”

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