The past week has confirmed that despite the Burmese government's made-for-export show of reforms, there is still no such thing as political freedom in Burma. Yet, you probably haven't read anything about the nation's ongoing (but increasingly repressed) student protests in this week's headlines. That's largely because the regime has responded in such a way that is threatening enough to stifle dissent at home, but not violent enough to invoke international outrage. This is the "sweet spot"…

Over the past few months, the world has largely overlooked a series of peaceful protests by Burmese students that began in November, coinciding with President Obama’s visit to the Southeast Asian nation. The students are protesting the country’s new National Education Law, which maintains close, centralized government control of the nation’s educational institutions and limit students’ freedom of association (read more…