FEATURE-Myanmar's people struggle t

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FEATURE-Myanmar's people struggle to survive 
06:33 a.m. Sep 11, 1998 Eastern 

YANGON, Sept 11 - Myanmar's young men dream of going abroad to come back as
a ``dollar man.'' They have almost no chance of getting rich in an economy
which is falling apart. 

``When you get out of Myanmar you get popular. Every girl likes you because
you have plenty of U.S. dollars,'' said one Yangon man. 

The political standoff between the military government and the opposition
means less to Myanmar's people than their own economic problems. They are
dealing with those constantly. 

The street value of the kyat currency has been steadily sliding since
Asia's financial crisis erupted last year. It has gone from around 260 in
January to around 350. And every time it slips people's lives get a little
tougher. 

The value of wages has been steadily eroded. A government worker's typical
monthly wage of 1,000 kyat is now worth around $3. A trip from Yangon to
Mandalay, Myanmar's second city some 500 km (310 miles) to the north, in
the back of a truck costs about the same. 

``It is very hard to live here,'' said one resident. 

CORRUPTION A FACT OF LIFE 

Obtaining dollars in cash is just one of many things which is illegal, but
widespread. Money changers change dollar notes nervously and hide them in
the bottom of jars, underneath the Foreign Exchange Certificates which they
are licensed to trade. 

In a bid by the government to control the kyat's decline, some
money-changers offering high rates have been arrested and held for a few
days, residents say. But that has not definitively halted the downward
trend. 

Under such dire economic conditions, even doctors demand bribes before
treating a patient, as do police when making arrests, residents say. Simple
things like learning to use a computer are beyond most people's means. 

Red tape abounds. Importing goods is complicated. A 10-year-old car can
cost $3,000, drivers say. 

In the countryside where most people live, life is not much easier. 

Farmers have to grow several crops of rice a year on land which can only
support one, and then are required to sell much of it to the government at
low prices. Much of the rice distributed free to government workers is of
low quality. 

``You cannot eat it,'' said one man. 

DARKENED STREETS 

At night, many of the streets in downtown Yangon are in darkness. Candles
light up the houses. The city's ageing drainage system floods in heavy
rain. 

The flow of foreign investment has dwindled to a trickle as its main
sources -- other Asian countries -- grapple with their own financial woes. 

Glitzy hotels thrown up around the city in recent years with Asian money
are almost empty. Occupancy rates are down to around 15 percent, hoteliers
say. A number of high-rise projects in the city centre have been abandoned,
half finished. 

Unemployment benefit does not exist, nor do trade unions. The unemployed
trawl the streets of Yangon into the evenings looking for work. 

Singapore, Thailand and Japan used to be popular destinations for Myanmar
nationals going abroad to make their fortunes. Working as a waiter in Tokyo
could bring in more money than working as a graduate in Yangon. 

``In Myanmar it is popular if you can emigrate, that when you have got
plenty of money you come back. You are able to buy a house, a car,
everything,'' said one resident. 

BUSINESS ON HOLD 

But that option is disappearing. You need a visa and an air ticket to get
out, and that requires money or a sponsor. Since the Asian crisis erupted,
getting visas for those countries has become harder. 

Not too long ago people working with foreigners could earn more in tips
than their basic pay. But the number of visitors has declined to a trickle.


``One year ago there were many Asian businessmen and they gave money away
freely,'' said one hotel porter. ``Now there are very few.'' 

Outside Yangon, dozens of teak logs are lined up for shipment, a valuable
natural resource exhausted in many neighbouring countries. The country
still has resources and someone is making money from them, but few people
ever see it. 

Despite the delicate situation politically and economically, no one expects
the government to relinquish power quickly or easily. People spend their
spare time praying at the pagodas, with little to aspire to. 

They feel the government has too much to lose to let go of the reins.