Than Shwe: Unmasking Burma's Tyrant provides the first-ever account of Than Shwe's journey from postal clerk to dictator, analyzing his rise through the ranks of the army, his training in psychological warfare, his belief in astrology, his elimination of rivals and his ruthless suppression of dissent.
Foreword by Vaclav Havel Acknowledgments; Author's note; Abbreviations From postman to tyrant; The land of green and orange; the democratic challenge; Than Shwe's crimes against humanity; The new emperor; The seat of kings; The monks and the storm; The rivals, the heirs, the cronies and the future Notes; Bibliography; Index
Benedict Rogers is a writer and human rights advocate specializing in Burma whose articles have appeared in the International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Far Eastern Economic Review, and The Guardian. He is the author of A Land Without Evil: Stopping the Genocide of Burma’s Karen People.
"This book explains General Than Shwe's extraordinary rise to power - and why it is futile to expect that any kind of "engagement" with his regime will lead to meaningful change and even a modest democratization of this troubled Southeast Asian country. Than Shwe is a tyrant, and tyrants don't negotiate their own demise. Anyone who still believes that this is possible should read this book." - Bertil Lintner, author of Burma in Revolt "In this path-breaking book, Benedict Rogers shines a light into some of the darkest corners of Burma's military dystopia, and in so doing exposes the cunning rise of a man who wraps himself in the tapings of Burma's ancient kings. Meticulously researched and, powerfully written, and provocatively argued, this book deserves a place on the bookshelf of all of those interested in Burma, in Southeast Asia, and in the eternal struggle against tyranny and injustice." - Sean Turnell, author of Fiery Dragons: Banks Moneylenders and Microfinance in Burma "...sheds much needed light on the oft-neglected situation in Burma ... A hugely important study of a man who has perpetrated many crimnes against humanity." John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons "One balks at the notion of men so undeserving as Than Shwe as the subject of biographies. But evil and tyranny must not only be loathed - it must also be understood. That Shwe, Burma's ruthless, brutal dictator, is perhaps the foremost proponent of such qualities in our time, and thus thoroughly merits the attention given to him by this scholarly and timely book... For years Rogers has dedicated his life to exposing the tragic wrongdoings in this former British colony and this, the first ever biography of the Beast of Burma, is the ultimate fruit of his efforts... [F]or anyone with a serious interest in Burma, or in the way that evil develops and is allowed to develop, this book is a must-read." - Alex Deane, Director of Big Brother Watch, City AM
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