Word: downtrodden
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...village, with the unfortunate name of Nazi, was dusty and poor. Burmese villages, generally, are dusty and poor, but this place felt more downtrodden than most. The sour smell of anxiety pervaded the air. Eventually, O Lam Myit, the 75-year-old village patriarch, shuffled up, his eyes milky, his longyi (or sarong) frayed, a ragged prayer cap on his head. Like his father and grandfather, he was born in Arakan state. O Lam Myit laughed when I told him that many Burmese thought this village was populated only by recent economic migrants from Bangladesh. In 1978, he was returning...
Once one of the most downtrodden and dangerous areas in New York City, Harlem is in the throes of a serious rejuvenation. And to cater to everyone moving into and hanging out in the north Manhattan neighborhood, Harlem's culinary scene is blossoming with new restaurants and lounges...
...Some see themselves as ardent champions of their tribe (Ha Jin confides that he once viewed himself as "a Chinese writer who would write in English on behalf of the downtrodden Chinese"). Others are renegades or peripatetic cultural ambassadors or secluded misfits. Often, they are each of those things at different times. Those who wish to reach audiences in their new homes must also grapple with linguistic loyalty. Much of the book is about this - it would be, given that Ha Jin has chosen to write exclusively in English and takes issue with those who argue the ultimate betrayal...
...consequence of their downtrodden condition, the Rohingya don't have the kind of diaspora-based support groups that provide publicity and aid to some of Burma's other oppressed minorities. Their plight, though, may be a central issue at the next regional ASEAN Summit, which will take place at the end of February in Thailand. By then, observers hope the Thai government will employ different methods in tackling the problem. "Governments in the region need to put together a proactive plan to meet the needs of the Rohingya," says Garcia. "You can't literally make these people go away...
...Developing Civil Society Many of the region's people-power revolutions occurred because of the courage of independent activists leading the downtrodden masses. The intervening years, however, have bred disenchantment within Asia's civil society. One of the architects of Thailand's PAD is Chamlong Srimuang, a Buddhist ascetic who spearheaded the country's seminal 1992 democracy movement. This time around, Chamlong campaigned on the streets to rid the country of its elected leaders. Like others in the opposition alliance, the 73-year-old believes that democracy is so corrupted in Thailand - votes are bought, the rural electorate is woefully...