Burma, through the eyes of a Czech reporter

Bangkok Post - PERSPECTIVE - Sunday 13 June 2004
http://www.bangkokpost.com/130604_Pe...004_pers12.php

Burma, through the eyes of a Czech reporter

A trip to the mystery-shrouded land west of Thailand dispels some of
the perceptions of a journalist who grew up in a repressive former
communist-bloc country

MAXMILIAN WECHSLER

Photo - Young, smiling nuns take a break outside a temple in Mandalay.
A happy woman in Pagan.

Photo - An Intha (lake dweller) girl in traditional dress paddles a
small boat on Inlay Lake. She's on her way home from the market. A
working day inside the headquarters of the National League for
Democracy in Rangoon. A large image of Aung San Suu Kyi hangs on the
wall.

Photo - Old SPDC soldier sells fake watches in Rangoon. Pirated CDs
and DVDs are available on a Rangoon footpath.

Photo - Young Burmese ride a bicycle past a government roadside
poster. A mother and her baby girl travel by tricycle down a Rangoon
street.

Photo - Vendor awaits customers in capital's downtown. Typical
sidewalk scene in Rangoon.

Photo - Pedestrian bustle in Rangoon's city centre.

Freelance journalist and photographer Vaclav Novak, 38, lived many
years under the repressive communist regime in his native
Czechoslovakia, until its collapse in 1989. Mr Novak became interested
in Burma after reading a number of negative articles that portrayed
the atmosphere there as similar to the one he disliked so much in his
youth. So, he spent two weeks in Burma in May of this year.

What he actually experienced in Burma did not entirely correspond with
the perceptions he had when he entered.

"From what I read in the press, I had expected difficulties in moving
around, a lot of poverty and beggars, and soldiers everywhere. But
this perception of Burma was wrong," Mr Novak explained.

"I visited Rangoon, Mandalay, Pagan, Lake Inlay. As far as I could
see, no one followed me. I could take many photos of the Burmese
people without any problem," he added.

"I was a little bit surprised by the openness of the people I spoke
to. There was relatively more freedom than we had under the communists
(in Czechoslovakia) and I didn't see any sign of repression," Mr Novak
said.

"Burma is a poor country, but not as poor as I expected. I didn't see
the same kind of poverty as I experienced in some countries with many
beggars asking for money everywhere.

"In Burma, everyone dresses well, with many wearing the traditional
'longyi'. Everyone has a place to live and food to eat.

"Ordinary people in Burma spoke to me in English. We usually met and
approached each other in the restaurants, where we watched satellite
TV. This was another surprise for me, as I thought that satellite TV
was prohibited. But it was everywhere _ in private houses, restaurants
and in the guesthouse I stayed. People are allowed to watch foreign
news, even from the BBC World, which usually criticises the ruling
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). A young vendor at a street
intersection offered to sell me copy of Bangkok Post," Mr Novak
asserted.

Most places he visited compared well to Cambodia, Indonesia or Laos.
"In fact, Rangoon looks pretty nice. However, some people told me that
business was concentrated only in the hands of people close to the
SPDC."

Mr Novak said: "I met and spoke with many local people while watching
TV. Of course, they always complained about the government. Many told
me that they were in a hopeless situation and I observed a sense of
resignation from the Burmese population.

"You can usually speak freely to people who deal with foreigners, such
as tourist guides or taxi drivers. They talk a lot about pagodas,
interesting places to visit, the Burmese culture, but when asked about
Aung San Suu Kyi, their mouth will be kept shut!"

He also visited the headquarters of the opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD).

"I entered the NLD office without a problem. Nobody stopped me and I
didn't see any military or police personnel around.

"I counted a score of NLD members and had a chat with some of them.
One said that it was the only NLD office permitted to function in the
capital. I also saw several non-members who came to obtain information
or to give their support.

"The premises were full of posters of Aung San Suu Kyi pasted on the
walls. It was a strange feeling for me to imagine how a small group of
people there wanted to challenge the SPDC."

Asked to compare reality with the media coverage of Burma, Mr Novak
said: "A lot of information in the media focuses on the negative
aspects, and the bad news usually originates from the areas forbidden
for foreigners to visit. Therefore, you can't really say whether the
information is true, distorted or a straight lie."

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"Bagyan" wrote

Bangkok Post - PERSPECTIVE - Sunday 13 June 2004
http://www.bangkokpost.com/130604_Pe...004_pers12.php

Burma, through the eyes of a Czech reporter

A trip to the mystery-shrouded land west of Thailand dispels some of
the perceptions of a journalist who grew up in a repressive former
communist-bloc country

MAXMILIAN WECHSLER
[................]

Asked to compare reality with the media coverage of Burma, Mr Novak
said: "A lot of information in the media focuses on the negative
aspects, and the bad news usually originates from the areas forbidden
for foreigners to visit. Therefore, you can't really say whether the
information is true, distorted or a straight lie."


he's simply right.
But you don't have to live in a "repressive former communist-bloc country"
to be brainwashed about the situation in Burma
Even mo
Most people in the "democratic" western europe think that the situation
Burma is worser than hell.


to prove the contrary:
http://www.actagena.org/pictures/Myanmar/index.html
China, Myanmar and More

or just ask it to Burmese people, living in the west.
They'll all confirm you:
The main purpose of the Burma action groups in the west is to feed
themselves.
They don't really care about the people of Myanmar.