Recently the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Noel Barrot, while meeting the Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, made an interesting observation that France was heading the G7 (in which India has been a permanent invitee for over a decade) and India was the chair of BRICS in 2026 and both strategic partners had great possibility of cooperation for enhancing multilateralism. Both countries believe and subscribe to it. President Macron further underscored that India is going to be the President of BRICS. I want to work with India to build bridges. BRICS countries must not become anti-G7, and G7 must not become anti-BRICS. This is a recognition of the growing heft of the BRICS and emerging multipolarity and the need for collaborative rather than conflictual approaches. There is indeed a real convergence possibility in an idealistic scenario as the G7 dominates in global finance, technology and high-value-added services and controls major global institutions and currencies, while BRICS could be the new pivot for economic growth with commodities, consumption and huge markets with manufacturing and manpower and are key partners in global value supply chains. India and the EU strategic partnership will be further strengthened with the signing of the Trade Agreement and the visit of the EU leadership as the Chief Guest on this Republic Day 2026, a distinct honour and affirmation of the special partnership.
This statement is significant since unilateralism has become the major currency in international discourse, with the most recent example being the regime change in Venezuela and President Trump walking out of 66 international agreements or organizations. The transatlantic alliance is also going through unprecedented stress. Hence, the desire for cross-regional connections between and among the mini and plurilateral is not surprising. In any case, India, being the founding member of the BRICS and QUAD, supposedly on two opposing ends of the spectrum, believes that BRICS is not anti-West but a non-Western alternative representing cross-continental aspirations of major economies and countries from the Global South, with China and Russia as the P-5 members. India can easily become a credible bridge and bridge builder between the divergent groupings across the East-West and North-South divide, given its inclusive and universalistic approaches enshrined in the foreign policy ambit of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ – the World is one family.
Since the US Investment Banker Jim O’ Neil expounded about the promising and emerging economies as the BRIC Group with Brazil, Russia, India and China, it has grown to ten members with several middle powers including South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and the UAE. Saudi Arabia remains interested and continues to participate in the meetings, while Argentina, under its new pro-US political dispensation, decided to opt out of it. At the Kazan Summit, it was also decided to have associate members as partner countries since over two dozen nations have expressed a deep desire to join the BRICS, which has acquired a new heft in a disrupted world order.
BRICS represents nearly half of the world population, with India as the most populous country with exceptional human resources; also, nearly 40 per cent of the global GDP compares rather well with G7 – China and India leading the economic pack, with India being the fastest growing major economy in the world, recently surpassing Japan to become the 4th largest. It comprises a group with the biggest producers and consumers of energy, as well as enviable heft in critical minerals and technologies.  The group believes in mutual respect and mutual interests. Even with politically and economically divergent systems and approaches, it enjoys a high diplomatic weight and sheer scale.
India, as the Chair in 2026, will be hosting the BRICS Summit and a large number of sectoral meetings ranging from commerce, connectivity, currency and counter-terrorism and culture to technology and fintech, education, R&D, traditional medicine and youth and sports exchanges. A key quest for BRICS and India is the urgency and imperative for global institutional reforms, especially that of the UN and UNSC, which is threatening to become irrelevant, having been consigned to the post-World War II mindset of victor and the vanquished of the P-5 veto powers. Moreover, for President Trump, driven by his MAGA constituency, the weaponization of financial instruments should be a one-way street and their prerogative and de-dollarization the big redline. Already, the five original BRICS countries are in the cross hairs of the USA, including Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, compressing them in his high and unreasonable game of tariffs.
BRICS is trying to provide a viable alternative bereft of dominance and dictation, especially in the context of South-South cooperation, despite members ranging from the largest democracy to totalitarian states. But its internal diversity reinforces multipolarity and options. It challenges Western dominance by providing a more beneficial cooperative and consensual landscape, along with certain institutions like the New Development Bank. There is an effort to create a new BRICS currency, on which countries like India are still not convinced, even though this trend has been initiated due to unilateral and abrasive sanctions and the weaponization of financial instruments, forcing the rest of the world to secure themselves through transactions in national currencies. This trend could become a major force multiplier for multipolarity in times to come.
Instead of a single global security architecture, multipolarity promotes regionalized security systems: The original five of BRICS have varying roles in the regional security dynamic – Russia shapes Eurasian security dynamics; China dominates East Asian strategic calculations; India asserts influence in the Indian Ocean, South Asia and the Global South in general; Brazil and South Africa act as regional stabilizers. This decentralization reduces global uniformity but increases regional power competition, sometimes heightening local instability. This also has an internal challenge as competing powers within an organization, including the BRICS, may slow down the integration process and block hegemonistic projects.
Interestingly, India is also slated to host the QUAD Summit in 2026 with the US, Japan, and Australia despite some uncertainty. This provides a unique opportunity for India to iron out certain misperceptions while bridging the gaps seeped in zero-sum games through a better understanding and cooperation between the perceived rival groups and camps. Global challenges require global solidarity.
BRICS is not aiming to replace the existing world order but is hoping to reshape the multipolar collaborative matrix. This is a process in motion, but a potent force which will continue to strengthen as long as the powerful countries resort to hypocrisy and undermine the very institutions they themselves had created through unilateral and unifocal approaches. India is a voice of reason and believes in bridging the divides through dialogue and diplomacy, and reforms of the existing institutions and not necessarily their replacement.
2026 will witness the continuation of this policy even during India’s BRICS presidency, while working for multipolarity and multilateralism, which are under serious threat.PM Narendra Modi has so aptly redefined the BRICS to mean Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability. He further added that ‘condemning terrorism should be our principle, not just a convenience‘.
(Anil Trigunayat is a former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya, and Malta and currently a distinguished fellow with prestigious Think Tanks like Vivekananda International Foundation and United Services Institute of India.)
(Views expressed in the article solely belong to the author.)

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India’s cultural and civilizational heritage is her gift to the world. An understanding of what our culture and civilization would take us on a historical journey into our past.
Any serious discussion must begin with EH Carr In ‘What is History’ Carr concludes:
“History is a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and past, a dynamic, dialectical process, which cannot be limited by mere empiricism or love of facts alone”.
Another aspect is the interlinkage between culture and imperialism in the 19th century. Dr Edward W Said noted in his seminal work on ‘Culture and Imperialism’:
“Partly because of empire, all cultures are involved in one another; none is single and pure, all are hybrid, heterogeneous, differentiated and un-monolithic”.
This is an excellent definition of our own culture.
Efforts were made to belittle or downgrade our heritage after the arrival of the Dutch, Portuguese, French and British to India. This was the age of colonialism and imperialism. Dr Said noted the notion of inferior races helped fuel the imperial acquisition of territory during this period. The culture of imperialism entailed venerating the colonialist’s culture to the exclusion of other cultures, a notion completely antithetical to the Indian approach.
One of the most authoritative works of AL Basham, ‘The Wonder that was India’, rejects the earlier Western interpretation that Indian civilisation is un-political, spiritual and unchanging, i.e. Indian civilisation itself is static and non-dynamic. Basham demonstrates that India has a dynamic civilization and cultural heritage. India’s oral traditions also made an important contribution.
The civilisation that developed in the Valleys of the two great river systems, the Indus and the Ganges, although in a sharply demarcated geographical region due to the Himalayas, was never an isolated civilisation. Settlers and traders came to India from the land and sea routes from the East and West. As a great maritime power, India also travelled East and West.
This resulted in the development of a complex pattern of multi-dimensional culture, demonstrated in art and cultural traditions from Ancient to Modern India, whether the dancing Buddhas of the Gandharva school of art, which was strongly influenced by the Greeks, to the great temples of North and South India.
The Aryan period saw the development of Vedic literature as well as the Puranas. The earliest literary source was the Rig Veda and the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Ancient Indian architecture and sculpture were dynamic, not static. Due to cross-fertilization of culture, India’s ancient culture did not perish with the coming of the Muslim invaders.
Ancient Indian culture was severely impacted by invasions from Muslim invaders from the 10th century onwards. These invasions destroyed many elements of our ancient culture. They resulted in barbaric acts such as attacks on temples, including multiple attacks and the destruction of the famous Somnath temple.
Later, the Indo-Islamic Mughal architecture and miniature paintings evolved as an example of India’s syncretic culture. The most fascinating aspect of medieval history is the development of the Indo-Islamic style in art and architecture, through the adaptation of Indian resources, expertise, designs and motifs. What developed in Mughal times was an eclectic pattern of culture, of which the Taj Mahal remains the finest example.
It is important to recognize that India’s culture and civilization are a gift to her Diaspora. India is a multi-cultural state. With the contribution and partnership with its huge Diaspora, Indian culture has emerged as a force to connect, to build relations and to heal the ruptures created by history and politics.
It is internationally recognised that one of India’s significant global contributions has been its ancient cultural and civilisational partnerships. ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ from the Maha Upanishads was among the first precursors of global citizenship as it is understood today.
‘Udara charitanama tu,
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.
It means that it is only for the generous-hearted that the world is one family. It forms the basis of UNESCO’s ongoing dialogue between cultures, religions and civilizations.
India’s vibrant cultural and civilisational heritage, through her Diaspora, has spread worldwide. It serves as a powerful reminder that India’s values of tolerance, inclusiveness and cross-fertilization of cultures, which are an intrinsic part of our civilization, are more relevant than ever before in the emerging, chaotic global disorder.
Cultural diplomacy now plays an important role in the dissemination of these values. Indian arts, culture and spiritualism have attracted people from all around the world for centuries.
Indian spirituality has had a global presence for centuries. One of its important manifestations in today’s world is the large number of Yoga centres spread across the world. At the personal initiative of PM Modi, soon after his first election in 2014, the UN General Assembly recognized 21st June as International Day of Yoga. It has been Culture and cultural diplomacy have emerged as the force to connect, to build bilateral relations and to heal the ruptures created by history and politics.
Most challenging is how do we preserve that culture? It is a living culture and can only survive if nurtured and strengthened by successive generations, including our Diaspora. Indeed, unless we present our civilisation and cultural heritage in a manner which is both comprehensible and attractive to young India, this heritage cannot survive.
Our composite culture is our gift to the world. It reflects the evolution of our own history, the manner in which India seamlessly absorbed other cultures but never lost her own.
I had recently visited Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan and read Gurudev’s inspirational message at the entrance, which still resonates today.
Gurudev said:
“India represents the wealth of the mind, which is for all.
We acknowledge India’s obligation to offer to others the hospitality of her best culture.
And India’s right to accept from others their best.”
We have done so and will continue to do so for generations to come. That is why we are Bharat, that is India.
(Views expressed in the article solely belong to the author.)

gnlm

Photo: Kirtankar

At the invitation of the Chinese government, the Myanmar media delegation, including 11 representatives, had to visit Nanjing and Shanghai, China, for a five-day study tour from 13 to 17 October.
October is a lovely time of year during the chilly season in China, while October marks the end of the rainy season. On 13 October, the group tour leader from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and 11 members of the Myanmar media left Yangon International Airport for Guangzhou Airport in China. Afterwards, it was rather dull to wait for the plane to proceed to Nanjing at Guangzhou Airport for two hours. Passengers can wait in a very comfortable setting at Guangzhou Airport in China during flight transit.
The seats are roomy and cosy with phone charging ports. Additionally, the airport has inexpensive mini-markets that offer ready-to-eat food. Therefore, I didn’t have any discomfort as I waited for the transit. The lineup system is an additional factor. People in Myanmar are impatient when they have to wait in a lineup system because of the lengthy lineup. One thing is to say that the lineup system is flawed, but another viewpoint is that it is not possible to finish the lengthy lineup in a short time. Almost 100 passengers in line at Guangzhou Airport finished the procedure in 15 minutes. I had no annoyance to stand at all. Thus, we reached Nanjing at approximately 11 pm after transiting through Guangzhou Airport without being bored thanks to the refreshing air conditioning.
We were late, so the hotel had packed lunches for us. However, no one was able to enjoy the hotel’s meals because we had to wait at Guangzhou Airport for a while and eat on the aircraft. As there was a slight drizzle in Nanjing on the morning of 14 October, there was no rain falling. The Chinese people wouldn’t get wet even if they didn’t have rain jackets and umbrellas. Then, we visited the Nanjing Memorial Museum. Our media team was led by Ms Yan from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, who stated that it is forbidden to wear yellow and make noise.

At the Nanjing Holocaust Memorial Museum, we also noticed a large number of people. There was no need to stand in line for tickets because we are foreign guests. It was fascinating to see how the Nanjing Holocaust Memorial Museum’s show was decorated. I saw that the galleries’ lighting is inconsistent. While some learning galleries have brilliant illumination, the memorial galleries have dark and nostalgic lighting.
We went to the Nanjing Broadcasting System in the afternoon. There, we learnt how to use modern technology at the Nanjing Broadcasting System’s editing room and broadcasting area. We went to the Nanjing Museum in the evening. We looked at the ancient Chinese people’s tools and way of life.
The morning of 15 October began with a visit to the Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone. As a Cultural Tourism Zone, the mountain is decorated with lush green trees and gardens along the way as well and one can climb the mountain by escalators. The mountain is high and wide, so if it were not for the escalator, it would be more tiring than climbing Kyaiktiyo Mountain in Mawlamyine Township of Myanmar. While climbing the escalator, I thought that if the Kyaik Htiyo Mountain could be prepared in this way, it would attract more tourists.

After climbing to the mountain by escalator, we hastily snapped a group photo outside before making our way to the underground cave, which is considered to be the tourist favourite due to its Buddha statue. Together with three members of our media group, the group leader, who was provided by the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the guide, who was waiting to lead us in Shanghai, reached the last floor where the Buddha statue. Only three of the 11 members of the Myanmar delegation, including me, were able to follow the two, the group leader and the Shanghai guide, because they were moving too quickly, making it challenging to capture selfies. The escalator descends five storeys to the underground, where the Buddha statue.
I made an effort to take at least three selfies because I was too busy following the swiftly moving leaders like the wind to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings or the artwork. “How beautiful are the architectural works on each floor?” I asked myself. For a third of a second, I felt the sightseeing around the area with my eyes as I thought this, and I had no idea how I had arrived at the Buddha statue. I honoured the Buddha as all of my paid homage. Then, at about 10:30 pm, I made my way back to the original door, not knowing how I got there.
Afterwards, we, the three, shared the snapshots of what we had seen in the cave with the rest of the group before heading to a lunch spot. The group also took a bullet train to Shanghai. The bullet train was completely different from the greasy train that we had been on, and it was very luxurious. After about 2 hours of riding, we arrived at Shanghai. In Shanghai, we spent 15 October by visiting the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in Shanghai, and taking a Huangpu River cruise.
On 16 October, our media delegation visited Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall, Shanghai Global News Network and a great shopping mall. Among them, the most memorable for me was Shanghai Global News Network. Their news production, editing and broadcasting are using truly impressive high-tech. The office buildings are elegant and make to feel proud of our work. We also saw that modern technology is used in the editing and broadcasting process, so I feel sorry for the Myanmar media environment, which is turning in circles due to power outages and technical difficulties.
In any case, I believed that I would have had more memorable experiences when returning to my native Myanmar if I had been permitted to travel in peace during my five-day trip to China, rather than being hurried by the group leader from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and local guides. I will always cherish the memories I made with my travelling buddies in China.

GNLM

The ocean is far more than a highway for commerce. It is a life force – feeding billions, regulating our climate, and sustaining biodiversity. It is also a source of jobs, opportunity, and hope for millions of people, according to the remarks given by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
It is true that oceans around the world have long served as reliable routes for commerce between countries. Maritime trade has been promoting international exchange for many years, even before the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s voyage in 1498. Through this trade, cultural exchanges have spread from one country to another, helping to improve the socioeconomic lives of people in all societies.
The United Nations stated that this year’s World Maritime Day theme — “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity” — highlights the essential role the ocean plays in sustaining life, livelihoods, and the global economy. It provides half of the oxygen we breathe, feeds billions of people, regulates the climate, and facilitates more than 80 per cent of global trade through maritime transport. The ocean is also home to countless marine species and serves as a vital source of jobs, food, and economic opportunities for millions.

In Myanmar, the government promotes the development of maritime transport by training mercantile cadets, engineering cadets, and other technical specialists through relevant institutions, alongside graduates in marine studies year by year. Myanmar’s youth can envision a promising future in the maritime profession, where success depends on their ability to apply advanced technologies in shipping operations. Despite the challenges and risks inherent in the field, Myanmar’s young professionals navigate the oceans daily, striving for a brighter future with each voyage, keeping abreast of those from other countries.

As ocean-based transportation develops, it creates employment opportunities for young people striving to improve their livelihoods. Maritime transport also boosts tourism and various industries, including the fisheries sector, generating income for the countries involved. As a result, the profession of maritime transport has had a remarkable impact on the global community.
As the largest sector operating in ocean spaces, the shipping industry plays a crucial role in facilitating global commerce and promoting ocean protection. It works closely with sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and marine research to manage the ocean sustainably. Through its robust global regulatory framework and extensive technical assistance programs for its 176 Member States, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to lead efforts toward cleaner and safer seas.
In Myanmar, the government promotes the development of maritime transport by training mercantile cadets, engineering cadets, and other technical specialists through relevant institutions, alongside graduates in marine studies year by year. Myanmar’s youth can envision a promising future in the maritime profession, where success depends on their ability to apply advanced technologies in shipping operations. Despite the challenges and risks inherent in the field, Myanmar’s young professionals navigate the oceans daily, striving for a brighter future with each voyage, keeping abreast of those from other countries.

GNLM

Just over 44 years ago, in late August 1981, I arrived at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the United States to study as a postgraduate student at Michigan Law School.

Orientation at Michigan Law School, late August 1981
First Burmese to graduate with an LLM from the University of Michigan Law School
From what the late Professor William W Bishop Jr told me, I was the second Burmese to arrive from Burma (as it was then officially called) to study at Michigan Law School since 1951 (University of Michigan was established in August 1817, and the Law School in 1859). The person who arrived in Michigan in the Fall (‘Autumn’) semester of 1951 was the late U Nyun Tin, who, after the first semester, shifted to Yale Law School and graduated with an LLM (Master of Laws) from Yale, perhaps in 1952. To the best of my knowledge, as of 2021, I am the only Burmese who has graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) (1982) from Michigan Law School.

A Brief Glimpse of the Miranda versus Arizona case
Orientation for graduate students and research scholars was held at the Law School on or about 26 August 1981. Then, Michigan Law School Dean, the late Professor Terrance Sandalow, was one of the speakers at the orientation.
Professor Theodore St Antoine (now Emeritus) at the Law School) spoke about Labour Law. I clearly recall that he concluded his remarks, graciously stating, ‘We [American Labour lawyers] have to learn both from the East as well as the West’.
Professor Yale Kamisar spoke about criminal law and procedure. Excerpts from the 1966 Miranda versus Arizona ruling, both majority and dissenting opinions, were distributed in advance to incoming LLM students before the orientation. The United States Supreme Court in Miranda versus Arizona 384 US 436 in effect ruled that when arrests of suspected criminals are made police officers making the arrests must give what came to be later known as Miranda warnings to the person(s) who are being arrested in that they have ‘the right to remain silent, the right to request an attorney (lawyer)’ and if they cannot afford an attorney an attorney will be provided to them’. The warning must also include the phrase that whatever the suspects say will be written down and these can and will be used against them in Court. In the year 1966, the United States Supreme Court, by a majority, held to the effect that if these warnings are not given, then the conviction meted out to the criminal defendants can be quashed or cases can be sent back to the trial court.
I recall that I first read parts of the dissenting opinions and was somewhat persuaded by them. When Professor Kamisar discussed the case, I changed my mind and agreed with the majority opinion (which indeed was the decision of the Court).
Fast forward to the year 2000. In the case of Dickerson versus Illinois, 530 US 428, the late United States Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote that the ‘Miranda warnings have become part of our national culture’ and refused to overrule the Miranda decision. But the late Justice Antonin Scalia, in dissent, stated almost condescendingly that the refusal to overrule the Miranda case was ‘faux judicial restraint’.
Fast forward to the year 2025. Among the current nine Justices of the United States Supreme Court, this writer is of the view that at least four Justices, namely Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, may well overrule Miranda if they were given the chance to do so judicially.

Reminiscence of A Few Classes and Interactions
Professor Don Regan’s ‘Constitutional Law survey for foreign students’
At least since the 1970s, if not earlier, foreign students in the Michigan LLM classes have to compulsorily take the course ‘Constitutional Law Survey for foreign students’. Most of the classes in all those decades were taught by now-retired Professor Donald Regan. Professor Regan informed me that he retired in December 2020, and he taught ‘the Constitutional Law Survey’ class to foreign LLM students for perhaps over 40 years since the mid-1970s.
During the fall semester of 1981, in a class of about 25 students, a student from New Zealand, Mr Peter Cawthorn, occasionally questioned or, if you will, challenged Professor Regan. I recall that in one class, Professor Regan, in response (perhaps indulgently) stated: ‘Believe me, Mr Cawthorn!’
I also learned from Don Regan’s class that President William Howard Taft served as Chief Justice of the United States after serving as President of the United States. In independent Burma, it was the obverse since the ‘elevation’ was from the post of Chief Justice to President. The late Sir Ba U was Chief Justice from 4 January 1948 to 11 March 1952 and served as President of the Union of Burma from 12 March 1952 to 11 March 1957. The late Dr Maung Maung served as Chief Justice from 5 June 1965 to 11 July 1972 and then, more than 16 years later, as President from 19 August 1988 to 18 September 1988.
Professor Francis Allen’s Criminal Law Class and WHY PARKER!

I attended the late Professor Francis Allen’s Criminal Law class in Fall 1981. On the first day of class, he asked the students to read a British case of Regina versus Dudley and Stephens, 1884 14 QBD 273 DC, which was about the cannibalism of a 17-year-old boy in a lifeboat on the High Seas. The youngest among four persons in the lifeboat (after a ship wreck in July 1884), 17-year-old Richard Parker was killed by the defendants Dudley and Stephens. The Judge who tried them rejected the defence of necessity (in criminal law). In explaining the case, Professor Allen apparently took umbrage that Dudley and Stevens had acted against the weakest member of the crew. Professor Allen, a bit theatrically and as a pedagogic tool, almost shouted, ‘WHY Parker?’ [was chosen to be killed by Dudley and Stevens]. I later learned from those who have taken Prof. Allen’s criminal law classes in previous years that in those classes, he also had stated the phrase WHY PARKER in teaching the case.
Fast forward to 2009. In an article published in July-August 2009 of the Malayan Law Journal (2009 4 MLJ), yours truly had in page clxxiv at footnote 92 of my article quoted the late Professor Allen’s remarks, albeit the ‘Why’ that I queried was not in relation to the Dudley and Stephens case as such.

Professor Yale Kamisar’s First Amendment class: ‘my show’ and ‘arguably wrong’
In Winter Term 1982, I ‘audited’ (in current expression) the late Professor Yale Kamisar’s ‘First Amendment’ class. I was the only foreign student from our batch to take the subject dealing with that specific area of American constitutional law. Another (then) student by the name of Jamil Nasir at times challenged Professor Kamisar’s statements. Once Mr Nasir stated in the class: QUOTE ‘What I find wrong in your argument’ UNQUOTE. Professor Kamisar responded by saying QUOTE Hey Nasir, this is my show! Say ‘arguably wrong’, not ‘wrong’ UNQUOTE, which Mr Nasir ‘followed’ by saying ‘What I find arguably wrong’.
In Burma/Myanmar, generally even at University and postgraduate levels, challenges as to what the teacher or ‘guru’ states are considered, oftentimes as being non-deferential or worse. At least at times, at Michigan and elsewhere in Australian and American law schools, where I have studied and taught, such challenges and comments are not discouraged.
Professor Andrew S Watson’s ‘Law and Psychiatry’ Class and Freud’s Joke Book
Another course that I took in Winter Term 1982 was ‘Law and Psychiatry’ by the late Professor Andrew S. Watson, who was a Professor of Law and Professor of Psychiatry. In one of his classes, Professor Watson recommended that if the students had ‘nothing pressing to read’ then they should read the (English translation) of Sigmund Freud’s Jokes and their relations to the unconscious (first published in German in 1905). As an incentive, Professor Watson added that the book contains ‘a lot of jokes’. More than 27 ½ years later, only in September 2009, while I was on a five-week Visiting Professorship at the West Virginia University College of Law in the United States, that I read Freud’s ‘joke book’.
(Un)self-consciously, I would mention that in the May 1983 University of Michigan Honours Convocation (which I was not able to attend), I was awarded a ‘Certificate of Merit’ for the best results in the course ‘Law and Psychiatry’ and for achieving co-equal first in the course attended by about 32 students. I have lost or misplaced the certificate, and so far have not been able to obtain a new copy.
Over 120 years of Michigan LLM programme(s) and this writer’s (humble) contribution
I learned from the Associate Dean of Michigan Law School that the ‘inaugural’ LLM programme at Michigan was in the year 1890, and among the graduates, one or two were from Japan. I have also learned that since 1890, even during the inter-war years (First and Second World Wars, 1914 to 1918, 1939 to 1945 respectively), there were no interruptions of the LLM programmes, in that the courses continued. As it enters its 121st year, one wonders whether the list of the names of countries from which the students came (if possible), since 1890, if that is not possible, then going back, say, to the 1930s, may be compiled by relevant personnel of the Law School. If such a compilation were to be made, it could be published in a small booklet and may also be stated on the Law School website.
In 2017, yours truly established a ‘Myint Zan LLM prize’ at Michigan Law school to give annual awards to ‘exemplary students with interdisciplinary interests and commitment to social justice, and an understanding of the role law can play in easing the plight of disadvantaged members of society’. From 2018 to 2025, eight LLM graduates from New Zealand, Nigeria/Ghana, Indonesia (to two different students), Austria, Pakistan, Ecuador, Argentina, respectively, were awarded the Myint Zan LLM prize. In the future, the excess funds could be used to support students from Southeast Asia who might wish to study at Michigan Law School.
The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, in his poem The Brook, wrote, ‘Men may come and men may go but I [the Brook] go on forever’. (Aside: Tennyson composed the poem in 1886, hence the use of – in some circles – politically incorrect ‘men’; perhaps he also meant or included women as well in the ‘comings and goings’). More than four generations of foreign students -at least several hundred- have studied and graduated from the Michigan Law LLM and postgraduate programmes. The beautiful Law Quadrangle at Michigan Law School would continue to welcome the current (2025) and future generations of students.

Myint Zan, LLM’82 (University of Michigan), taught law and law-related subjects from 1989 to 2016 at 9 Universities in Malaysia, Australia, the South Pacific and the United States.

GNLM

Abstract
This article examines the final memorial tour of the Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association) to Myanmar as both a cultural ritual and a political statement. By situating the tour within the broader discourse on war memory, nuclear deterrence, and intergenerational trauma, it argues that soldiers – often reduced to abstractions of power and policy – must be re-humanized as sons, fathers, and brothers. From the perspective of bereaved families, their lives were as precious as those lost on any side of the conflict. The essay emphasizes the ethical necessity of remembering war not as a triumphal narrative but as an enduring wound.

Introduction: The Human Face of War
The historiography of World War II in Asia has often been dominated by geopolitical narratives – strategic calculations, victories, defeats, and shifting alliances. Yet behind such abstractions lies the human cost: the lives of soldiers whose identities were consumed by the machinery of war. In Myanmar (then Burma), approximately 137,000 Japanese soldiers perished, leaving behind a generation of families who have carried the grief of absence for nearly eight decades. The Nippon Izokukai’s decision to undertake a final memorial tour to Myanmar, despite years of political instability that kept the country off the itinerary, represents more than symbolic closure. It is a testimony to the persistence of memory and the refusal to let soldiers be remembered only as statistics of empire.

Memory, Ritual, and the Weight of Place
War memory is not evenly distributed across landscapes. In the Burmese soil where Japanese soldiers fell, the terrain itself functions as an altar. The act of bereaved families retracing those grounds is not simply commemorative – it is a ritual of rehumanization. Each step insists: these were not faceless instruments of a state, but individuals torn from homes and communities. The building of schools with donations from bereaved families further enacts this rehumanization by translating grief into life-affirming legacies.
This relational act contrasts sharply with the ongoing geopolitics of the “atomic age,” in which military arsenals are paraded as symbols of deterrence. Where statecraft speaks of strategy, the bereaved speak of sons who never returned. Their mourning asserts an alternative language of memory – one that acknowledges war not as a chapter of history, but as an enduring rupture in the intimate fabric of family life.

Soldiers as Human, Not Abstractions
In both scholarship and public discourse, soldiers are often reduced to their roles: invaders, defenders, perpetrators, or casualties. Such framing obscures the fact that their lives were as precious to their families as those of civilians. The Japanese mothers, widows, and children who mourned for decades did not see their loved ones as extensions of imperial ambition, but as sons who enjoyed festivals, as husbands who promised to return, as fathers who left children too young to remember them.
This familial perspective complicates simplistic moral binaries. To acknowledge soldiers as human does not absolve states of responsibility for aggression or atrocities, but it does foreground the ethical imperative of mourning all lives lost. As the Burmese proverb warns, “When the tiger and the elephant fight, it is the grass that suffers.” Soldiers, like civilians, were often that grass trampled under the arrogance of power.

Contrasts with the Atomic Age
The memorial tour resonates against the backdrop of contemporary nuclear politics. Where nuclear doctrines emphasize deterrence and strategic balance, the bereaved families embody vulnerability and loss. Theirs is a whisper against the roar of atomic bravado, a reminder that the most advanced weapons do not erase the most basic truth: war destroys families.
The metaphor of bamboo bending in the wind, often invoked in East Asian wisdom traditions, illustrates the resilience of memory. Families have survived by bending, not breaking – by carrying grief quietly through decades of shifting political orders. Their act of remembrance in Myanmar asserts that survival itself is a form of resistance against war’s erasures.

Conclusion: Towards a Human-Centred Memory
The Nippon Izokukai’s final tour to Myanmar is not simply a farewell gesture. It is a living archive of war’s enduring costs. By placing the memory of soldiers within the frame of familial grief, the tour underscores that the human value of life transcends national boundaries and political ideologies. Soldiers, too often instrumentalized as symbols of state power, must be remembered as human beings whose absence has left empty chairs at dinner tables across generations.
In an age when global powers once again flirt with militarized nationalism and nuclear deterrence, such acts of remembrance serve as both caution and resistance. They remind us that the true cost of war is not measured in territorial gains or deterrence strategies, but in the silences left within families. No atomic age can render that noble.

GNLM

Let’s inform the Supremo who sits atop the Ivory Tower in New York that there are very disturbing allegations against the Great Envoy!
People should go online and find out. Spread the news locally as much as possible. From the street vendors to rickshaw operators, let everyone know. Plaster the news all over. Myanmar has the right to question whether the Great Envoy’s mental state of mind is sound, in light of such allegations. How can this person be involved in matters of such importance to Myanmar’s national security?
Allegations are so serious that anyone with the slightest decency would either step aside voluntarily (even temporarily until the smoke is cleared) or any organization with any dignity, credibility, and transparency would force the Great Envoy to step aside. In a typical fashion, the Supermo is silent. Not a word! Naturally, the Great Envoy has denied any wrongdoing, but when there’s smoke, there’s fire!
How can the Great Envoy, who apparently lacks empathy and humility, remain employed by the August Organization? After all, this is the organization which claims to protect the weak and vulnerable. This is the organization that created a separate entity to advance women’s rights and the empowerment of all women and girls. But what about the rights of the victim, a woman, who has filed allegations of such cruelty against the Great Envoy! In such cases, the top priority for these people who sit in the Ivory Towers in Geneva and New York is to protect their own. No matter how serious the allegations. These people have no moral compass!
The Great Envoy may be busy planning a joy trip to New York to attend the useless one-day talkfest. Can’t pass up on such a trip after all! The alleged “bullying” tactics by the Great Envoy are so severe that the victim was driven to near suicide!! Yes, after a meeting with the Great Envoy, the person even thought of committing suicide and started to write a final note of goodbye to the children and partner. The person suffered a miscarriage. At one meeting, when the person became distressed, the Great Envoy laughed at the person’s emotional response. Despicable actions of the Great Envoy occurred not long, long ago, but last February, while the Great Envoy was already under contract with the world’s preeminent humanitarian organization. Is it the type of organization that employs such people? Have they no shame?
Allegations of such magnitude cannot be swept under the rug and moved on. These people from the Ivory Towers in Geneva and New York are experts at pointing fingers, especially at those in the Global South. But when it comes to one of their own, all of them remain silent. They hide behind, “innocent until proven guilty.” But when they interfere in the affairs of underdeveloped countries, they wait for no evidence. They jump immediately with baseless claims, without any proven facts. These are world-class hypocrites!
People continue to be oblivious that in this day of age, nothing can remain hidden anymore. Everything is going to become public sooner. Case in point, the sex harasser Prosecutor. When he was glad-handing arrest warrants that are soothing to the Uncles, all’s fine. Then, he touched something called the political “third rail” by issuing an arrest warrant that was supposed to be a “no-no”! From that moment, it didn’t take long for the sexual harassment case to surface. The Supremo and cabal were silent there, too. No one in their midst spoke out to defend the aggrieved!
On a different subject, a certain so-called “Independent Mechanism” has been enjoying US$15 million annual budget for years. Nice perks! Endless junkets, no one ever questioned! The Big Uncle, on behalf of the taxpayers, should ask for truly independent auditing of how the finances are spent.
Then there’s a so-called “Rapporteur” who continues to lob grenades from the base in Washington D. C. Such a person with high morality! Since there is a shrinking budget, annual jaunts at the expense of Myanmar might have ended. No money, no honey!
Each and every one of them has skeletons in their closets. They have never faced even the slightest of scrutiny for decades, until recent actions by the Big Uncle.
In the coming months, they will come in waves to interfere in Myanmar’s upcoming elections. A stable Myanmar is not in their interest. A stable and peaceful Myanmar means the end of their employment. Don’t give them a single chance! Hit back at them instantly. A minute they open their mouth, they hit back harder. For those who are on the ground, there is something called “persona non grata”. There are plenty of other countries that have declared “persona non grata” on these obnoxious, arrogant people from the Ivory Towers in Geneva and New York. If any of them says a word that would be deemed as interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar, give them 72 hours to pack up and leave. Don’t hesitate to declare “persona non grata”. There is not a single thing they can do.
Finally, a friendly and respectful suggestion to the Great Envoy. There is a group of sick people with “SAC” in their acronym. They have been making a living at the expense of Myanmar for years. You can join those “has-beens” and get in line for the next contract.
Au revoir!
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.)

At the 2nd Voice of the Global South Summit hosted virtually by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 17 November 2023, one key focus area was on “Sustain the momentum of exchange and sharing of ideas and best practices between member countries…” At the 3rd Summit, also hosted by the Indian PM on 17 August 2024, there was a focus on “…challenges of new technologies and need for South-South Cooperation for technology transfers…”. Of the four-fold Global Compact put forward by PM Modi, one is on technology sharing. Thus, it is clear that as a responsible voice of the Global South, India is willing to share its knowledge and expertise acquired in governance and other fields, which accelerate development, and is also keen to learn from other nations.
India’s journey in leapfrogging development through tech-enabled citizen-centric governance has been nothing short of transformative. Key milestones in India’s digital governance experience have been:
Digital India Initiative — the flagship programme of the Government of India, launched in 2015, with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy;
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — platforms like Aadhaar (over one billion citizens with a unique digital identity), UPI (with over 18 billion transactions in June 2025), DigiLocker (eliminating the need for physical documents), and e-Sign, have revolutionized service delivery;
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) — India became the first country to use DBT at scale, reducing corruption and ensuring the timely delivery of welfare benefits; and AI Integration in Governance — from grievance redressal systems to predictive analytics in healthcare and agriculture, AI is helping tailor services to citizen needs.
Institutional support and strategic vision to India’s Digital Governance is provided by the Digital India Corporation (DIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the National Institute of Smart Governance (NISG) and a Digital Brand Identity Manual (DBIM).
The DIC is responsible for establishing the National e-Governance in Accountability, Efficiency, Efficacy and Transparency, to promote digital literacy, accessibility, and inclusion, to develop and empower skilled manpower, to guide ministries/departments in enhancing accessibility and efficiency in public service delivery, and to support the MeitY in all its endeavours.
The NIC integrates emerging technologies like AI, blockchain and data analytics into governance frameworks.
The NISG acts as a strategic partner in implementing digital transformation across central ministries and states, including international collaboration with Global South nations.
DBIM standardizes government websites and applications for a unified citizen-friendly experience.
Impact on Governance and Society
In terms of Transparency and Accountability, E-governance platforms have reduced bureaucratic opacity and increased public trust.
In terms of Efficiency and Accessibility, public services are now available 24/7, with reduced paperwork and faster processing times.
In terms of Inclusivity, AI-driven tools and multilingual platforms ensure services reach marginal communities.
In terms of environmental benefits, the digital processes have led to paperless offices and reduced carbon footprints.
Some of the Programmes and Applications which are noteworthy and have received industry-based awards are:
MyGov.in — a platform to share inputs and ideas on matters of policy and governance, engaging citizens in governance through a “Discuss”, “Do” and “Disseminate” approach
POSHAN Tracker – a mobile-based application used by Anganwadi workers to provide real-time data on the delivery of nutrition and childcare services
DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) is a national platform for school education
AYUSH Information Hub (AIH) has been set up to disseminate all authentic and verified information related to Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy
UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance), for accessing over 1,200 central and state government services in multiple languages, including services such as Aadhaar, DigiLocker, Bharat Bill Payment System, PAN EPFO, PMKVY, AICTE, CBSE, etc.
National AI Portal [INDIAai] (https://indiaai.gov.in) is a constant and dynamic source of knowledge on AI-related topics
Chic-CAD Plus is an open-source software used by artisans in making 2D designs like embroidery, chikankari, painting work, etc.
The Digital India Campaign supports other Government of India schemes such as:
BharatNet – provides broadband connectivity to unserved regions
Make in India — to produce in India for the country and the world
Startup India — aimed at fostering innovation, supporting entrepreneurs and building a robust ecosystem
Industrial Corridors — being developed along new railway and road alignments
Bharatmala – to enhance road connectivity and improve freight and passenger movement through the development of highways and economic corridors
Sagarmala – port-led development modernising ports, promoting coastal shipping and boosting maritime activities
Atmanirbhar Bharat, whose aim is to make the country and its citizens independent and self-reliant in all senses. Its five pillars are Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography and Demand
Developed in India – Shared with the World
India ranks high in digital competitiveness among G-20 nations, though challenges remain in data security, cybersecurity and digital literacy. India’s model is now being replicated globally, with the India Stack serving as a blueprint for digital governance in other developing countries.
The UPI system is operational in Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Singapore and France. It is at various stages of integration in Qatar, Cyprus, Malaysia, Thailand, the UK, Oman and the Maldives. On 9 July 2025, during the PM’s Visit, Namibia became the first country globally to sign a licensing agreement to adopt UPI technology. On 4 July 2025, during his meeting with his counterpart, PM Modi congratulated Trinidad & Tobago on becoming the first Caribbean country to adopt UPI.
Several African nations, Cambodia and the Philippines are keen on replicating India’s DPI deployment and India Stack and are availing of capacity-building programmes offered by the GOI.
DPI, UPI, AI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, e-Sign, and other digital governance tools have been the subject of discussion and dialogue at the highest levels with countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, including Singapore, France, Cyprus, Ghana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Cuba, Argentina, Namibia, BIMSTEC partners, and Central Asian countries.
India is committed to sharing its experience and expertise with its global partners on using technology for governance and growth. India is also keen to learn and assimilate the positive experience of friendly nations in the development of technology, for the welfare and prosperity of its people.

GNLM

Laws and disciplines within a country are established to build a dignified nation and foster national development. For the benefit of the State and the public, every citizen must abide by these laws. However, following the law requires understanding it; knowledge of legal matters is essential to ensure compliance.
In Myanmar, many violations of laws arise not from deliberate wrongdoing but from ignorance. This highlights the urgent need for all relevant sectors to work together in educating citizens about the laws and regulations. Cultivating good habits and respect for the law from an early age is crucial, as it is often more effective to build good conduct early than to correct bad behaviour later.
Hence, during their education, students are nurtured to develop strong moral character and discipline alongside academic learning. Schools not only teach standard subjects but also systematically instil moral values, patriotism, and national pride. The goal is to raise knowledgeable, disciplined individuals who have a strong sense of character and civic responsibility.

Laws and disciplines are vital pillars supporting national development and enhancing the nation’s prestige. It is encouraged that all sectors respect, comply with, and enforce these laws while fostering disciplined habits. Through such collective effort, Myanmar can build a better future grounded in respect for law and order.

Weak enforcement of laws has hindered national development efforts. For progress to occur, everyone must be aware of, understand, and follow the laws and disciplines issued by the State. Furthermore, individuals must diligently perform their duties within their respective sectors. It is also important to recognize that corruption plays a significant role in undermining the rule of law and causing violations.
The responsibility for laws and disciplines rests not only on citizens who must obey them but also on the authorities who enforce and oversee their implementation. Currently, the government aims to disseminate knowledge about disciplined democracy to the people, and all departmental officials are required to attend mandatory legal training courses. Likewise, basic education schools include legal instruction in their curriculum.
At the basic education level, students from Grade 12, generally aged 16 to 18, are taught fundamental legal principles. Since they become eligible voters at 18, this education prepares them to understand the legal framework of their country, not merely for exams, but to be informed citizens. Teachers who provide constitutional education also undergo training to deepen their legal knowledge and improve their teaching skills. In addition, universities offer courses in law and economics, helping students grasp democracy’s core principles and economic perspectives.
Laws and disciplines are vital pillars supporting national development and enhancing the nation’s prestige. It is encouraged that all sectors respect, comply with, and enforce these laws while fostering disciplined habits. Through such collective effort, Myanmar can build a better future grounded in respect for law and order.

GNLM

An inexhaustible resource combined with versatile, silent, efficient technologies. One of the strengths of solar energy is that it is self-generating and can be used anywhere. And its advantages will only increase in the future.

Our star is the main energy source the Earth has always depended upon. It is the most powerful and most studied, and is one of the undisputed protagonists of the energy transition.

Some of the advantages of solar energyare shared by many other renewable sources. The most important of these is the ability to protect our planet from climate change: capturing and then exploiting the sun’s rays allows us to reduce our fossil fuel use without producing greenhouse gases and moves us towards energy self-sufficiency.

But what are the unique characteristics of solar energy that set it apart from other renewables, such as wind, geothermal and hydroelectric energy? We list them in eight points below to reveal our nearest star’s enormous potential for providing daily energy to both people and businesses. 

1. An energy source that is both renewable and inexhaustible by definition

It is true that the yellow dwarf that gives our solar system its name won’t live forever. In fact, in four or five billion years’ time, it will come to the end of its main sequence and become unstable. In the meantime, however, and on a time scale that is more relevant to us, the sun remains an unchangeable and inexhaustible source of energy: day after day, year after year, it is and will always be there, always exactly the same.

In addition to being a fixed presence, the solar energy that reaches Earth is also abundant. If Earth were a flat disc angled towards the sun, it would receive 1,377 watts of solar power per square meter. The presence of our atmosphere, bad weather conditions and the Earth’s round shape lower this figure by almost ten times in the middle latitudes. That said, we would still only need to capture 6% of our solar energy to cover all of humanity’s energy needs.

 2. Everywhere gets sunlight

It might seem trivial, but the fact that every single area of the Earth gets sunlight to a greater or lesser extent offers a twofold advantage. First and foremost, sunlight is an energy source that can be used anywhere on the planet and even gets to places with no infrastructure or connections: hence in isolated, rural areas, places that are remote or difficult to get to, the sun is always a good option.

Following on from the above, solar energy can also be used on a hyperlocal scale, including by individuals for their own consumption. Just take a look at solar panels installed on roofs. If you reflect on that point, it is clear that this isn’t the case with many other renewables or they simply are not as simple to implement.

Once converted into electricity, solar energy is very simple to transport. That means that huge amounts of electricity can be generated in large solar farms, perhaps in areas of the Earth with the highest levels of sunlight, such as the equatorial belt. 

3. It’s very well suited to batteries and the electricity grid

Photovoltaics produces energy mainly in the middle part of the day, but thanks to larger, more efficient and reliable storage systems, we’re better able to manage the discrepancy between energy demand and what the sun provides naturally. Although there may be differences from country to country, generally speaking, solar energy, particularly where photovoltaic technology is used to generate it, can be transferred directly to the electricity grid. This makes things like energy communities possible and allows private individuals and businesses to send the excess energy they produce to the market, guaranteeing them not only savings but also a source of income. There is an important social advantage as well, because that energy becomes immediately available to populations in areas of the world that previously didn’t have access to traditional electrical networks, such as in Africa. 

4. The sun creates local wealth and jobs

Of all green jobs, solar energy creates the most employment opportunities for developers, builders, installers and maintenance technicians at the power plants. Taking full advantage of solar brings new impetus to the economy and offers families, businesses and even nations an investment opportunity. According to a recent study published in Science Direct, “Job creation during the global energy transition to 100% renewable power systems by 2050”, the number of jobs in the photovoltaic sector alone will reach 22 million worldwide by 2050 (in 2019 there were 3.8 million, according to estimates by IRENA, the international agency for renewable energy.) 

5. Technological versatility

Solar energy’s versatility also extends to its technology. The first thing that springs to mind is photovoltaic panels, but solar energy can also be used to create thermal energy by heating fluids, or by combining both types in the most modern thermodynamic solar power plants.

It is equally true that, compared to a fossil fuel system or even many other renewables, solar energy creates very little noise. Aside from a few components required for cooling, both the sun’s rays themselves and the devices used to collect their energy are extraordinarily quiet and therefore suitable for use in any setting. 

6. Minimal maintenance required

Despite the fact that photovoltaic panels do gradually become less efficient, with a useful lifespan of 20-25 years, the kind of post-installation maintenance required is similar to that of a normal electrical system, with the addition of some periodic cleaning and little else, so maintenance is minimal. 

7. Green until the end of life

Solar panels are extremely practical, not only in the installation stage, but also when it is time to remove or replace them. They are usually easy to dismantle and the materials used in them can be reclaimed, recycled and reused, further reducing the environmental impact of this kind of energy.  

Having panels available that can be combined in multiple ways means modular plants can be created that range from very small in size for domestic use to large-scale farms. This extreme versatility allows us to build plants according to the needs and particular characteristics of the local area. 

8. A solid, reliable technology

Embedded in the reality of the 21st century, photovoltaics is a mature technology. These systems are no longer pioneering and experimental solutions, as was the case in the last part of the 20th century; now the reliability, durability and performance of these plants are all more than satisfactory.   
So the future of solar energy looks rosy. While the solutions we have today already offer technical and economic guarantees, many interesting new innovations await us in the coming years. This is particularly true of efficiency: history has taught us that solar cell performance is improving over time and figures that might have seemed unattainable a couple of decades ago are increasingly within our reach (most notably, efficiency is now over 20%). At the same time, the price of solar cells is going the other way and they’re becoming cheaper. If we combine these two effects, we can say that solar energy is becoming increasingly accessible and available, as well as remaining highly competitive compared to other renewables.