Pim Kemasingki, Editor-in-Chief of Citylife Chiang Mai launches, today, a series of interviews of fascinating people in Chiang Mai which will be published once a week…from her daybed. “I have interviewed probably well over a thousand people over the past two decades since I have been editor, most of them living in Chiang Mai, others visiting or with some interest or connection to the city,” said Pim Kemasingki fascinatingly to herself, as she writes this. “In twenty odd years I have never run out of great people to interview and what with you lot not reading long form journalism too much anymore I thought I would try something new! Over the coming weeks I will be chatting to a man who sits on the same list as Mother Theresa and Mahatma Ghandi, an emerging Marijuana Queen of Chiang Mai, the man who is hoping to turn Chiang Mai into a SEAsian version of the Edinburgh Festival and a multitude of other personalities.” It was this month last year that the military coup d’état in Burma plunged the country back into chaos and warfare. We thought it fitting therefore to start our series of interviews with good mate and respected independent analyst Dave Mathieson.
“This coup works against their own self-interest; economically, politically, militarily, socially. They are completely isolated, vilified. The whole country despises them right now. The economy is tanking. Their neighbours are furious at them…this is a smash and grab coup d’etat where you’re greedy and you just want to grab the whole pot. You think that pot’s diminished but I’ll have most of it.” According to Dave, “It’s Burma because the military changed the name to Myanmar which introduced further division and repression to the country. Reverting to Burma is a form of resistance, that the military’s vision of the country is now contested and being destroyed for good.”These are all excellent organisations to follow for important news and to consider supporting, according to Dave Mathieson.Karen Peace Support Networkhttps://www.facebook.com/KPSN.karen/The Border Consortiumhttps://www.theborderconsortium.org/Mae Tao Clinichttps://maetaoclinic.org/Women’s League of Burmahttps://www.womenofburma.org/welcomeKaren Human Rights Grouphttps://www.khrg.org/
