Than Shwe's Burma, 2nd Edition

From the Series Dictatorships

  • Interest Level: Grade 9 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 9

Than Shwe was part of a military coup that took over Burma in the 1960s. The British had granted Burma independence in 1948, but the country, with its many ethnic groups, had trouble building a democratic government. Than Shwe rose through the military ranks, and after the army stepped in to quell demonstrations and riots that began on August 8, 1988, he emerged as head of the military council. He became one of the most secretive and repressive leaders in the world. Than Shwe uses Burma’s resources to finance a strong military. To suppress dissent, his soldiers destroy the countryside, sending people into hiding, refugee camps, or slavery. His control has isolated the country from international observers. In 2007, Internet images of monks being beaten during a protest rally reached the rest of the world. This was followed by reports in 2008 of a devastating cyclone, when Than Shwe banned outside aid for weeks. Both events helped to raise global awareness about the human rights abuses suffered by the Burmese people. In Than Shwe’s Burma, learn more about this dictatorship and about Burma’s long struggle to become a free nation.

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978-1-4677-0363-5
$42.99
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Interest Level Grade 9 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 9
Genre Social Studies, Young Adult
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Twenty-First Century Books ™
Language English
Publication Date 2012-08-01
Text Type Informational/Explanatory
BISACS YAN025030, YAN038030, YAN006070
Dewey 959.105'3
Graphics 1-color illustrations, Full-color illustrations
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Bibliography/further reading, Glossary, Index, Maps, Primary source quotations/images, Source notes, Table of contents, and Timeline

Author: Diane Zahler

Diane Zahler is the author of two nonfiction books for high-school students, The Black Death and Than Shwe's Burma, both published by Lerner Publishing Group. She lives with her husband and dog in New York's Harlem Valley.