Sunday, June 17, 2012

Myanmar Rapper and MP Ryan sings the changes


Once known as a rebel rapper with a penchant for electric guitars and dragon tattoos, Zayar Thaw now aims to be an agent of change as a parliamentarian in the stronghold of the Myanmar army that threw him in jail.
The 31-year-old is a rising star in Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which made a dramatic comeback in April elections after two decades in the political wilderness, becoming the main opposition force in parliament.
The by-elections came amid sweeping changes in the country formerly known as Burma after decades of outright military rule ended last year.
Myanmar's quasi-civilian government has surprised even its critics with a string of reforms such as releasing hundreds of political prisoners and welcoming the opposition back into mainstream politics.
Former political prisoner Zayar Thaw, perhaps Myanmar's most unlikely member of parliament, was among four NLD candidates elected in the capital Naypyidaw -- a victory seen as humiliating for the military-backed regime.
"You're very young, you're a hip-hop artist and you're an ex-prisoner. How can you be an MP?" he told AFP in an interview in his Yangon apartment. "That's something I hear quite a lot."
But it is precisely these qualities that may have propelled the dissident rapper into the corridors of power -- and onto the global stage.
He is part of a small entourage accompanying Suu Kyi on a historic tour of Europe, the first since she returned to her homeland in 1988 to care for her sick mother and went on to play a leading role in the democratic movement.
The trip is taking her to five European nations including Norway, where she on Saturday formally accepted the Nobel Prize that thrust her into the international limelight two decades ago.
Zayar Thaw, one of the pioneers of Burmese rap, co-founded one of the country's first hip-hop bands called ACID, which became a household sensation a decade ago thanks to its lyrics -- often laced with anti-regime sentiment.
The band sometimes circumvented the country's notorious censors -- who vet every piece of commercial music for subversive content -- by circulating bootlegged copies of songs recorded in underground studios or performing in private stage shows.
When it comes to looks, Zayar Thaw is not your average rapper. He appears bookish and bespectacled, usually usually in a crisp shirt and traditional wraparound longyi.
He does, however, sport dragon tattoos all over his arms and legs.
But his favourite tattoo is embossed on his back: a full-sized map of Myanmar with a large microphone in the middle, which he says symbolises the country's quest for greater democratic freedoms.
The walls of his apartment in downtown Yangon, the former capital, are festooned not with posters of bald punk artists, but life-size images of Suu Kyi -- his "real life hero".
He says it is she who helped him survive three years in prison -- a large part in dank isolation where "you could never tell whether it was night or day".
After a 2007 uprising led by Buddhist monks, a rebellion brutally crushed by the military, Zayar Thaw organised "Generation Wave" -- an underground network comprising dozens of artists who used hip-hop, poetry and street graffiti to express their disaffection with the then military regime.
One anti-regime song, which repeatedly denounced "murderers", was uploaded by the group on YouTube with the following lyrics:
"We will never change, never give up, never surrender / We will continue to fight until they disappear / We will come out in full force in every tomorrow / Let's dare to say the truth."
He was arrested along with his comrades and sentenced to six years in prison in 2008 but was released in May last year in an amnesty.
"When I was in prison, I would think to myself 'if the lady can survive so many years under house arrest -- away from her sons, her husband -- why can't I?'" he said, referring to Suu Kyi.
"When I got out and finally met her she said 'don't let your sacrifices go in vain. The party, the country needs young people like you'."
And that's when the quest began for a parliamentary seat vacated by Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo, regarded as a key figure in the government's hardline faction.
But it was no mean feat to win in his stronghold of Naypyidaw -- an army-dominated enclave north of Yangon rumoured to have been built on the advice of an astrologer after former junta chief General Than Shwe feared a popular uprising or foreign invasion of the former capital.
Naypyidaw - described by one observer as a cross between "Xanadu and Legoland" -- has been Myanmar's administrative capital since 2005, boasting Stalinist-style buildings, imposing sculptures of bygone kings, wide boulevards and colour-coded apartment blocks.
But surrounding the island of opulence is a sea of poverty.
The 70-plus farming villages that make up Zayar Thaw's constituency are plagued by hundreds of cases of alleged land grabs by regime-backed companies, which he says has exacerbated mass unemployment.
These people, he said, "view me not as a rapper but as their only hope".
His immediate focus is to wade through the country's bureaucratic system to help villagers get their properties back.
But he concedes his party neither has the arithmetic strength in the military-dominated parliament nor the governance experience to effect real change yet.
For that to happen it will have to repeat its by-election triumph at the next general election in 2015 -- and push the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party out of power.
Since winning his seat he says development projects such as roads and rural electrification in some areas of his constituency have been discontinued by the government, fuelling concerns among voters that they are being punished for favouring the NLD.
"The party is looked upon as a messiah that will transform Myanmar," he said. "But it's hard to tell people that the struggle is just beginning -- change will be slow and it won't happen overnight."

Saturday, April 21, 2012

இலங்கை, கருணாநிதிக்கு நெத்தி அடி

"கருணாநிதி இந்தியாவில் ஈழம் உருவாகட்டும்" - இலங்கையின் பாதுகாப்பு செயலாளர் கோதபாய ராஜபக்ஷ 

சில தினங்களிற்கு முன்பு வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கையில், இலங்கையின் பாதுகாப்பு செயலாளர், கோதபாய ராஜபக்ஷ கருணாநிதிக்கு நெத்தி அடி கொடுத்துள்ளார். அவர் விடுத்த அறிக்கையில் , கருணாநிதி வேண்டுமானால் இந்தியாவில் ஈழம் ஒன்றை உருவாகட்டும். அங்கு தான் இலங்கையை விட அதிகமான தமிழ் மக்கள் வாழ்கின்றார்கள் என்று குறிப்பிடிட்டுளார்.


இது இலங்கையை இரண்டு துண்டாக பிரிக்க நினைக்கும்  கருணாநிதிக்கும், தமிழ் நாட்டு மக்களிற்கும் குடுத்த நெத்தி அடி ஆக அரசியல் ஆய்வாளர்களால் கருதப்படுகின்றது. 


கோதபாய ராஜபக்ஷ 

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Bangladesh Cricket team is to tour Pakistan - What is the hold

Bangladesh cricket team is to tour Pakistan


Ever since the attacks on Sri Lankan Cricket team in Pakistan, there were not any international cricket matches held in Pakistan. But after nearly three years, Bangladesh Cricket board agreed to tour Pakistan. 

They will be playing two cricket matches. 

1) April 29th - ODI
2) April 30th - t20

In the meantime international cricket council (ICC) has requested Pakistan Cricket board (PCB) to provide with a comprehensive security plan report. This is to ensure the safety of the Players.

But as we analyze, there are few reasons behind this cricket match which is highly risky after what happened to Sri Lankan Cricket team in may 2009. 

1) Firstly Pakistan want to make an impression that security is good enough with their country to conduct international cricket matches. 

2) Only country they can ask to visit them is Bangladesh as other countries will strictly deny it. 

Pakistan's security is concern



But why Bangladesh agreed to tour Pakistan? What is the hold? The hold is in Bangladesh Premier league  (BPL). Pakistan apparently hinted that if Bangladesh is not going to tour them, they whey won't be allowing Pakistan players to play in BPL. 

So Bangladesh had a make a decision and to save Pakistan Players from BPL, they agreed to tour Pakistan. They took a great risk. What is your idea? Do you this it is safe enough for Bangladesh is to tour Pakistan


Saturday, April 14, 2012

Yes FM advertisement in the time of Tsunami Alert!

Fun News Sri Lanka - Yes Fm Trolls in Twitter! 


Media should be responsible for everything they report. This funny incident happened on the day of Tsunami alert where everyone was busy looking at the tsunami alert and informing each others.

On that specific time, Yes fm Twitter account made a tweet regarding Shaggy live concert. It was actually asking people to buy tickets. It received lot of negative comments on Twitter. But Very soon they apologized and made an announcement that it was a previously scheduled tweet.]


Yes FM automated tweet



Yes Fm later apologized 




Friday, April 13, 2012

Mobile network carriers and their major faults

Sri Lanka News - Sri lankan Mobile Network operators


Here i want to point out some facts on some of the major issues with Sri Lankan mobile network carriers. Few days ago we faced a situation where there was an earthquake in Indonesia and after that people in the coastal areas were asked to evacuate. 

As soon as the Tsunami alert was given, i wanted to alert my friends. I dialed them. But i couldn't reach any of them. As everyone is connecting, all the lines were jammed and i had to try about ten times to get connected to one person.

On the day of Tsunami alert all the Mobile phone network carriers did two huge mistakes. They are,

1)  They couldn't handle the traffic so the connection almost went off.
2)  None of them thought to send an Alert Message on Tsunami Warning.

This is a really pathetic situation when it comes to an emergency. There are almost 5 Mobile phone network operators are in Sri Lanka. They are,

  1. Dialog
  2. Mobitel
  3. Etisalat
  4. Airtel
  5. Hutch

But at the time of the need, non of them were working. They couldn't handle the traffic. This is not the only time it happens. It happens on the New Year times, at midnight where many people connects with each other. That is perfectly okey. 

But when the Telephone lines are getting jammed in the emergency situation, then think about the consequences. What if the earthquake happened few kilometers away from Sri Lanka and we were supposed to expect Tsunami in minuets? Think about it!

We need a strong and reliable mobile network operators in Sri Lanka. As they invest, they should be investing on network towers as they are important to handle the traffic. I strongly suggest government should take actions against these problems. 

Another problem is, on that specific day, non of the mobile network operators in Sri Lanka thought to send an Alert message to its customers. Almost all the i get message from my mobile network operator about their promotions and giveaways. But on the most needed day, They didn't even think to send a simple message to alert people. I use Dialog. 

I was so much frustrated. Al the people don't have access to TV or Internet. But they have mobile phones. Why don't you just send a message alerting them? Please next time in emergency, be polite. Alert your customers. 

I know they must have made the maximum profit of the year on that specific day. But i am sure they don't deserve any customers. I am referring to all the mobile network operators in Sri lanka. Bitch please!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Meter Tuk Tuks in Sri lanka

In my previous post i have explanied about the Tuk tuks which are also knows as trishaw or auto rickshaw. Before some time, you will have to pay the told amount to the tuk tuks. You can bargain if you feel the fare is too high.

But recently Sri Lanka is introduced with meter tuk tuks.It is just a simple theory. Tuk Tuk tuk driers will charge you for the kilo meters you travel. There is a meter fixed and you will be shown the fare in real time while travelling. Apparently it is a good idea. Both parties will get the what they wanted. They much charge Rupees 32 per Km. 

While speaking about meter tuk tuks in Sri Lanka, i came across a meter tuk tuk. It was an emergency and i had no any way to travel. So i took a tuk tuk. Once i already traveled to that place. I thought i will be paying a fair amount. But unfortunately i had some worst experiences. 

  1. The Metered tuk tuk driver went very slow - Every time he was dragging, i could see the meter increasing. 
  2. He purposely got in to traffic and tuk tuk was travelling around 12 -15 Km per hour. 
  3. I had to pay more that what i normally pay. 
  4. I had to pay him more than what i paid him last time. Rupees 30 More!
  5. I was clueless about the tuk tuk fairs.
  6. I was frustrated. 
  7. I got late and my total day was sucked.
  8. The driver was talking bot. He was talking non-stop and purposely slowing the tuk tuk.

At the end of the meter tuk tuk travel i was totally frustated. I couldn't argue with him because i was already late. So when you are travelling in Tuk Tuk, i have simple advice for you all.

  1. Sri Lankan Bus services are better than Tuk Tuk. So go for a bus.
  2. If the driver is purposely making slow, then ask him to go fast.
  3. Take few seconds to check the traveled distance and the charge.
  4. If you find he is cheating, please call police. 
  5. Always for for a non-meter tuk tuk for long distances.
  6. For short distance tuk tuk is good.

So there are the simple advices i can give you regarding metered tuk tuks. If you need any more denials, just leave a comment. I will response as soon as possible. 
Picture of a Meter Tuk Tuk in Sri Lanka


Tuk Tuk Sri Lanka

Tuk Tuk also known as Auto Rickshaw or Three wheeler is a common vehicle in Sri Lanka. It is commonly used by middle class people. It is a simple and easy vehicle to travel. In recent years Tuk Tuk placed the need of cabs in Sri Lanka.

Picture of Tuk Tuk aka three wheeler 

The Name Tuk Tuk originated just because of the sound this vehicle makes when it starts. Tuks can be comfortable enough to hold three people. It is the fastes method to travell in any part of Sri Lanka. (for small distance)

There are few things you need to take care when travelling via Tuk tuks.


  1. The Tuk Tuks are really fast. 
  2. Your life is not in your hand when travelling via tuks. 
  3. Before taking Tuk Tuks, ask the driver the charge to travel to the specific place. Otherwise you will have to pay more than what you should pay. 
  4. If you are a foreigner then you will have to pay at least five times more than what you should pay.so always be with a guide.
  5. You can get tuk tuks anywhere in Sri Lanka. 
  6. You won't feel bored, because tuk tuk drivers won't close their mouth. 
  7. Comfortable and fresh air

So i pointed out most of the important facts about tuk tuks of Sri Lanka. Hope you will enjoy the tuk tuk ride ;) If you want more facts about tuktuks then go for WikiPedia Tuk Tuks.


tuk tuks

About Sri Lanka

Since this is the first post, i am gonna talk about my beautiful island Sri Lanka. I will be answering some important questions in short form, in case in you don't know. If you already know, still you can read it. i don't mind.

What is Sri Lanka? 


Sri Lanka is a country. Sri Lanka is a small, beautiful island.

Where is Sri lanka situated? 


Sri Lanka is situated in the Indian Ocean. India is just above Sri Lanka.

Exact location of Sri Lanka ( pic is stolen )



I Want to know about Sri Lanka?


If you want to know about Sri Lanka aka SriLanka, you should be checking Wikipedia.

Here are the simple facts about Sri Lanka

Country -    Sri Lanka
Capital   -    Sri Jayawardenapura
Area -         65,610 Km2

Languages - Sinhala, Tamil


What Sri Lanka is famous for?


Sri Lanka is famous for Tourism, tea and cricket. Well, Sri Lanka is one of the beautiful country in this world. You can get Sun, sand and sea. You can travel via Air Lanka. ;)


Still i want to know about Sri Lanka?


Google hard! ;)