Burma history through postage stamps

The Irrawaddy has an interesting article about a book on Burmese postage stamps which tracing the history of Burma up to 1988. The author, an activist, who has rallied again the illegal junta of army generals does not recognise the government of Burma post 1988... it's not legal... the elections were won far and square by Aung San Suu Kyi but she has not been allowed to lead the country. And, the illegal government continues it oppressive and deadly treatment of any and all who would oppose it.

Burmese postage stamps record the country’s official history, therefore the pro-democracy movement goes unrecognized

Stamps of Burma: A Historical Record Through 1988, by Min Sun Min. Mekong Press, Chiang Mai, 2007. P84.Postage stamps are more than just small, adhesive pieces of paper that people put on envelopes, the author of this book argues. In the case of Burma, they are “a colorful visual record of its unique history, from the British colonial government through the Japanese occupation, the British military administration, Burma’s independence, the revolutionary council, and the Burmese Way to Socialism.” But, as there are no stamps depicting the pro-democracy uprising of 1988, the author fills this void by designing his own stamps to commemorate this struggle for freedom, and, who knows?— one day they may be sold in post offices in his home country?

I did not associate the author, who uses the pseudonym “Min Sun Min,” with an interest in philately when I first met him in late 1988 on the Thai-Burmese border, where he had fled after the military had brutally crushed the mighty uprising of that year. He was a writer, and he told me about the free newspaper that he had run in his hometown, Bassein.

From the left:
Two stamps from the Japanese occupation of Burma; A stamp from the British colonial era followed by the first stamp after independence in 1948 replacing King George VI with Aung San

Min Sun Min was his nom de plume, meaning “Unique King,” and he proved to be unique indeed. A year later he ended up in New York, one of the first Burmese dissidents to make it to the West after the 1988 uprising. There, every Saturday when he was free from work, he donned one of his two suits, knotted his one red polyester tie and rode the subway to the Burmese consulate in the city. He stood there every Saturday with placards that read: “Hand over the power to the voters!” and “Release all political prisoners!” He was a lone protester long before human rights and democracy in Burma became international issues, but he began receiving letters of support from all over the world. That aroused his interest in postage stamps, and how they reflect historical developments in their respective countries.

His book covers postal history and the world’s first postage stamps and contains a brief history of Burma and images of stamps from various eras in modern Burmese history with explanations of their significance. The first provisional stamps of Burma were issued on April 1, 1937, the date of its separation from India. These were Indian stamps with a portrait of the late British King, George V, with the overprint of the word “Burma” at the top. The first definitive stamps with “Burma Postage” printed on them and a picture of King George VI followed in 1938.

Socialist era stamps

Colonial imprint remained until the Japanese occupation, when new stamps were issued with text in Burmese letters as well as Japanese katakana, which is used by the Japanese for transcription of words from foreign languages. The Shan states, however, had their own stamps, some with “the State of Burma” (bama naing-ngan daw) overprinted in Burmese, reflecting the complex nature of the Japanese occupation, which ended in 1945.

Then the British were back, but this time the stamps did not depict only the face of the British monarch; they also had images of Burmese farmers, elephants and women with Burmese parasols. Colonial rule was coming to an end, and the first set of stamps after independence on January 4, 1948, looked exactly like the last colonial stamps — but with the picture of the British king replaced by that of Aung San, Burma’s independence hero, who had been assassinated on July 19, 1947. He and his cabinet colleagues who were killed along with him were commemorated with a special set of stamps issued in 1948.

Burmese stamps of the future?Democratic Burma’s stamps showed Buddhist monks and temples and honored the United Nations. Then came the military coup of March 2, 1962, and the introduction of the “Burmese Way to Socialism.” Now the stamps depicted heroic farmers, workers and athletes, and railways and other signs of “progress” under the one-party rule of the Burma Socialist Program Party. And, still, portraits of Aung San, which under the present government have disappeared.

After the 1988 uprising, the “Burmese Way to Socialism” was abandoned, but military rule prevailed. Min Sun Min does not include any post-1988 stamps in his book, “because it was a turning point in Burmese history. That was the year when the military illegitimately assumed (direct) power.”

The last set of stamps depicted in the book—designed by Min Sun Min and, therefore, yet to be issued—show demonstrators thronging the streets of Rangoon and a Buddhist monk exhorting his audience at a rally in the capital in 1988.

Thus, the book ends on a very positive note: Min Sun Min has faith in a democratic future for Burma. The images of the cataclysmic events of 1988 will not be forgotten, he writes, and, “They deserve to be recorded and issued as stamps, one day, when Burma is free.”

Bertil Lintner is a correspondent who specializes in Burma and Asian issues. His latest book is Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s Struggle for Democracy (in Korean)

Walking with God has positive impact on teens

A rather interesting article in today's Sydney Morning Herald describes the positive impact the being a Christian has upon teens. The survey found that teens with a belief in God has more social awareness and compassion for others.

Those teens who walk with God tend to have a big helping heart, too - Sydney Morning Herald

ALMOST a third of Australian teenagers do not have any religious beliefs, new research has revealed.

And academics from Monash University and the Australian Catholic University found those with serious spiritual and religious beliefs were likely to donate more money, participate more in their communities and be more concerned about their society than their non-religious counterparts.
...

Researchers surveyed 1219 13- to 24-year-olds nationally. At least 47 per cent of those aged 13 to 17 identified themselves as Christians. About 15 per cent classified themselves as New Age and 7 per cent as having "other" beliefs.

Researchers found that active Christians rated helping others and social justice higher than other spirituality types and that teenagers serious about their spirituality were more likely to be volunteers. They were also more likely to be more generous when giving to charity.

Purposeful … Caitlyn Foster at the All Souls Anglican Church in Leichhardt,

where she voluntarily runs a Fair Trade stall selling products from India and South Africa.
Photo: Tanya Lake

Caitlyn Foster, 17, describes herself as an active Christian and voluntarily runs a stall for the Fair Trade organisation at her church every Saturday, selling products from India and South Africa. It turns over up to $800 a week. Profits go back to the people who make the products.
...

A University of Queensland study found that moving away from traditional beliefs to "trendy", self-focused religions was not making young adults happier.

Sarah Price

A wretchedly awful reaction to Heath Ledger's death

This past Friday on Channel 9's "A Current Affair" there was the most unbelievably awful interview with a pastor in the USA (Westboro, Kansas). It was distressing to hear him as he railed against Heath Ledger, his family, gays, the war in Iraq and Australia. The introductory hymn was "God hates the world" with a catchy tune but a horrible message.

This pastor, Fred Phelps, and his brand of "christianity" bear no resemblance to the Christianity I know. It bears no resemblance to my own experiences with God and Jesus Christ. When I read the Bible, I see God's love towards all and his desire that we all know and experience love and forgiveness. The only crushing condemnation that came from Jesus' lips was against the self-righteous religious leaders of the day who felt they were better than everyone else. Jesus said they were blind, and hypocrites... people who wouldn't lift a finger to help the poor and downtrodden. I do wonder at what Jesus's response would be to the vitriol of Mr Phelps.

What was even sadder to me was the way the young children in his congregation were spewing the same kinds of words... hatred.

When asked about Australia, he said that they pray for Australia... and they have a map of Australia with the word "sodom" written in large letters over the whole continent. He said we were "the land of the sodomite damned". Shudder! Has God (or god?) given him the mantle of a judge over us all? Absolutely not. Jesus Christ is the judge, he's the only one worthy enough to be the judge. And, he's already made clear through his death and resurrection that he's paid the penalty for all sins and wickedness. Our part is simply to accept that.

Anyway, if you would like to watch the video, follow the link below:


Heath Ledger: Minister speaks

Transplant miracle

In Oz, we are agog with the report of Demi-Lee Brennnan's miracle. She had a liver transplant at age 9 (she is now 15) and in some miraculous way her immune system and blood type have changed to that of the donor! The result is that she does not have to take anti-rejection drugs! If researchers can figure out how it happened they may be able to replicate it for others. What a wondrous possibility!
I wonder if her young age when receiving the transplant might have had something to do with it. Whatever, it's lovely to have some good news coming from the media!

15 year old Demi-Lee Brennan

Read the full story at:

Transplant girl's blood change a 'miracle' - National - smh.com.au

You can also see a video about it at:

A medical miracle

Have a good day!

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Another World War I veteran dies in France

One of the two remaining veterans of WW1 has died at age 110. It's a ripe old age for one who endured the horrors of war. I respect his feelings about not accepting medals and honours. So many died, so many young men died... and for what? The "war to end all wars" has become just one of many. There is so much death and destruction happening in so many countries in the name of something or other. Has any good come out of any of the battles? Maybe. But at what cost? We talk about having evolved from the apes. However, if that were the case how come we seem to be devolving not evolving in kindness, goodness, love and peace?
I am thankful for those who endured so much to deal with the megalomaniacs whose inflated view of their own importance has taken us on such a costly journey over tha past 100 yrs.

France's oldest man dies, one World War One survivor left - World - smh.com.au

France's oldest man dies, one World War One survivor left
France's oldest man, a First World War veteran who refused a medal and spoke powerfully about the horrors of war, has died at 110, leaving just one veteran alive from the conflict.
Louis de Cazenave died at his home in the Auvergne region in central France on Sunday, the government said.
President Nicolas Sarkozy called his death a reminder of the 1.4 million French who had lost their lives in the 1914-18 war.
Cazenave survived both the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the Second Battle of the Aisne a year later, two of the bloodiest episodes of the "war to end all wars".
Born in October 1897, de Cazenave became an infrantryman in 1916 and retired in 1941. He refused a military decoration but was eventually awarded the civilian Legion of Honour in 1999.
"Some of my comrades weren't even given a wooden cross," he told Le Monde newspaper in 2005.
Recalling events etched into his mind 88 years earlier, he gave a grim account of the offensive on German positions along the river Aisne which caused about 350,000 French and German deaths and led afterwards to a partial French mutiny.
"You should have heard the wounded between the lines. They called out to their mothers, begged us to go finish them off," he told Le Monde.
"We found the Germans when we went to get water at the well.
We spoke to them. They were just like us; they had had enough."
He described patriotism as "a way of making people swallow anything" and war as absurd and useless. "Nothing can justify it, nothing," he said.
The last surviving "beardy," the nickname given in France to First World War veterans because of conditions in the trenches, is now Lazare Ponticelli, 110.
He has refused an offer of a state funeral, saying it would show disrespect to war victims who never got the same honour.

Reuters

Arab comedians

Great article in today's Sydney Morning Herald!

Arab comics find laughter the best weapon in war on prejudice

Sacred cows … Maysoon Zayid in action. (Photo: Johnny Farraj)

THE comedian Maysoon Zayid introduces her act by declaring she is a Palestinian Muslim virgin with cerebral palsy, adding: "I just want you guys to know I am a virgin by choice … and that is my father's choice.

"My father has spent the majority of my life terrified that I will accidentally lose my virginity so there's a list of activities I am not allowed to do: there is to be no horseback riding, not even on a carousel."

Like much minority humour, Arab comedians are intent on challenging stereotypes.

Aron Kaydar, another Arab comedian on the festival bill, jokes that he will name his first-born son Al, as in Al Kaydar.

Zayid and a fellow comic, Dean Obeidallah, started the festival in 2003 when the Arab community was "under siege" and any news coverage that did not portray Arabs as terrorists was a reason for rejoicing.

Obeidallah, a native of New Jersey raised by Sicilian and Palestinian parents, said the terrorist attacks transformed how he was seen in his own country.

"Before 9/11, I am just a white guy living a typical white-guy life. I go to bed September 10th white. I wake up September 11th, I'm an Arab."

Initially, Arab-American comedians were wary of mocking themselves because their community was so widely criticised. Their humour had now evolved from pleas for understanding to a more mainstream comedy reflective of minority, immigrant humour, Obeidallah said.

The title of the festival - Arabs Gone Wild - would have been inappropriate and unthinkable several years ago, Obeidallah said, but the Arab-American community has become more assertive and confident. The festival of stand-up and sketch comedy will run over six nights off Broadway.

One festival sketch suggests that if Fox News gave itself free rein, Arabs could be blamed for all misfortune in America, including extreme weather events. And hurricanes would be given exclusively Arabic names, as in "Look out, here comes Mustafa. Run for your life."

Before the 2001 attacks many Arab comedians worked in ignorance of one another, but America's response to the attacks gave them a sense of a shared cultural experience.

Zayid said the war in Iraq had intensified the pressure on Arabs. "When you're vilified, you need a voice and the most vilified people in the media right now are the Arabs," she said.

She does not joke about September 11 nor about the 72 virgins some extremists believe are the reward in the afterlife to those martyred in the cause of Islam.

"I'll push the envelope as far as I can, but if I am going to get someone killed I am not going to joke about it," she said.

An example of the more mainstream humour that has evolved over recent years is Obeidallah's routine where he relates the discomfortof other Americans on learning he is an Arab. "Oh, you're an Arab," one said. "I love hummus."

Zorba the Greek Yolngu style

This is a great new take on Zorba the Greek! Wonderful! Great creativity of the young folk from Elcho Island.

Airing the quilts at Braidwood, 24Nov07 #9

Airing the quilts at Braidwood, 24Nov07 #9
Originally uploaded by bhojman

I recently was able to attend the annual "Airing the Quilts" at Braidwood, NSW. It was rather fantastic with quilts hanging from the awnings of most shops along the main street. Braidwood is a quilting town with plenty of quilters and shops to delight the quilters' hearts. Quilts were also on display in several places. I am in awe of the creativity of quilters! They are able to produce some most majestic pieces of stitched together patches of cloth. If you go over to my flickr page you can see more of these quilts.

Fleeing squirrel at Dallas Arboretum

Fleeing squirrel at Dallas Arboretum, October 2007
Originally uploaded by bhojman

A photo of the squirrel's tail is better than no photo at all. It's fun to watch these little critters munching away on the nuts they bury around the Arboretum gardens.

American Beauty Berry

American Beauty Berry
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Found these beautiful berries out in the bush at the Brookhaven Retreat Center in east Texas. The bush had lots of little bunches of these and made interesting patterns along the branches. Never anything like this before... though they're probably quite common in this part of the world.

Bamboo pipes

Bamboo pipes
Originally uploaded by bhojman

I took this photo at Bo Sang umbrella village outside of Chiang Mai. The pattern of the stack of bamboo pieces really caught my eye. In fact there were a lot of interesting pattern to see out at the factory. Bo Sang has become very commerialised in recent years but the factory section still retains an attractive charm.

Curtain Shadows #4

Curtain Shadows #4
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Shadows created on the curtains of my room by the afternoon sun... spectacular images of the khamoy (burglar) bars and the leaves of the papaya tree outside.

Burma Hills #2

Burma Hills #2
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Yesterday I had dinner with friends in Mae Sai. Their house has the most wonderful views of the mountains round about the city. This is just one such view of the mountains across the border in Burma, and taken just as the sun was setting. . Beautiful!

Wattle #1

Wattle #1
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Spring is in the air here in Sydney. The wattle is beginning the really bloom and is really beautiful.

Finally, a peaceful result

It's been a long time in coming, but finally the row between the Muslims in Victoria and the Catch the Fire Ministries has come to a peaceful conclusion.

From what I've read of the transcripts of what was said in the meetings in focus I find it hard to understand why it became a row in the first place. It's almost as if someone was looking for an argument and to cause ructions.

I pray blessing on both parties.

Handshake ends Vic Christian, Muslim row - Breaking News - National - Breaking News

Mediation and handshakes have ended a five year racial vilification battle between an evangelical Christian group and a Victorian Muslim body.

The Catch The Fire Ministries sparked a row with the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) in 2002 when it claimed in a newsletter that Muslims were demons training to make Australia an Islamic state, that the Koran promoted violence and killing and that Muslims derived money from drugs.

Catch the Fire pastor Daniel Nalliah said he was relieved the long-running case, which was settled in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) after a hearing in the Victorian Court of Appeal, was now over.

"No-one expected it to be so prolonged," Pastor Nalliah told AAP.

He said the two parties were able to resolve the matter after seven hours of mediation last Friday.

"On the same day, my wife Maryse delivered a baby girl so I had had just two hours sleep before mediation," Pastor Nalliah said.

"We found ourselves in a very friendly environment talking about the baby.

"The mediation brought two communities to a closer relationship - there was a lot of goodwill and a lot of shaking of hands."

In a joint statement the ICV, Pastor Nalliah and Pastor Daniel Scot, who aired the offending comments at a seminar, said they recognised the rights of all to express their own religious beliefs, while also recognising everyone's dignity and worth.

It was the first case to be heard by VCAT under Victoria's 2002 Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.

Former ICV president Yasser Soliman said he welcomed Pastor Nalliah's comments and hoped the two communities could move forward together.

"It's most important for people in this day and age to be talking directly to each other rather than talking about each other," Mr Soliman said.

© 2007 AAP

Children for sale

Here's a rather distressing piece of news. What has happened to us? Children being an item to be traded? And for what purposes? I dread to think given the many pedophile gangs there are operating in the world today.

Children for sale: police target gangs - World - smh.com.au

PARIS: Police in France are investigating a trade in children, with babies being offered for sale at more than $15,000 each.

Detectives believe that Eastern European gangs are holding impromptu "auctions" in supermarket car parks across the south of the country and in Portugal.

They chose to release a warning because of the possibility that Madeleine McCann, who vanished in Portugal last month, has been caught up in the trade.

The alert comes as shoppers in a Monaco branch of Carrefour, the international hypermarket chain, reported seeing a four-year-old girl - the same age as Madeleine - escaping abduction.

Her would-be kidnappers were said to have tried to cut off her hair before she fled in tears. When passers-by raised the alarm during the incident, which is believed to have happened last week, the failed abductors escaped in a car with foreign plates.

Details of the most recent attempted sale of a baby are even more definite.

It happened in a hypermarket car park near Angouleme, north of Bordeaux, last month.

Two Romanian couples were arrested trying to sell a two-month-old girl for between €10,000 ($15,900) and €15,000, a police spokesman said.

Telegraph, London

SMH - Outrage over videos mocking Thai king

While the original offensive video clip has been removed, two more have been uploaded to YouTube. I doubt that it's anything to do with the insurgents in the south and the King is highly revered there, as well as elsewhere, because of his compassion and good works to help the little people of Thailand.

My hope is that those doing this will stop. The King has the country's good at heart and it's rather stupid to insult him. If someone is unhappy with the political scene in Thailand, then maybe they should focus on where the rot really is. Leave the King alone.

Outrage over videos mocking Thai king - World - smh.com.au

Thailand today expressed outrage at the posting of two new videos mocking the country's revered king on the video-sharing website YouTube, pledging to maintain a ban on the site.

"This group of people has found another outlet, taking another action that is considered very offensive to the king," said communications ministry spokesman Vissanu Meeyoo.

"Thailand doesn't want to take this kind of action. We are just doing it temporarily," he said of the ban imposed on Tuesday.

The original video that prompted Thai authorities to block YouTube appeared to have been withdrawn by its creator, with a notice on the site saying it had been "removed by the user".

But two more clips, posted by users with different screen names from the original video creator, surfaced today. The site was accessed in Bangkok via a foreign server.

Like the first video, one of the new postings showed images of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's face covered with graffiti or juxtaposed with images of feet, considered deeply offensive in Thailand.

Another clip showed pictures of the king that had been digitally altered to make him resemble a monkey, and carried messages saying Thailand's leaders are "evil and hate free speech".

The second video used an expletive to denounce the king and the government.

"Officials will meet this afternoon with an association of internet users to discuss taking further action, after the parent company Google failed to give any cooperation," the communications ministry spokesman said.

"We need cooperation from internet users to monitor these groups," he added.

A spokeswoman for YouTube said before the new videos were posted that the company was "disappointed" with Thailand's ban of the site.

"We have asked the government to lift the block, and we look forward to the resumption of service to our Thai users," spokeswoman Julie Supan said.

The decision to block the entire YouTube site drew sharp criticism from media freedom groups, who said the ban highlighted a growing trend for the military government to censor political expressions on the internet.

Thailand's king, almost universally adored by Thais, is the world's longest-reigning monarch, and one of the few who is still protected by tough laws that prohibit any insult against the royal family.

The ban came a week after Thailand jailed a Swiss man for 10 years for insulting the king by vandalising his portraits during a drunken spree.

AFP

YouTube disappears from Thai Internet

Well, there we go... the problem revealed. Of course, YouTube nobs would have no idea how offensive anything against the King would be. I believe a foreign national has been sentenced to 10year jail for defacing posters of the king. The foreigner was in a drunken state and now has a long time to consider his stupidity!

Bangkok Post: Top Stories: YouTube disappears from Thai Internet

By BangkokPost.com

Internet users reported on Wednesday that Thai authorities had blocked the popular website YouTube, over an insulting video of His Majesty the King.

Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, the minister of information and communication technology, told the Reuters news agency he personally ordered a block of the entire site from Thailand after the ministry's attempts to block the offending page last week failed.

"Since Google (which owns YouTube) has rejected our repeated requests to withdraw the clip, we can't help blocking the entire site in Thailand," said Mr Sitthichai. "When they decide to withdraw the clip, we will withdraw the ban," he said.

The site was unavailable to all customer of Thai Internet providers by Wednesday evening. The ban took several hours to take hold, with many users able to access the site at midday, while others said they could not reach it.

An Internet engineer in Bangkok, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the block appeared to be at the main Thailand gateway maintained by CAT Telecom, which claims to have a monopoly on all international Internet traffic.

"All traffic to the CAT Internet providers seems to be blocked at CAT's router," said the engineer. "It doesn't help that they only have two (customers) to begin with." Thailand has two major high-speed Internet providers.

Most users of one of the two major high-speed Internet services in Thailand were able to reach YouTube as usual as of noon on Wednesday, several hours after other users reported being blocked. By evening, all subscribers of Thai Internet providers were blocked from all of YouTube.

YouTube has many controversial videos concerning Thai politics, but a user uploaded a serious video-slide show satire against His Majesty last Sunday.

The clip, seen more than 16,000 times, was posted by someone using the screen name "paddidda." His post was criticised or rudely attacked by most of the 532 comments up to last night about the video.

Mr Sitthichai said YouTube had told Thai officials it did not find the clip offensive and declined their request to remove it.

The minister had promised early this week to block websites he or his staff considered to be pornographic, offensive to the monarchy or a danger to national security.

Blocking YouTube, which has hundreds of thousands of videos, will be highly controversial, even if offensive clips remain on the site. It already has been criticised as throwing the baby out with the dirty dishwater.

In a similar case last month, many Internet users in Thailand claimed they could not reach YouTube because of a block - but others had no problem reaching the site.

As Post Database writer Don Sambandaraksa wrote about the last YouTube partial outage in his column in today's newspaper:

NOTE: link is
http://www.bangkokpost.com/Database/04Apr2007_data71.php

"[W]hen something as blatant as censoring YouTube occurred, nobody seems to be responsible for it, or for finding out who did it. The Ministry of ICT (MICT) said it was not their fault while the TOT and CAT also denied responsibility."

YouTube blocked in Thailand

This is really charming! YouTube is being blocked here in Thailand. I accessed it okay yesterday but today all that comes up is the following message:

Sorry, The web site you are accessing has been blocked by the requested of The Communication Authority of Thailand. For more information please contact: Ministry of Information an Communication Technology Building 9, TOT PCL Chaeng Wattana Rd. Laksi Bangkok 10210 Tel. 0-2505-7147,0-2568-2498
It's in both English and Thai. It makes me wonder what, if anything has been uploaded that has offended whomever. So much for freedom of speech!

UN scuttling from Northern Thailand's haze

The smoke/haze pollution seems to have no let up in Northern Thailand. Now the UN refugee agency is evacuating personnel who are having breathing problems.
I feel for those stuck with nowhere to run to for fresh clean air. The whole of the north needs a good storm with fierce winds to disperse the crud.
I'm heading into it next Monday... and can't put it off any longer. I'll take some masks with me, I think.

Bangkok Post: Northern haze too much for UN

Northern haze too much for UN
By Cheewin Sattha

The UN refugee agency and other international organisations based in Mae Hong Son province are evacuating officials and families with respiratory problems - and may evacuate entirely.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which cares for Karen refugees living in camps in the northern province, said it has plans to evacuate all staff if haze caused by forest fires is not brought under control.

Suthep Nutsruang, Mae Hong Son municipality mayor, yesterday launched a campaign to urge residents to help solve haze pollution, which threatens the health of people with respiratory ailments.

Dust particles smaller than 10 microns were measured at 340 microgrammes per cubic metre (ug/cu m) in Mae Hong Son's Muang district yesterday, almost three times the maximum level considered healthy - 120 ug/cu m.

Mae Hong Son governor Direk Konkleep urged residents to spray their roofs and roads with water from 1-3pm in a bid to reduce haze and increase humidity.

The province was recently declared a disaster area after the number of people suffering respiratory problems soared.

Mr Direk said he has asked chiefs of all seven districts to join hands with local administrative organisations to set up coordinating centres to operate around the clock combatting haze in their areas.

He also threatened to revoke occupational rights on private land plots if owners or occupants let bush fires burn on their land.

Third Army commander Maj-Gen Jiradet Khotcharat has ordered troops to survey forest fires at Doi Suthep-Pui national park in Chiang Mai and help forest fire units fight the blazes.

Troops from the 33rd Army Circle and the 7th Infantry Regiment yesterday took to helicopters to survey Doi Suthep-Pui national park and found several forest areas had been burnt out.

More than 500 soldiers and territorial defence students were yesterday sent to combat a forest fire which raged near Wat Ban Pong temple. It took several hours for the soldiers to put out the fire. Monks were evacuated to safety.

Col Khachachart Boondee, head of the 33rd Army Circle's military training centre, said the centre has closely monitored fires in Chiang Mai by sending troops to survey forest areas and national parks in several districts including Muang, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Chiang Dao.