With the situation in <keyword id="19919639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bangladesh" source="keywords">Bangladesh</keyword> snowballing into a major political turmoil, a former <keyword id="105542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-high-commissioner" source="Orion">Indian high commissioner</keyword> to Dhaka has cautioned that India will have to be "very vigilant" on the border in the wake of the crisis even as he asserted that New Delhi will be "prepared for all eventualities". <keyword id="22682784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pankaj-saran" source="keywords">Pankaj Saran</keyword>, a veteran diplomat and <keyword id="22682783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="former-envoy" source="keywords">former envoy</keyword> of India to Bangladesh during whose tenure the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) was ratified by the Indian Parliament in 2015, said on Monday that one cannot say when would things settle down in the neighbouring country. "We will just have to wait for different political forces to find some equilibrium inside Bangladesh," he said. <keyword id="20024637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheikh-Hasina" source="keywords">Sheikh Hasina</keyword>, 76, resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and left the country on Monday amid mass protests against her government. Thousands of protesters looted and vandalised her official residence in Dhaka. Saran, who served as India's high commissioner in Dhaka from 2012 to 2015, said that "trouble has been brewing" for the last few weeks and the government was "not able to bring it under control". "The last two days saw an escalation in the level of protests. Therefore, some decisions had to be taken about how to go forward in controlling the protests. I think, the situation reached a point where it was clear that curfews and other restrictions were not adequate. Police and security forces' actions were not adequate and the only resort that was left was to bring in the army," he told PTI. The former envoy believes Hasina was left with no choice but to step down. "The only issue left was ensuring her safety, which the (Bangladesh) army helped in arranging. So, now we are in a situation where essentially the army has taken over. They have announced the establishment of an interim government. Who is going to be a part of the government, that is something they are going to discuss with the president," he added. Saran said the "next couple of days will be critical" and it needs to be seen what impact her resignation has on the situation on the ground. "There is a power vacuum right now which is being filled by the army. But... now we have to see... whether this situation and this development will lead to a halt in street protests and return of the students... and a reduction in street violence. That we have to see." "We will also have to see the extent of attacks on Awami League members, members of the government and other supporters. All this will play out and (it needs to be seen) how much the army will be able to manage and control the situation. I think it is clear that there are ... political forces who are using students' grievances as an opportunity to settle political scores," he said. This a "new Bangladesh, a new generation" that has come and their mentality is "very different" from the Bangladesh of 40 years or 30 years ago, the former envoy said, adding how much of an impact these political elements will have on the popular psyche is also to be seen. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112289999" title="Bangladesh coup: A timeline of critical events that led to PM Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and alleged flight" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>India and Bangladesh share historical ties, with New Delhi having rendered crucial assistance to Dhaka during the Liberation War of 1971. Asked about the immediate repercussions of the current events on India-Bangladesh ties, he said, "Obviously, there could be an overreaction to the past. This overreaction could manifest itself in some trouble at the border, some anti-India statement." "So, we have to be alert on the border to make sure this does not lead to movement of any people from Bangladesh to India... We will have to be very vigilant on the border. That is the immediate requirement," Saran said. India and Bangladesh share 4,096.7 km of border -- the longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbours. Saran said the longer this environment continues, the more impact it will have on Bangladesh's economy because it is inherently integrated with the Indian economy. "So, there will be a further downtrend in the situation in Bangladesh on the economic side. But, once things settle down, and it may take a few months... we will just have to wait for different political forces to kind of find some equilibrium inside Bangladesh," he said. While the government-to-government relationship will obviously be impacted, the people-to-people relation and trade will go on, the former envoy said. "But, we will not go back to business as usual," Saran underlined. Asked that since the Land Boundary Agreement ratification could happen in the past, could the two countries again go the distance in the long run, he said whether it is Bangladesh or any other country, "you make the best of relations in any given time". "There was a government in Dhaka which wanted to move and resolve issues. We did all that. It does not mean that it cannot happen again in future. "When we had the chance, the alignment of the two leaderships was correct, we achieved a lot. Now, we just have to wait and see what is the kind of political dispensation that comes up in Bangladesh," Saran said. He asserted that India-Bangladesh "achieved a lot under Hasina". That is very good and the relationship has to continue and grow, he said. "I am sure we will be prepared for all eventualities. I think, everyone in Dhaka today is aware that that they need good relations, normal relations with India, but the question... but it's premature to think about that now, right now it is a crisis moment," Saran added.

Bangladesh crisis: India will have to be "prepared" and "very vigilant" on border, alerts former envoy

The political turmoil in <keyword id="19919639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh" source="keywords">Bangladesh</keyword> has reached a dramatic crescendo with the resignation and escape of Prime Minister <keyword id="20024637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheikh-Hasina" source="keywords">Sheikh Hasina</keyword>. Reports indicate that PM Hasina, accompanied by her sister, has crossed the border and entered India's northeastern region via a military helicopter. Simultaneously, the country is engulfed in chaos as thousands of protesters, after weeks of demonstrations, stormed Hasina’s official residence. Per reports, the scene at present is one of defiant celebration, with crowds chanting slogans, raising fists and displaying victory signs. As the situation continues to develop, here's a quick timeline of the crucial events that have brought Bangladesh to this pivotal moment. January 7, 2024 — Election Day The general elections are held, boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The Awami League (AL), led by Sheikh Hasina, wins a fourth consecutive term amid allegations of unfair practices and low voter turnout. June 2024 — Protests in Bangladesh Erupt Student-led protests begin against the quota system for government jobs, demanding its abolition. The protests gain momentum as public dissatisfaction with the government grows. July 1, 2024 — Protests Intensify Demonstrations escalate following a court ruling that upholds the quota system. Protests spread across Bangladeshi universities and cities, with increasing public support. July 16, 2024 — Violent Clashes At least six people, including students, are killed during clashes between protesters and police, further inflaming tensions and drawing international attention to the unrest. August 4, 2024 — Massive Protest in Dhaka Thousands of protesters storm the Prime Minister's official residence, Ganabhaban, amid escalating violence and unrest. The military imposes a curfew in an effort to restore order. August 5, 2024 — Sheikh Hasina Resigns and Flees Amidst the ongoing violence and protests, news breaks out that Sheikh Hasina has resigned from her position. Accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, she allegedly flees the country, reportedly taking a military helicopter to India. Sources also indicate that she intended to address the nation, but was unable to do so. August 5, 2024 — Military Intervention Following Hasina's resignation, <keyword id="12044621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh-army" source="Orion">Bangladesh Army</keyword> Chief Waker-uz-Zaman announces the formation of an interim government to restore peace and stability in the country. As the situation continues to evolve, this rapid shift in Bangladesh's political landscape could lead to major implications not just on its stability and future, but also on India.

Bangladesh coup: A timeline of critical events that led to PM Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and alleged flight

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Chinese textile factories have become a target during anti-coup <keyword id="6354896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protests">protests</keyword> in <keyword id="6356970" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="myanmar">Myanmar</keyword>. </li><li>It's not clear who exactly is torching the facilities, but experts say it could be protesters. </li><li>Protesters may be attacking the factories because China has not spoken out against the military.</li></ul>Chinese textile factories have become a target during anti-coup protests in Myanmar as China remains silent on the human rights violations in the country. Several Chinese factories have come under attack in Myanmar this month and it's not yet clear exactly who is responsible. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beijing-china-martial-law-myanmar-df4e07d2903350b4fc119189deaac492">The Associated Press</a> reported that protesters said they were not responsible for attacks on recent facilities, with some protesters speculating that the military itself could be behind the attacks as a way to justify declaring martial law in industrial zones, However, China's state-run Global Times said protesters "incited by the West" attacked 32 factories, which caused about $30 million in damage, according to the AP. Experts told Insider that it's likely protesters, or at least some protesters, are behind the attacks because they see the Chinese factories as symbols of China - a country that has not been outspoken against the military coup. Nick Vyas, an associate professor at the University of Southern California and an expert in end-to-end global supply chain management, told Insider that Myanmar began to play a role in the global supply chain about a decade ago when <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> sanctions were lifted. The garment industry then took off, mostly because the country was able to provide the cheapest labor. "That's sort of where the story starts in terms of Myanmar really playing a big role in garment manufacturing. As China started to divest when Bangladesh didn't have enough capacity, Myanmar was really in a position - especially when you talk about Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos - where the wage rates were still substantially higher than that of Myanmar. It became sort of a very attractive value proposition," Vyas said. However, China and other Asian countries actually own the majority of these garment factories or at least have some stake in them.Christopher Tang, an expert on global supply chain management at the University of California Los Angeles, explained that the country did not have the initial supplies needed to make clothes, so the bulk of around 80% of fabric and zippers in Myanmar have been imported from China where they are sewn to clothing and exported, mostly to European brands such as Mango.Tang explained that half of the factories in Myanmar are owned by foreign entities, especially China. While he said only 1.1 million of the country's 54 million people work in these factories, the industry itself has seen rapid growth over the past decade, providing livelihoods for many. Vyas said while it may not make sense why people who may earn their livelihoods from these factories would want to burn them down, he said many see these facilities as a roadblock to the change they want. "The entire protest in Myanmar is led by the people and a big chunk of this group that's leading this protest, the ones who don't want to go back to the past and live under the dictatorial military rule, are the people working in the garment factories," Vyas said."These people are working six days a week, sometimes seven days a week and there are disputes sometimes about not being paid overtime, issues with benefits, and not being able to unionize. So even before this military protest and the coup, there has been some bad history with the previous government of Aung San Suu Kyi not standing up for worker's rights." He explained that because the factories are owned by China, protesters view them as part of the cycle that prevents change. The cycle works like this: The garment workers provide cheap labor to these factories, which helps China grow its influence in Myanmar. Then, China's lack of support for protesters bolsters the military regime, which then cracks down on pro-democracy movements. "They're holding the governments of the foreign entities accountable to say, 'Hey, speak against this thing because we just reverted 18 years of progress back into military rule and you're not saying anything and you just want the business to go on as usual and that is not acceptable,'" Vyas explained. Both Vyas and Tang said it's likely these protests and the attacks on factories could have an impact on consumer goods, but it's not yet clear if prices will rise as a result. Tang said it's unlikely any of the corporations that source from Myanmar will pull their business out of the country, mostly because European countries are in support of protesters and the cost of production is still the cheapest. "From the cost standpoint it's appealing. Also, the EU also likes to support poor countries to give them economic growth, especially all these factories - they hire lots of females and I think the goal is to create gender equity and social mobility for women. I think the EU would like to continue to support that, but then the politics need to stabilize," Tang said.The situation, however, has not improved and protests have continued since the military, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-military-stages-coup-2021-2">known as the Tatmadaw</a>, took over on February 1, claiming there was mass voter fraud during the country's November elections.Protesters took to the streets on practically a daily basis since then and have constantly been met with violence from security forces. On Saturday, security forces <a href="https://www.insider.com/myanmar-forces-kill-more-than-100-deadliest-day-since-coup-2021-3">killed over 100 people</a> including children during clashes with protestors, the deadliest day so far. Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:you@insider.com?inline-read-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">salarshani@insider.com</a>

Protesters in Myanmar may be targeting textile factories owned by China to force the country to speak out against the military coup

<ul><li><keyword id="53143" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aung-Sang-Suu-Kyi">Aung Sang Suu Kyi</keyword> was burdened by her reputation as a democracy icon, that she once was.</li><li>Amnesty International stripped her of the peace prize saying that it was ‘profoundly dismayed’ as she refused to speak up for displaced Rohingya Muslims.</li><li>A military coup was staged today and the army declared a state of emergency in Burma.</li><li>Suu Kyi, she finds herself detained yet again and may go back where she was for most of her life.</li></ul>In an interview a few years after Burma stepped out of a 40-year-old military rule, Aung Sang Suu Kyi declared that “she is no Margaret Thatcher nor is she Mother Teresa”. Clearly, she was burdened by the weight of expectations placed on her as the democracy icon, she proved herself not to be, later on. <div type="image" title="1280px-Remise_du_Prix_Sakharov_à_Aung_San_Suu_Kyi_Strasbourg_22_octobre_2013-04_edited" msid="80623433" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Presentation of the Sakharov Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi by Martin Schultz at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 22 October 2013&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While she was spending 15 of the 21 years in house arrest, the world had built an image of her - a mix of Nelson Mandela and Gandhi; and the Lady Diana-like good looks did not help either. There were stories flying around that she was so charming that the military government had to rotate the house guards most of whom would fall in love with her. Back then, who wasn’t? Years after she came out of the arrest, and became the leader of a newly-free country, she was yet to open her door to new ideas and new people. That was expected since most of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party she founded, had almost disbanded by the time she was free. Even billionaires like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/23/aung-san-suu-kyi-fall-from-grace-myanmar">George Soros who had </a>generously donated towards her cause, found it hard to get a meeting with her. She was just as closed as she was, under arrest. <div type="image" title="Aung_San_Suu_Kyi_17_November_2011_edited" msid="80623472" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Aung San Suu Kyi gives speech to supporters at Hlaing Thar Yar Township in Yangon, Myanmar on 17 November 2011&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Nothing changed under Suu Kyi regime The government became heavily ‘personality driven’, Mark Farmaner, head of Burma Campaign UK told The Guardian. No decisions were made, no policies were made and the country remained just as it always was - with a different government. Administration issues aside, Suu Kyi angered many people as she did not take basic decisions like releasing other political prisoners such as herself. The 73 year old has also named no potential successors. She is known to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/23/aung-san-suu-kyi-fall-from-grace-myanmar">micro-manage every decision</a> and insisted on keeping a number of portfolios with herself including education and the prime minister’s office. It did not help that the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42824778">military itself had parliamentary representation </a>and controlled home affairs and defence and hence the police. In spite of these, Suu Kyi did not do what was expected - to speak against the violence on Rohingya Muslims. In a rumoured ethnic cleansing led by the still powerful military, as many as 700,000 Muslims along the Bangladesh border, were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in camps. Even if she did not have the power to stop it, she was at least expected to criticize the actions. But she did not. <div type="image" title="768px-AUNG_SAN_SUU_KYI_P6060070_03_edited" msid="80623482" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Aung San Suu Kyi at the World Economic Forum in Naypyidaw, Myanmar on 6 June 2013&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The Marie Antoinette moment The Nobel-prize winner had once loftily proclaimed Burma as a country of many ethnicities and aims to create a world free of ‘homeless and hopeless’. In a stark contrast, it looked like she condoned the violence, by dodging journalists, missing international meetings with simmering leaders who wanted to question her. When she was forced to respond, she downplayed the atrocities. That was not all. She also had her Marie Antoinette moment as she described the generals who were accused of violence, as “sweet”. It came as no surprise that Amnesty International stripped her of the peace prize saying that it was ‘profoundly dismayed’. The Nobel peace prize will remain with her mostly because it cannot be taken back. “The winners are expected to protect their reputations,” the authorities said. Clearly, Suu Kyi hasn’t fought for her reputation along with her people, who had hoped for better days. Now, there is <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/myanmar-leader-aung-san-suu-kyi-detained-says-ruling-party-spokesman/articleshow/80621044.cms">another military coup in Burma</a>, with the army spokesperson proclaiming possible election fraud and declaring a state of emergency for one year. The phone lines are stuck, internet is down and the state television went off air closing off the country to the world yet again. A military coup can only worsen the democratic values of a nation which was already ranked at a dismal 122 out of 167 by an <a href="https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2020/01/27/2020-world-democracy-index-worrisome-decline/">intelligence unit of </a>Economist and defined as a ‘hybrid’ regime due the power military wields. As for Suu Kyi, she finds herself detained yet again and may go back where she was for most of her life. This time, however, the world might not protest as vehemently as it once did, after she refused to speak up for others. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-detained-in-early-morning-raid/articleshow/80621102.cms">Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi detained in early-morning raid</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/a-quick-look-at-how-sensex-performed-historically-for-a-month-post-the-budget-announcement/slidelist/80612177.cms">A quick look at how Sensex performed historically for a month post the budget announcement</a>

The Aung Sang Suu Kyi facing a coup today is not the Nobel prize winning peace icon she once was

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Henry Kissinger's death has led some lawmakers to air critiques of his record.</li><li>He's long been closely associated with excesses of US foreign policy during the Cold War.</li></ul>Typically, when a former leading statesman dies, members of Congress only offer glowing tributes.Not in the case of Henry Kissinger."There's not much about Kissinger that I've heard that I think is particularly good," Democratic Rep. Greg Casar of Texas told Business Insider on Thursday.The former Secretary of State's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/george-santos-expulsion-exclusive-perks-congress-2023-11">death at the age of 100</a> has spurred yet another round of reflections on Kissinger's legacy, which is largely intertwined with the height of America's Cold War foreign policy.Kissinger, who served as both the National Security Advisor and secretary of state under Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, has been lauded for his effectiveness in opening up relations between the US and China and pursuing a policy of detente with the Soviet Union.But he also had a hand in foreign policy decisions that hurt and killed millions of people, including supporting repressive right-wing regimes in Latin America and planning indiscriminate bombing campaigns in Southeast Asia. Some have even argued that Kissinger should have been prosecuted for perpetrating war crimes."I think it's an incredibly complicated legacy," said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, summing up what may be the mainstream Democratic viewpoint. "There are some pretty horrific mistakes that Henry Kissinger made that have taken the United States a very long time to recover from."Murphy added that Kissinger "cared deeply about the nation's security," had "significant foreign policy victories," and is "a big man with a big legacy."Casar, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2023/08/11/a-different-codel-to-latin-america-00110898">traveled to Brazil, Chile, and Colombia</a> with other progressive lawmakers in August, said they've been "working really hard to undo" the harms of Kissinger's policies in Latin America, which included supporting a coup by General Augusto Pinochet in 1973."If you ask people in Chile, there are still lots of people who are looking for the bodies of their family members that were taken and disappeared by the Pinochet regime that the United States supported," said Casar.Other Democrats have issued similar critiques of Kissinger's legacy in the wake of his death."I never understood why people revered him," Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts wrote on X. "I will never forgive or forget."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Remembering all the lives Henry Kissinger destroyed with the terrible violence he unleashed in countries like Chile, Vietnam, Argentina, East Timor, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. I never understood why people revered him. I will never forgive or forget.— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/1730279781340524556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2023</a></blockquote>Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on X that Kissinger's "indifference to human suffering will forever tarnish his name and shape his legacy."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Henry Kissinger has passed at 100. His legacy badly needs reassessment. He unleashed some of the worst violence of the last fifty years in Chile, Cambodia, Iran &amp; Vietnam – just to name a few. His indifference to human suffering will forever tarnish his name and shape his legacy.— Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerryConnolly/status/1730251338469036246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2023</a></blockquote>Kissinger has also become an issue in recent Democratic presidential campaigns.In 2016, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont famously criticized Hillary Clinton for seeking foreign policy advice from the controversial former secretary of state."I happen to believe that Henry Kissinger was one of the most destructive secretaries of state in the modern history of this country," Sanders said at a February 2016 debate. "I am proud to say that Henry Kissinger is not my friend. I will not take advice from Henry Kissinger."At the time, Sanders specifically cited Kissinger's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/30/henry-kissinger-cambodia-bombing-war/">masterminding</a> of a carpet bombing campaign in Cambodia during the Vietnam War, which paved the way for the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the mass killing of more than 3 million people."Count me in as somebody who will not be listening to Henry Kissinger," Sanders added at that debate.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fCjQbTEuoDU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" title="Sanders calls out Clinton on taking advice from Henry Kissinger"></iframe>Sanders later re-upped that criticism during his 2020 presidential campaign, when he criticized then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for meeting with Kissinger.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Henry Kissinger was one of the most destructive Secretaries of State in the history of this country. A Sanders administration will not be taking advice from Henry Kissinger. <a href="https://t.co/AzyRrHhH6i">https://t.co/AzyRrHhH6i</a>— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1178350443212214272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote>On Thursday, Sanders told Business Insider that he had no reflections to offer on Kissinger's death."Nope. I don't," said Sanders. "He died. Let him rest in peace. I've had my statements."Despite criticism from Democrats, plenty of Republicans have offered warm tributes to Kissinger, including former President George W. Bush and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell."Today, the world Henry Kissinger leaves behind bears his indelible mark," McConnell <a target="_blank" href="https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/remarks/mcconnell-honors-henry-kissinger">said</a> on the Senate floor on Thursday. "The nation he served — the global superpower he helped create — owes him our gratitude."

'Pretty horrific mistakes:' Democrats have few nice things to say about Henry Kissinger following his death

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6356970" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="myanmar">Myanmar</keyword>'s military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing threw a lavish dinner party Saturday night. </li><li>The party came after the deadliest day of the coup yet, where troops killed more than 100. </li><li>Representatives of Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand attended.</li></ul>Myanmar's military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing threw a lavish dinner party Saturday night after his troops shot and killed more than 100 people in the deadliest day since the February 1 coup.Photos of the general in white military uniform walking down a red carpet and greeting guests at the outdoor dinner were posted on social media over the weekend.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Poppy McPherson (@poppymcp) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1375844260113567744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2021</a></blockquote>The dinner was held for Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the beginning of Myanmar's resistance to Japanese occupation during World War II, according to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/29/asia/myanmar-deadly-weekend-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.During a military parade to mark the occasion earlier in the day, Min Aung Hlaing gave a speech where he said he wanted to "safeguard democracy," while warning against "violent acts," according to the <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-coup-us-horrified-deadliest-004659387.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a>.Representatives of Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand attended the Saturday night dinner party, according to the BBC. Many found the juxtaposition of the dinner jarring, coming at the end of an exceptionally deadly day in Myanmar. Troops killed at least 114 people on Saturday - including children - according to a tally by the independent <a href="https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/cities-terrorised-as-junta-escalates-lethal-violence-against-public-on-armed-forces-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Myanmar Now</a> <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> outlet.The <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1088482" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a> put the death count at 107, while the military-run broadcaster Myawaddy TV said it was 45, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/29/biden-and-eu-condemn-myanmar-bloodshed-as-outrageous-and-a-day-of-shame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Ro Nay San Lwin (@nslwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1375838521588645891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2021</a></blockquote>By most tallies it was the deadliest day since the beginning of the coup on February 1, during which the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.A total of 459 people have been killed during the coup, according to a count by the <a href="https://aappb.org/?p=13924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assistance Association for Political Prisoners</a> monitoring group.According to the BBC, troops appeared to be shooting anyone they saw in the streets on Saturday. There were reports of security forces shooting into residential buildings and nighttime raids and arrests, according to CNN.Among the victims on Saturday was a 40-year-old Mandalay resident who was shot and burned alive by troops, according to <a href="https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/help-me-mother-mandalay-resident-shot-and-burnt-alive-by-juntas-troops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Myanmar Now</a>.<div type="image" title="myanmar victim" height="1334" width="2000" msid="81745636" hostid="261"></div>The killings continued into Sunday as well, including a report of security forces opening fire at the funeral for a 20-year-old student in the city of Bago, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2BK00T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.The bloodshed on Saturday prompted a rare joint statement from the defense ministers of 12 nations including the United States, Britain, Japan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, and South Korea. "A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting - not harming - the people it serves," the statement read, according to the BBC.<div type="image" title="myanmar protester.JPG" height="1125" width="2000" msid="81745637" hostid="261"></div>US President Joe Biden also condemned the killings, saying Sunday, according to The Guardian: "It's absolutely outrageous and based on the reporting I've gotten, an awful lot of people have been killed totally unnecessarily." China and Russia have not joined the international criticism over the coup, meaning any action through the UN Security Council is unlikely, according to the BBC.

Myanmar's military junta chief threw a lavish dinner party after troops killed more than 100 people in the streets

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6356970" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="myanmar">Myanmar</keyword>'s military blocked <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> on Thursday, claiming it was to stop misinformation.</li><li>The military seized power in a coup on Monday and detained hundreds of politicians.</li><li>Facebook is popular in Myanmar and activists had been using it to mobilize against the junta.</li></ul>The military junta that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-military-stages-coup-2021-2">seized control of Myanmar in a coup</a> has said it is blocking Facebook to ensure "stability," after activists began using it to mobilize.Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, declared a yearlong state of emergency <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-military-stages-coup-2021-2">on Monday</a> and detained hundreds of lawmakers, including the de facto ruler Aung San Suu Kyi.The coup has <a href="https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/92497/condemning-coup-myanmar-g7-foreign-ministers-statement_en">been condemned internationally</a>, with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55722226">world leaders calling on military leader Min Aung Hlaing to release the captives</a>. The Myanmar police <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-civilian-leaders-charged-covid-violation-walkie-talkie-ownership-military-2021-2">charged Suu Kyi with a string of minor infractions</a> on Wednesday, and if convicted, she could be imprisoned for up to three years.Access to the internet was disrupted from 3 a.m. on Monday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-coup-internet-coverage-cut-coup-leaders-arrested-2021-2">according to internet monitor NetBlocks</a> and, on Thursday, the Myanmar ministry of communications and information said that Facebook would be blocked until February 7, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics-facebook/some-facebook-users-say-social-media-platform-inaccessible-in-myanmar-idUSKBN2A32ZE">Reuters</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/04/myanmar-coup-army-blocks-facebook-access-as-civil-disobedience-grows">The Guardian reported</a>.MPT, the state-owned telecom company, blocked Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp on Thursday, NetBlocks told Reuters.Insider has contacted Facebook for comment.<div type="image" title="myanmar aung san suu kyi" height="1017" width="2035" msid="80689507" hostid="261"></div>Half of Myanmar's population of 53 million people use Facebook, Reuters reported.In justifying the block, the ministry said: "The people who are troubling the country's stability ... are spreading fake news and misinformation and causing misunderstanding among people by using Facebook," according to Reuters.Facebook <a href="https://www.insider.com/medical-professionals-on-strike-in-myanmar-to-protest-coup-2021-2">was a crucial platform for those opposing the coup</a> in Myanmar.It was used to coordinate Tuesday's <a href="https://www.insider.com/medical-professionals-on-strike-in-myanmar-to-protest-coup-2021-2">mass walk-out of medical professionals across 70 hospitals</a>, and hosted a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/civildisobediencemovement2021">civil disobedience Facebook group</a> that had 198,000 followers by Thursday afternoon.The first major protest against the coup took place in Mandalay, northern Myanmar, but it was quickly dispersed by law enforcement, The Guardian reported.Citizens also appear to be <a href="https://www.insider.com/medical-professionals-on-strike-in-myanmar-to-protest-coup-2021-2">using the offline messaging app Bridgefy</a> to organize.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-exec-quit-after-lockdown-spent-in-meditation-2020-7">This Google leadership exec quit after months spent meditating under lockdown: 'I could never go back to that lifestyle.'</a><div type="image" title="Myanmar" height="4024" width="6048" msid="80689510" hostid="261"></div>Facebook has a checkered past in Myanmar. In November 2018, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-failures-in-myanmar-2018-11">Facebook said it had not done enough</a> to censor hate speech posted on the platform against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.Since August 2017, as many as 750,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh amid a crackdown overseen by Suu Kyi. Hundreds of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/images-show-how-the-rohingya-are-killed-and-forced-to-flee-myanmar-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rohingya villages</a> have reportedly been burnt across Rakhine state, with some reportedly raped and killed."I think it is clear that people were trying to use our tools in order to incite real harm," CEO Mark Zuckerberg <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/4/2/17185052/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-interview-fake-news-bots-cambridge">told Vox</a> in 2018.In Myanmar, "everything is done through Facebook," Yanghee Lee, the UN investigator for Myanmar, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-facebook/u-n-investigators-cite-facebook-role-in-myanmar-crisis-idUSKCN1GO2PN">said in March 2018.</a>"I'm afraid that Facebook has now turned into a beast, and not what it originally intended," she added.The UN Security Council on Tuesday met to issue a joint declaration condemning the coup in Myanmar, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-russia-block-un-security-council-condemn-myanmar-coup-2021-2">but China and Russia blocked the statement</a>, with their UN ambassadors saying they needed approval from Beijing and Moscow.

The Myanmar military blocked Facebook for the sake of 'stability' after activists began mobilizing on the platform

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Several <keyword id="11906677" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="southeast-asia" source="Orion">Southeast Asia</keyword> countries are grappling with a labor shortage that's straining the global <keyword id="11894138" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="supply-chain" source="Orion">supply chain</keyword>.</li><li>In Vietnam, factory workers have headed home from Ho Chi Minh City after months of strict lockdowns.</li></ul>A shortage of workers in several Southeast Asian manufacturing hubs is adding to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-supply-chain-crisis-ports-face-record-delays-2021-10">global supply chain crisis</a> that is expected to wreak havoc on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/order-christmas-presents-now-shipping-crisis-isnt-ending-soon-2021-9">Christmas shipping.</a>Countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand are still grappling with containment of the COVID-19 virus, causing disruptions in the movement of the workforce required to produce goods.Those disruptions could cause major problems for retailers ahead of the holiday season."The rebound in economic growth in many of the world's largest consumer markets, including the US and EU, is boosting demand for ASEAN exports," Rajiv Biswas, chief economist for the Asia Pacific at research house IHS Markit, told Insider. But the labor crunch in affected areas will persist, he said, leaving low-wage industries like manufacturing and agriculture vulnerable until border restrictions are eased.<h2>Vietnam's factories are scrambling to find workers</h2>In Vietnam, factories making clothing, footwear, and electronics are now facing worker shortages after tens of thousands <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/we-are-tired-workers-flee-vietnams-largest-city-long-lockdown-eases-2021-10-04/">left the business hub of Ho Chi Minh City</a> after months of strict lockdowns.Many workers who flocked to the city have returned to their rural homes, as they report <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/we-are-tired-workers-flee-vietnams-largest-city-long-lockdown-eases-2021-10-04/">fatigue</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/10/11/vietnams-staff-starved-factories-implore-employees-to-come-back">fear</a> from the pandemic.Earlier lockdowns had already caused problems, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-apparel-shortage-holiday-shopping-supply-chain-issues-2021-9">Nike warning</a> of "supply chain headwinds," while the delivery of Apple's iPhone 13 has also been delayed, <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/iPhone-13-delivery-times-lengthen-as-COVID-hits-suppliers-in-Vietnam">the Nikkei reported.</a>Factories are now looking for ways to safely bring in workers again, <a href="https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/hcmc-companies-consider-ways-to-bring-workers-back-4369383.html">according to</a> local media outlet VnExpress. Doing that will likely further slow production down, as <a href="https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/hcmc-four-green-scheme-to-reopen-impracticable-say-factories-4360136.html">virus containment guidelines and protocols</a> require additional time and administration. Such safety measures are especially critical in a place like Vietnam, where only around 17% of the country is fully vaccinated, according to the <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/vietnam">Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.</a><h2>A migrant worker crunch in Malaysia has stressed the palm oil industry</h2>In Malaysia, the palm oil industry faces a similar issue, but with foreign migrant workers.Malaysia produces about a third of the world's palm oil; the versatile, edible oil is used in various products, from chocolates to detergents and shampoo. The country's palm oil industry, however, has long relied on migrant workers from countries like Indonesia and Bangladesh to harvest the crop.<div type="image" title="Workers harvesting oil palm fruits in Malaysia." height="2652" width="3536" msid="87036660" hostid="261"></div>As COVID-19 cases exploded in the country - spiking over four times in two months to about 25,000 cases a day in late August - the country put in movement restrictions and strict border controls. Migrant workers left the country in droves, and many have not been able to return, though the government has recently loosened restrictions to allow around 32,000 workers to return, according to the <a href="https://www.nst.com.my/business/2021/10/735449/intake-32000-foreign-workers-set-boost-oil-palm-production">New Straits Times.</a>But that's less than half of the number of 75,000 workers the industry is short of, per the New Straits Times report.<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-malaysia-palmoil/pandemic-forces-malaysian-palm-industry-to-rethink-reliance-on-foreign-labour-idUSKCN25E0A4">Malaysian oil palm plantations</a> have tried to entice local workers with higher pay to pick up the slack and use more machines. But locals are generally not interested in what they consider "dirty, dangerous and demeaning," <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Malaysia+Offers+8%2C600+Jobs+for+Locals+Who+Can+Pick+Fruit+for+Palm+Oil+Giants+bloomberg&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG973SG973&amp;ei=GwNpYcSVJqCCytMPhvOAyAQ&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiEj7HdycvzAhUggXIEHYY5AEkQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=Malaysia+Offers+8%2C600+Jobs+for+Locals+Who+Can+Pick+Fruit+for+Palm+Oil+Giants+bloomberg&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQskJY7U1g7U5oA3AAeACAAb4CiAHVE5IBAzMtOJgBAKABAcABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wizABAcABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz">Bloomberg reported.</a><h2>Myanmar's coup leaves Thailand short of laborers</h2>In neighboring Thailand, factories and farms that once hosted <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Crisis/Coup-strands-over-a-million-Myanmar-workers-in-Thailand">over 1 million migrant workers</a> from neighboring Myanmar have been hit by a double whammy.Hundreds of thousands of them have left because of the pandemic, according to <a href="https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/pandemic-response-leaves-migrant-workers-in-the-cold/">Frontier Myanmar.</a> And <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-military-stages-coup-2021-2">Myanmar's military coup</a> earlier this year has injected uncertainty and caused delays in work permit renewals, reported the <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2197015/migrants-face-red-tape-nightmare">Bangkok Post.</a>Thailand is a major manufacturer and exporter of vehicles, car parts, electronics, and food, and the labor crunch is hitting the supply chain, particularly in lower-end segments like farming.The Thai labor ministry is looking to fill these positions with local workers, <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2183999/thais-to-fix-migrant-labour-shortage">reported Bangkok Post. </a>But as with Malaysia's palm oil industry, Thailand may find the mission a tough order."They are jobs that Thai workers don't want to do," said Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin in a July interview with <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-economy-migrants/migrant-worker-shortage-threatens-key-thai-exports-economic-recovery-idUKL4N2OV0R3">Reuters.</a>

Worker shortages across Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand may lead to big delays in holiday shipping this year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Over 500 people have died in <keyword id="6356970" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="myanmar">Myanmar</keyword>, as civilians rebel against the rule of the military junta.</li><li>The violence hit a crescendo last Saturday when the junta killed more than 100 people on Myanmar's Armed Forces Day. </li><li>Some experts say there is little that the <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> community can - or will - do to intervene.</li></ul>Early on February 1, the leaders of Myanmar's National League for Democracy - the country's pro-democracy party - were taken into custody during a military raid and placed under house arrest. Later that morning, the people of Myanmar woke up to a new but sadly familiar world: imposing tanks rolled down the promenade, police forces roamed the street, and a military junta once again reigned with an iron fist.Myanmar's military - known as the Tatmadaw - had taken over, claiming the country's November election had been rigged in favor of the NLD, despite there being no evidence to support their claims. The junta almost immediately restricted media and internet access and installed repressive curfews. The country <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/myanmar-history-coup-military-rule-ethnic-conflict-rohingya">spent more than 50 years under military rule</a> before transferring to a civilian government in 2011. Now, Burmese citizens saw a frightening repetition of the past. But the people of Myanmar took to the streets to fight back.Since then, more than 500 civilians have died during <keyword id="6354896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protests">protests</keyword> in opposition to Tatmadaw rule. <h2>If we burn, you burn with us: Myanmar protesters </h2>The junta swept to power on February 1, plunging Myanmar into political turmoil. Within days, Burmese began taking to the streets to peacefully protest against the coup. Many adopted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-protesters-adopt-three-finger-salute-the-hunger-games-coup-2021-2">the three-finger salute</a> from "The Hunger Games," a symbol of opposition to tyrannical rule.Burmese anti-junta protesters engaged in peaceful civil disobedience, rather than violence, but were met with brutal force from members of the military and police forces, known in Myanmar as the Tatmadaw.The violence came in waves over the next two months, reaching a peak this past weekend when clashes between the protesters and the country's security forces left 114 people dead. Several children and teenagers were shot dead by soldiers, and scores were injured when the police <a href="https://www.insider.com/myanmar-police-open-fire-on-mourners-at-student-protesters-funeral-2021-3">opened fire on mourners at </a>a student protester's funeral on Saturday.<div type="image" title="A Myanmar protester makes the three finger salute during a demonstration against military coup in Yangon, Myanmar on February 7, 2021. (Photo by Myat Thu Kyaw/NurPhoto via Getty Images)" height="3124" width="4166" msid="81819378" hostid="261"></div>While the killings continued across the country and security forces doubled down on efforts to suppress the protests, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing <a href="https://www.insider.com/myanmar-geenral-threw-dinner-party-day-after-soldiers-kill-100-2021-3">feasted at a lavish dinner party</a> to celebrate the country's Armed Forces Day, attended by representatives from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand."There's a suspicion that Myanmar's military wanted to make a particularly emphatic show of force on their special day. In the run-up to the day, protesters across the country had been holding mock funerals for the commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing, making it a particularly charged moment," Dr. Elliot Prasse-Freeman, assistant professor at the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore, told Insider. Prasse-Freeman said the military seems to be "pursuing a strategy of intensifying - both gradually and in fits and starts - the brutality and inhumanity it is willing to bestow on the people." "This is a terrorist mentality, in which actions directed at individuals are meant to intimidate - to terrorize - the rest of the population," he added.The <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="death">death</keyword> toll in Myanmar has since exceeded 500. Despite the staggering body count, the protesters carry on. "We salute our heroes who sacrificed lives," one of Myanmar's key protest groups, the General Strike Committee of Nationalities, wrote on Facebook. "We must win this revolution!"In the latest move to combat military violence, protesters this week launched a new civil disobedience action: <a href="https://www.insider.com/myanmar-people-use-trash-protest-death-toll-climbs-past-500-2021-3">throwing garbage in the street</a> to block intersections. <h2>Words ring hollow: a tepid international response</h2>Ten days after the coup began, the US announced it would be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-announces-sanctions-targeting-myanmar-military-leaders-2021-2">sanctioning specific </a>military members but failed to offer a broader appeal. It called on the Tatmadaw to release National League for Democracy leaders, including Aung Sang Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.On Monday, the US took a further step, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/us/myanmar-us-trade-suspended.html">announcing it would be suspending all trade ties with Myanmar</a>.Then, on Wednesday, the US also ordered all "non-emergency" personnel to depart its Myanmar embassy. The US's trade suspension is seen as largely symbolic given the trade volume between the two countries. According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/us/myanmar-us-trade-suspended.html">The New York Times,</a> the two countries exchanged around $1.4 billion last year. The US is likely hoping the move will domino into other countries issuing similar suspensions.However, Prasse-Freeman suggests that US sanctions might not have as big an effect as intended. "Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand are the biggest investors in Myanmar, and the military is insulated from most effects of US sanctions because its investments in natural resource extraction tend to not be the major component of US investment," he said. <div type="image" title="myanmar protests" height="4000" width="5333" msid="81819390" hostid="261"></div>"The most powerful economic actions, rather, seem to be the ongoing effects of the sustained general strike on the financial and logistical operations in the country, and the targeted boycott of military companies as well as the local businesses and shops run by families linked to the military," he added.Tan See Seng, professor of international relations at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, highlighted the essential role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in addressing the developing situation in Myanmar. In the past, ASEAN "was able to step into the breach and play a constructive mediating and facilitating role," Tan said. "A key part leading to any resolution is initiating talks with the Tatmadaw and the coup leaders, and ASEAN could certainly play a part in that," he added. On the human rights front, Kingsley Abbott, senior legal adviser at the International Commission of Jurists, recommends that at the international level, the United Nations Security Council and other UN bodies should pursue all appropriate actions: including a referral to the International Criminal Court, targeted sanctions against those implicated in violations and a global arms embargo.Abbot suggests one of the ways to prompt action is to prey upon the self-interest of surrounding nations. "More immediately, key actors including ASEAN, China, and India have to recognize the situation impacts stability across the region and could get considerably worse if they fail to take meaningful action. These states need to alter course and at a minimum persuade the military to step back and stop the killings, arbitrary detentions, and other violations," Abbott told Insider.Gregory Poling, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Insider that the escalating violence was likely due to Min and other generals feeling "frustrated" by the protests' staying power. <div type="image" title="Myanmar" height="1333" width="1777" msid="81819396" hostid="261"></div>"The space for compromise now seems all be vanished, and the military shows no signs of looking for an off-ramp, so violence is expected to continue escalating for the foreseeable future, including with the increasing role of ethnic armed organizations," Poling said. "We will continue to see tightening economic sanctions and trade restrictions from the US and other states. They will continue to try and target those at military-owned companies and individuals, but that net has now become so wide that it will be impossible to prevent it from affecting the wider economy," he continued.The international community will have to weigh the value of "pulling every lever in the unlikely hope of convincing the military to back down" - even those which may harm average Burmese citizens, Poling said. He added that the international community has remarkably little leverage with the Tatmadaw. However, diplomatic and financial support provided to the pro-democracy movement, combined with the use of targeted sanctions to convince factions within the military to push for de-escalation, could have an impact. "But that too seems extremely unlikely to work. This crisis will likely worsen, last for years, and be decided on the streets of Myanmar, not by the international community," Poling added.

In 2 months, Myanmar's military has killed more than 500 people. The international community has done little to help.

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54917827.cms" style="height: 501px; width: 800px;" />War games are addictive and while some of the games like “Age of Empires” are commended for encouraging the youth to think more strategically, a vast majority of these games contain violence, which may have adverse effects on the psyche of the young. 
 
Therefore, many parents encourage their wards to invest more time in mastering strategic board games like Chess instead of video games. But, war veterans like Gen. Dwight Eisenhower point out that “No board game can replicate the conditions of the battlefield or the manoeuvres of geo-strategy”. What then is a viable alternative to the war video games? 
 
Bridge, the most popular card game in the world (played by an estimated 60+ million players) teaches you more about strategy and war than any other game can; even more than Chess. 
 
Bridge is considered more of a strategic game than chess because unlike chess, Bridge is a team game and depends considerably on the subtleties of communication. 
 
Interestingly, these communications (when players call out to their teams/allies while bidding or playing a significant card) may or may not necessarily be the truth. So the players have a choice – to tell the truth or deceive their opponents. 
 
Consequently, every message the player sends needs to be ‘decoded’ correctly by his/her allies and incorrectly by their foes. Remember, unlike in chess where the opponent’s counters are visible, in bridge, a player’s cards are visible only to her/him. This corroborates much more closely with battles and wars where propaganda, feints and outright deceit is used in equal measure to outfox and out-manoeuvre the enemy. 
 
Compare this to chess where machines have long beaten human players (IBM scored a priceless PR coup when it used its super-computer named Deep Blue to beat grandmaster Garry Kasparov in the 1990s). While it did seem improbable at the time, the fact is that it wasn’t difficult for a computer capable of making billions of calculations each second by analysing its opponent’s moves. But the same is not possible with Bridge because computers cannot distinguish between truth and lies (eventually of course, I expect artificial intelligence to remove this disparity). 
 
History records great generals and leaders as bridge players. America’s Gen. Dwight ‘Ike’ Eisenhower, who went on to become America’s 34th President from 1953 to 1961 was an avid bridge player. One of his compatriots, Gen. Alfred Gruenther, subsequently the NATO Commander, also shouldered the responsibility of being the president of the World Bridge Federation for many years. 
 
President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State and a World War I veteran John Foster Dulles was so passionate about the game that in addition to being one of the President’s bridge partners, he encouraged the state department to conduct bridge tournaments across US embassies and consulates the world over. Closer home, Deng Xiaoping, the builder of modern China, was an avid bridge player who, it is said, even had a private railroad car for his games. One of India’s finest soldiers, Sam Manekshaw, the ‘first Indian Army officer to be promoted to Field Marshall’ was a bridge player as was his friend and colleague Lt Gen JFR Jacob, the man who, along with the Field Marshal, played a larger than life role during the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971. 
 I will quote arguably the world’s greatest war leader and strategist – the legendary Chinese military general Sun Tzu. His philosophy on <keyword id="34454" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="leadership">leadership</keyword> is immortalised in his widely influential book, The Art of War. His take on ‘deception’ forms one of his fundamental philosophies on leadership where he says, “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” I’m quite sure, he would’ve made an incredible Bridge player. 
 
(The article is authored by Kiran Nadar, Director, HCL Corporation and an internationally renowned Bridge player and Captain of Team Formidables) 
 
(Image: Reuters)

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