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Restless Souls: Rebels, Refugees, Medics and Misfits on the Thai-Burma Border
Restless Rebels, Refugees, Medics and Misfits on the Thai-burma Border Paperback by Phil Thornton (Author)
- GenresNonfictionAsia
220 pages, paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 22, 2013
Perhaps distilled into a magazine article, this piece of journalism would have been good. That way the inetresting stories could have been concentrated, rather than strewn about with standard refugee drama. And perhaps then the author's very light self-awareness would not have been so much a problem. Occassionally, he points out that he is privileged, and only an observer, but he does not dig deep into these--in what way is his journalism, say, parasitical on the people he is trying to expose to the world's eye? And once he gets to the deep self-awareness, then come the real questions: what to do with it? Knowing the moral weight of choices, what is one's calculus for acting? I don't know a whole lot more about either the struggles of the Karen or the guy--why did he decide to move from Australia to rural Thailand, what were his motivations in all this?--than I did at the start of the book.
December 23, 2019
i actually bought this book from a book shop in bangkok,thailand.
it is actually about a journalist called phil thornton.
he lives at the thailand and burma border for a total of 5 years and he works over there as a journalist and he covered stories from there and reports about what is happening.
i thought that this book was going to be great but it was not that good.
there are people in burma known as the karen and their 60 years struggle against the burmese military and that is what the whole book is actually about.
burma is a buddhist country.
the government is very corrupt and they are not bothered about the well being of the people and just want to make money.
then there is talk about drugs and corruption.
it is actually about a journalist called phil thornton.
he lives at the thailand and burma border for a total of 5 years and he works over there as a journalist and he covered stories from there and reports about what is happening.
i thought that this book was going to be great but it was not that good.
there are people in burma known as the karen and their 60 years struggle against the burmese military and that is what the whole book is actually about.
burma is a buddhist country.
the government is very corrupt and they are not bothered about the well being of the people and just want to make money.
then there is talk about drugs and corruption.
May 20, 2008
This book was educational in terms of content and had a lot of insightful information regarding the Burma conflict,but the writing style was terrible. My guess is there is a better book on this topic out there.
August 16, 2009
This book is a good overview of the struggle of the Karen people from Burma, despite the author's biases.
June 13, 2012
A sensationalized tale of Mae sot. Anyone who has ever lived or worked there will get quite a kick out of his harrowing description.
October 3, 2023
Restless Souls by Phil Thornton is a book that gives a glimpse into the lives of various people who are affected by the conflict in Burma. The book, published in 2006, features interviews with Karen guerrillas, displaced villagers, aid workers, activists and others who have witnessed the atrocities and struggles of the Karen and Burmese people. The book is still relevant today, as the situation in Burma has not improved much and the border town of Mae Sot remains a hub for resistance, journalism, espionage and humanitarianism. The book is informative and engaging, as it shows the human side of a complex and ongoing crisis.
March 28, 2015
I finally read this book (I picked it up in Thailand in 2011 when I was visiting Mae Sot and Chiang Mai so it's about time. It gives good descriptions of conditions in Mae Sot, Thailand on the Burmese border circa 2006 and the terrible conditions and events that are routine there. Too many of these problems continue to exist.
It also, much to my surprise has graphic descriptions of the harm that is sometimes caused when people seek medical help from "traditional healers." If one is seeking information on what some "alternative treatment modalities" can do (i.e. cause infection and then spread it until a limb needs to be amputated) I recommend you check out this book. If you have an interest in alternative medicine it's worth checking out.
Of course, if one is interested in Burma (Myanmar), refugees, or the Karen people and their horrible political situation, this book is well worth checking out for that too. I preferred it over "For us surrender is out of the question," as the author of "Restless Souls" has more experience with the issues and their complexity.
It also, much to my surprise has graphic descriptions of the harm that is sometimes caused when people seek medical help from "traditional healers." If one is seeking information on what some "alternative treatment modalities" can do (i.e. cause infection and then spread it until a limb needs to be amputated) I recommend you check out this book. If you have an interest in alternative medicine it's worth checking out.
Of course, if one is interested in Burma (Myanmar), refugees, or the Karen people and their horrible political situation, this book is well worth checking out for that too. I preferred it over "For us surrender is out of the question," as the author of "Restless Souls" has more experience with the issues and their complexity.
August 10, 2007
This is a fascinating non-fiction book about the Karen people of Burma, who have been under attack by the Burmese central government for around 50 years. The book covers an American ex-military officer who leads an elite unit of Karen fighters; the gem, drugs, people and weapons trade across the Thai-Burmese border near Karen state; the current state of Karen refugees in Thailand; the Karen resistance efforts; and other topics. It's an interesting read regardless of your specific interest in Burma.
April 17, 2010
Story of Mae Sot and the Karen.
July 27, 2011
Bitter tales that must be told.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews