Song of a Reformed Headhunter

 A rousing historical narrative, impassioned, clear-sighted, and deeply knowledgeable. About the British effort at the abolition of slavery in the latter half of the 1780's: "It was the miraculous growth of San Domingo that was decisive. Pitt found that some 50 per cent of the slaves imported into the British islands were sold to the French colonies. It was the British slave-trade, therefore, which was increasing French colonial produce and putting the European market into French hands.... By 1786 Pitt, a disciple of Adam Smith, had seen the light clearly. He asked Wilberforce to undertake the campaign. Wilberforce represented the important division of Yorkshire, he had a great reputation, all the humanity, justice, stain national character, etc., etc., would sound well coming from him. Pitt was in a hurry—it was important to bring the trade to a complete stop quickly and suddenly. The French had neither the capital nor the organization to make good the deficiency at once and ...

 Weekly column written for the Singapore Unbound newsletter. Sign up here . Guest editorial column by Burmese poet and activist Ko Ko Thett. The following poem responds to the  announcement  by Myanmar's military junta on June 3, 2022, that "it would execute four people whose appeals were rejected following grossly unjust closed-door trials." Among the four are activist Kyaw Min Yu, known as “Ko Jimmy,” and opposition lawmaker Phyo Zeya. They were sentenced to death on January 21 under Myanmar’s overbroad Counterterrorism Law of 2014. On the Ropes By Ko Ko Thett In all manners of capital punishment  hanging is  the most hideous. To ancient Greeks the rope takes away more than life.  It takes away decency even in death.  Had the Romans hanged Jesus —instead of nailing him on a crucifix— the Christian church wouldn’t  have had much impact. Would you hang around  your neck an icon of a broken-neck Jesus,  hanging by...