Bertil Lintner

A detailed account of the China-India border conflict. As it generally follows and substantiates the Indian position, it is obviously music to the ears of Indian readers. The book also gives mini-histories of related issues and events in Pakistan, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, the Sikkim issue, Indian Ocean geopolitics, and so on. The hefty list of references will help the reader follow up on particular aspects. One implication of the India-centric approach is that it does not contribute much to an appreciation of the opponent's motivations, and thus ends up with reiterating the stalemate with only a military stand-off to look forward to.… (meer)

Merchants of Madness is a brief but densely-packed overview of the history of methamphetamine production and distribution in Burma/Myanmar, and the military/governmental/criminal systems that support it. To explain why yaba ("crazy medicine") is the substance of choice for regional manufacture and sale, the authors describe the former opium/heroin operation and show the comparative ease of methamphetamine production, as well as the overlap in personnel. Many pages are spent introducing the reader to the key players and the progression of events, as well as marshaling the evidence to support the authors' assertions. For this reason, the book often reads more like a background briefing than like a history. At times it is repetitive, and while the glossary of major actors is intersting, it may not be necessary since the authors go into such depth in the text each time one of these people is mentioned. What is missing is much description or analysis of the social effects on the country and region of so much methamphetamine traffic. While this is clearly not the focus of the authors' inquiry, it strikes this social scientist as a large omission.… (meer)

Burma's pro-democracy movement emerged in 1988 when massive demonstrations swept across the country. This book gives an account of the movement, its emergence and growth, and Aung San Suu Kyi's prominent leadership role since its inception. Woven into this history is an outline of how Aung San Suu Kyi herself has become a highly respected pro-democracy icon internationally while being revered nationally as the "female Bodhisattva" who will deliver the Burmese people from the evil of the military regime. Lintner considers her strengths as well as her weaknesses, and traces her life not only in Burma, but also in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Bhutan, and Japan. She was greatly inspired by her father, Aung San, Burma's independence hero who was assassinated when she was an infant, and also by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Lintner analyzes the staying power of Burma's military regime and points out the obstacles to achieving what Aung San Suu Kyi is striving for: a free and democratic Burma… (meer)