International Monitor Institute. Burma Videotapes, circa 1990-2002

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Summary

Creator:
International Monitor Institute
Abstract:
The non-profit agency International Monitor Institute (IMI) operated between 1993 and 2003, primarily to assist international war-crimes tribunals by collecting, indexing and organizing visual evidence of violations of international human rights law. The International Monitor Institute Records, Burma Videotapes span the dates 1992-2002, and comprise audiovisual materials related to IMI's documentation of contemporary conflicts and human rights violations in Burma (Myanmar). These audiovisual records largely document the activities, interviews, speeches, press conferences and ceremonies of political figures, especially Aung San Suu Kyi, and document the activities of political and military institutions such figures represent, including the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Records also include extensive network and independent story packages of Burma and footage of human rights conflicts. Topics and footage cover life in Burma under military regime, refugees and refugee camps (especially Karen refugees), political prisoners, survivor stories, forced labor, Japan's role in the refugee situation, and Los Angeles protests against the SLORC and Unocal. These records include copies of approximately 268 video cassettes. The video and audio material is indexed by an extensive database developed by IMI which includes keywords, air dates, segment producer, and segment title. Acquired as part of the Human Rights Archive. Further organizational material on Burma can be found in the International Monitor Institute Records, also at the Rubenstein Library.
Extent:
12 Linear Feet
287 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00605

Background

Scope and content:

The Burma Videotapes section of the International Monitoring Institute records contains descriptions of 286 tapes collected by IMI that depict human rights issues and themes in Burma. Material includes amateur footage, news coverage, commercial productions, as well as material from independent production companies. The format of materials include network documentaries; first-hand footage; interviews with both political figures and unidentified Burmese, particularly Burmese survivors, migrant workers, and refugees; recordings of award ceremonies and speeches; news coverage of street protests in Burma as well as protests in Los Angeles, especially those of the Burma Forum LA. Topics range from military activities and movements; the refugee situation and refugee camps; forced and migrant labor; minefield survivors; the political activities of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), the All Burmese Student Army and other prominent organizations, including other student organization, operating in Burma; everday life under the military regime; the Japanese role in the refugee situation; the problem of widespread rape; rescued girls and children; methods of torture; testimony of massacres and other abuses; as well as documentation of Burmese cultural events, including tribal dances and Burmese song. The majority of videotapes are in NTSC VHS format. Other formats include PAL Betacam SP, NTSC Betacam SP and PAL VHS. Please note that the descriptions of the tapes in this collection are based on IMI's data and were not originally drafted by Rubenstein Library Staff. Tape numbers BU092-BU119 were not transferred to the Rubenstein Library and descriptions of these tapes have been omitted from this finding aid. Further organizational material on Burma can be found in the International Monitor Institute Records, also at the Rubenstein Library.

Biographical / historical:

The International Monitor Institute (IMI) was founded in 1993 by actress and film producer Pippa Scott. Scott, daughter of screenwriter Allan Scott who wrote some of the Astaire-Rogers films, was educated in California and in England, at Radcliffe College and the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Ms. Scott acted in such films as "The Searchers" and "Auntie Mame," and was a founding partner of the Emmy-award winning television company Lorimar Productions (producer of such TV hits as "The Waltons" and "Dallas" ). Scott established Linden Productions in 1987 to develop documentaries focusing on current issues. Linden's latest production is "King Leopold's Ghost," a documentary about the exploitation of the Congo by King Leopold II of Belgium. Scott was a member of the Women's Refugee Commission, the Pacific Council on Foreign Relations, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Organizational History. The International Monitor Institute was founded in 1993 and operated until 2003. Its primary mission was to assist international war-crimes tribunals by collecting, indexing and organizing visual evidence of violations of international human rights law. Videos and audio tapes were acquired through donation as well as on collecting trips by IMI associates in the former Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, and other countries. IMI's activities also included developing regional archives of videos on conflict and human rights abuses, producing film and multimedia projects to assist humanitarian organizations, organizing public outreach events, conducting video research for governments, film makers, authors, and students, and providing educational outreach. Patrons and partners of IMI and its collections included the International Criminal Court and its staff, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the governments of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, and former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

Acquisition information:
The International Monitor Institute. Burma Videotapes were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2006-2007.
Processing information:

Processed by Rubenstein Library Staff, June 2012

Encoded by Noah Huffman, June 2012 and Clare Callahan, September 2012

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 2006-0111

Arrangement:

Tapes are arranged in numerical order by Tape ID, a unique identifier assigned by IMI at the time they cataloged the tapes.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Original audiovisual materials are closed to use. Use of these materials may require production of listening or viewing copies. Please contact Research Services before coming to use this collection.

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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], International Monitor Institute. Burma Videotapes, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.