An alternative plate tectonic model for the Palaeozoic-Early Mesozoic Palaeotethyan evolution of Southeast Asia (northern Thailand-Myanmar)

An alternative model for the geodynamic evolution of Southeast Asia is proposed and inserted in a modern plate tectonic model. The reconstruction methodology is based on dynamic plate boundaries, constrained by data such as spreading rates and subduction velocities; in this way it differs from classical continental drift models proposed so far. The different interpretations about the location of the Palaeotethys suture in Thailand are revised, the Tertiary Mae Yuam fault is seen as the emplacement of the suture. East of the suture we identify an Indochina derived terrane for which we keep the name Shan-Thai, formerly used to identify the Cimmerian block present in Southeast Asia, now called Sibumasu. This nomenclatural choice was made on the basis of the geographic location of the terrane (Eastern Shan States in Burma and Central Thailand) and in order not to introduce new confusing terminology. The closure of the Eastern Palaeotethys is related to a southward subduction of the ocean, that triggered the Eastern Neotethys to open as a back-arc, due to the presence of Late Carboniferous-Early Permian arc magmatism in Mergui (Burma) and in the Lhasa block (South Tibet), and to the absence of arc magmatism of the same age East of the suture. In order to explain the presence of Carboniferous-Early Permian and Permo-Triassic volcanic arcs in Cambodia, Upper Triassic magmatism in Eastern Vietnam and Lower Permian-Middle Permian arc volcanites in Western Sumatra, we introduce the Orang Laut terranes concept. These terranes were detached from Indochina and South China during back-arc opening of the Poko-Song Ma system, due to the westward subduction of the Palaeopacific. This also explains the location of the Cathaysian West Sumatra block to the West of the Cimmerian Sibumasu block.

Whole-genome sequencing of a Plasmodium vivax isolate from the China-Myanmar border area

Currently, there is a trend of an increasing number of Plasmodium vivaxmalaria cases in China that are imported across its Southeast Asia border, especially in the China-Myanmar border area (CMB). To date, little is known about the genetic diversity of P. vivaxin this region. In this paper, we report the first genome sequencing of a P. vivaxisolate (CMB-1) from a vivax malaria patient in CMB. The sequencing data were aligned onto 96.43% of the P. vivaxSalvador I reference strain (Sal I) genome with 7.84-fold coverage as well as onto 98.32% of 14 Sal I chromosomes. Using the de novoassembly approach, we generated 8,541 scaffolds and assembled a total of 27.1 Mb of sequence into CMB-1 scaffolds. Furthermore, we identified all 295 known virgenes, which is the largest subtelomeric multigene family in malaria parasites. These results provide an important foundation for further research onP. vivaxpopulation genetics.

Changes of traditional farming systems and their effects on land degradation and socio-economic conditions in the Inle Lake region, Myanmar

At many locations in Myanmar, ongoing changes in land use have negative environmental impacts and threaten natural ecosystems at local, regional and national scales. In particular, the watershed area of Inle Lake in eastern Myanmar is strongly affected by the environmental effects of deforestation and soil erosion caused by agricultural intensification and expansion of agricultural land, which are exacerbated by the increasing population pressure and the growing number of tourists. This thesis, therefore, focuses on land use changes in traditional farming systems and their effects on socio-economic and biophysical factors to improve our understanding of sustainable natural resource management of this wetland ecosystem. The main objectives of this research were to: (1) assess the noticeable land transformations in space and time, (2) identify the typical farming systems as well as the divergent livelihood strategies, and finally, (3) estimate soil erosion risk in the different agro-ecological zones surrounding the Inle Lake watershed area. GIS and remote sensing techniques allowed to identify the dynamic land use and land cover changes (LUCC) during the past 40 years based on historical Corona images (1968) and Landsat images (1989, 2000 and 2009). In this study, 12 land cover classes were identified and a supervised classification was used for the Landsat datasets, whereas a visual interpretation approach was conducted for the Corona images. Within the past 40 years, the main landscape transformation processes were deforestation (- 49%), urbanization (+ 203%), agricultural expansion (+ 34%) with a notably increase of floating gardens (+ 390%), land abandonment (+ 167%), and marshlands losses in wetland area (- 83%) and water bodies (- 16%). The main driving forces of LUCC appeared to be high population growth, urbanization and settlements, a lack of sustainable land use and environmental management policies, wide-spread rural poverty, an open market economy and changes in market prices and access. To identify the diverse livelihood strategies in the Inle Lake watershed area and the diversity of income generating activities, household surveys were conducted (total: 301 households) using a stratified random sampling design in three different agro-ecological zones: floating gardens (FG), lowland cultivation (LL) and upland cultivation (UP). A cluster and discriminant analysis revealed that livelihood strategies and socio-economic situations of local communities differed significantly in the different zones. For all three zones, different livelihood strategies were identified which differed mainly in the amount of on-farm and off-farm income, and the level of income diversification. The gross margin for each household from agricultural production in the floating garden, lowland and upland cultivation was US$ 2108, 892 and 619 ha-1 respectively. Among the typical farming systems in these zones, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plantation in the floating gardens yielded the highest net benefits, but caused negative environmental impacts given the overuse of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and spatial analysis within GIS were applied to estimate soil erosion risk in the different agricultural zones and for the main cropping systems of the study region. The results revealed that the average soil losses in year 1989, 2000 and 2009 amounted to 20, 10 and 26 t ha-1, respectively and barren land along the steep slopes had the highest soil erosion risk with 85% of the total soil losses in the study area. Yearly fluctuations were mainly caused by changes in the amount of annual precipitation and the dynamics of LUCC such as deforestation and agriculture extension with inappropriate land use and unsustainable cropping systems. Among the typical cropping systems, upland rainfed rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation had the highest rate of soil erosion (20 t ha-1yr-1) followed by sebesten (Cordia dichotoma) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) plantation in the UP zone. This study indicated that the hotspot region of soil erosion risk were upland mountain areas, especially in the western part of the Inle lake. Soil conservation practices are thus urgently needed to control soil erosion and lake sedimentation and to conserve the wetland ecosystem. Most farmers have not yet implemented soil conservation measures to reduce soil erosion impacts such as land degradation, sedimentation and water pollution in Inle Lake, which is partly due to the low economic development and poverty in the region. Key challenges of agriculture in the hilly landscapes can be summarized as follows: fostering the sustainable land use of farming systems for the maintenance of ecosystem services and functions while improving the social and economic well-being of the population, integrated natural resources management policies and increasing the diversification of income opportunities to reduce pressure on forest and natural resources.

Prohibición del cultivo de amapola en las regiones de Kokang y Wa en Myanmar

Este documento informa sobre las prohibiciones del cultivo de amapola que se realizaron en el Estado de Shan en las regiones de Kokang en el 2003 y de Wa en el 2005. Se dan a conocer los resultados alcanzados y su impacto social hasta el momento. Adicionalmente, para poder contextualizar las prohibiciones, se dan a conocer antecedentes históricos y culturales de las regiones en cuestión. Está dirigido a todo el público que esté interesado en conocer las políticas de reducción de cultivos ilícitos que han sido implementadas en Myanmar. Este último país hace parte de una de las regiones históricamente conocidas por este cultivo ilegal: el Triángulo de Oro, y abarca un territorio de aproximadamente 225.000 kilómetros cuadrados sobre el norte de Tailandia y de Laos y el noreste de Burma. Este documento inicia con una breve descripción histórica de algunos acontecimientos que marcaron el devenir político y económico del país, como la llegada del Kuomintang chino, los gobiernos militares, los enfrentamientos con las minorías étnicas y el desarrollo de la producción y el tráfico de drogas. Luego se estudia la producción de amapola teniendo en cuenta la extensión del cultivo, la relación de las comunidades con el mismo y las características de las regiones donde se concentra la producción de amapola. Por último, se toma el caso de las prohibiciones al cultivo, explorando el caso de cada región, estudiando su impacto social y sostenibilidad y las conclusiones de una misión de evaluación posterior a la implementación de las políticas. Se mencionan las alternativas de sustitución de cultivos ilícitos y la experiencia de la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo. Luego de exponer los nuevos desafíos en materia de producción de drogas, se culmina sugiriendo algunas lecciones para Colombia que se derivan del caso de Myanmar.

Análisis de las relaciones económicas entre Myanmar y China en las dinámicas de seguridad del sudeste asiático (ASEAN). Período 2007-2011

Análisis de las relaciones económicas entre Myanmar y China y su incidencia en las dinámicas de seguridad del bloque ASEAN, teniendo en cuenta que la Asociación será entendida como un "subcomplejo" de seguridad, según el enfoque teórico propuesto por Barry Buzan de los complejos regionales de seguridad.

Análisis crítico a la violación de Derechos Humanos de las minorías étnicas en Myanmar, periodo 1990-2006

La presente monografía, pretende hacer un acercamiento al tema de la violación de los derechos humanos, estableciendo así, como caso específico, cuáles son los factores determinantes en la violación de derechos humanos de las minorías étnicas en Myanmar. A partir de lo anterior, se plantean como propósitos particulares: Dar un contexto histórico, etnográfico y político, del escenario en que se desarrolla la situación humanitaria de las minorías étnicas; hacer un diagnóstico de la situación de derechos humanos de las minorías étnicas en Myanmar; y finalmente, analizar la incidencia del factor político, social, internacional, religioso y étnico, en la problemática de derechos humanos que viven las minorías étnicas de Myanmar. Los objetivos anteriores dan cuenta de una investigación más que todo cualitativa, interesada no tanto en establecer precisiones estadísticas, sino en explicar la situación de violencia y represión, que por más de dieciséis años han vivido las minorías étnicas, por parte del Gobierno militar de su país.

Construyendo identidad: cooperación japonesa mediante la JICA (Agencia de Cooperación Internacional del Japón) en Myanmar y Tailandia (2007 – 2013)

En el caso del Estado japonés, la Agencia de Cooperación Internacional del Japón (JICA), es una herramienta de política exterior que contribuye a la construcción de una identidad benefactora. Lo anterior va de la mano con la idea de que para el constructivismo de Alexander Wendt, los Estados crean y afianzan sus identidades en circunstancias dadas socialmente. El presente estudio de caso expone los diferentes programas impulsados, gestionados y ejecutados por la JICA en Myanmar y Tailandia entre 2007 y 2013. Así pues, se analizan cómo el conjunto de acciones japonesas en ambos Estados del Sudeste Asiático coadyuvan a cimentar la imagen de un Japón benefactor en la región. Concluyendo que el Estado Nipón asiste por igual a Estados con coyunturas internas discrepantes, tanto a éstos con necesidades inmediatas por suplir, como aquellos con realidades semejantes a Japón.

Geographic Structure of Plasmodium vivax: Microsatellite Analysis of Parasite Populations from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Ethiopia

Genetic diversity and population structure of Plasmodium viva-V parasites call predict the origin and Spread of novel Variants Within a population enabling Population specific malaria control measures. We analyzed the genetic diversity and population Structure of 425 P. vivax isolates from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Ethiopia using 12 trinucleotide and tetranucleotide microsatellite markers. All three parasite populations were highly polymorphic with 3-44 alleles per locus. Approximately 65% were multiple-clone infections. Mean genetic diversity (H(E)) was 0.7517 in Ethiopia, 0.8450 in Myanmar, and 0.8610 in Sri Lanka. Significant linkage disequilibrium Was maintained. Population structure showed two clusters (Asian and African) according to geography and ancestry Strong clustering of outbreak isolates from Sri Lanka and Ethiopia was observed. Predictive power of ancestry using two-thirds of the isolates as a model identified 78.2% of isolates accurately as being African or Asian. Microsatellite analysis is a useful tool for mapping short-term outbreaks of malaria and for predicting ancestry.

Where Is "Home"? Value Conflicts, Identity Crises and the Formation of Cosmopolitan Identity in Myanmar Students Studying in the United States

Fully engaging in a new culture means translating oneself into a different set of cultural values, and many of the values can be foreign to the individual. The individual may face conflicting tensions between the psychological need to be a part of the new society and feelings of guilt or betrayal towards the former society, culture or self. Many international students from Myanmar, most of whom have little international experience, undergo this value and cultural translation during their time in American colleges. It is commonly assumed that something will be lost in the process of translation and that the students become more Westernized or never fit into both Myanmar and US cultures. However, the study of the narratives of the Myanmar students studying in the US reveals a more complex reality. Because individuals have multifaceted identities and many cultures and subcultures are fluctuating and intertwined with one another, the students¿ cross-cultural interactions can also help them acquire new ways of seeing things. Through their struggle to engage in the US college culture, many students display the theory of ¿cosmopolitanism¿ in their transformative identity formation process and thus, define and identify themselves beyond one set of cultural norms.

Mobile competence network for community health workers in rural Myanmar: a supportive information system that facilitates the improvement of health services.

The goal of this project is the development of international cooperation for fostering solutions to provide better access to basic healthcare services.

Towards an SMS-based Social Network for Health Workers in Rural Areas in Myanmar

Seventy percent of the population in Myanmar lives in rural areas. Although health workers are adequately trained, they are overburdened due to understaffing and insufficient supplies. Literature confirms that information and communication technologies can extend the reach of healthcare. In this paper, we present an SMS-based social network that aims to help health workers to interact with other medical professionals through topic-based message delivery. Topics describe interests of users and the content of message. A message is delivered by matching message content with user interests. Users describe topics as ICD- 10 codes, a comprehensive medical taxonomy. In this ICD-10 coded SMS, a set of prearranged codes provides a common language for users to send structured information that fits inside an SMS.

Refugees from Myanmar and their health care needs in the US: A qualitative study at a refugee-resettlement agency

In response to the recent rapid influx of refugees from Myanmar, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM), a refugee resettlement agency, started to support them in June 2007. The study looked at the refugees' perspectives and identified the gaps in their understanding on US health care system, health seeking behaviors and challenges in utilizing health care in United States. The major issues identified were non-compliance with tuberculosis prevention medication due to barriers in obtaining medication refills, barriers in accessing specialty care services, transportation issues, written and oral language barrier, difficulties in the application for and use of Medicaid and Gold Card, misunderstanding of emergency health services, lack of resources for health education, self-treatment with Western medicine and income too low to buy private health insurance. In order to transform them to healthy citizens able to contribute to the US workforce, several multi-faceted and comprehensive approaches and better coordination among agencies are recommended. ^