What was it like to be on the streets in Rangoon when the hopes of a nation, dominated by saffron robes, bravely took to the streets? Now, courtesy of Mizzima News Agency, an eyewitness account brings to life the 2007 Burma uprising that captivated the world’s attention.
Come Rain or Shine is the first book to be released featuring day-to-day accounts of the Saffron Revolution, the subsequent military crackdown and the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.
Providing the reader with a unique “sense of the street,” the book includes over 50 color photographs taken by Mizzima reporters and contributors. Additionally, the book can be of benefit to individuals and groups in advocacy work, assisting in raising awareness of the situation inside the Southeast Asian country.
Come Rain or Shine incorporates the experiences and writings of both Mizzima staff and external contributors – including reflections on the comparison between the protests of 1988 and 2007 by Mizzima Editor-in-Chief Soe Myint and an analysis of the economic underpinnings of the current crisis by Sean Turnell of Burma Economic Watch and Sydney’s Macquarie University.

Reviews:

"It is not an easy task to compile a comprehensive account of last year's protests in Burma, which came to be known as the "Saffron Revolution". However, looking at Burma's disappearance from the news and considering the regime's straightforward attempt to let the dust settle on those memorable days and promote a democracy of false facades, it is, no doubt, highly desirable to present such an account. Issued just before the first anniversary of the crackdown, Joseph Ball has managed to compile a stirring set of eyewitness accounts, interspersed with thoughtful analyses and significant photographs, often taken clandestinely. It proved to be an excellent choice for him to partner with the Mizzima News Agency, which provided material and the experience of a decade of publishing in exile under difficult conditions.
In addition to the story of a people's inflamed hope, squashed in a matter of days, the reader learns firsthand about the circumstances of cyclone "Nargis", which turned from a natural disaster into a paradigm of failed governance. The book's effort to cover both the cyclone and the dubious referendum seems even more remarkable considering the short time span between these events and its publication. The authors were also not afraid to critically examine opposing viewpoints on these issues, without lapsing into familiar patterns of apology for the regime." (BCP)