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Dow Jones-AWSJ: Column: Daily Strug



Subject: Dow Jones-AWSJ: Column: Daily Struggle In Myanmar

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Friday, December 24 8:05 AM SGT=20
AWSJ: Column: Daily Struggle In Myanmar
HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--In the Golden Monastery in Myanmar's Mon state, =
head monk Ku Thala greets visitors on the cool, concrete floor, flanked =
by Buddha images, some of them life-size, and tells of the slow, =
relentless decline in living conditions in his corner of the world. The =
evidence is on display in the dilapidated facade of the once magnificent =
wooden building, more than 100 years old, which is maintained by local =
donations.=20
Ku Thala, age 52, who supervises the education of a dozen young novices =
where he himself entered the monkhood as a teenager, speaks quietly, in =
keeping with the tranquility of the surrounding countryside, where =
security has improved since Karen rebels were forced to retreat toward =
the Thai border. The serenity contrasts sharply with the daily struggle =
he describes.=20

He says farming costs have outstripped the price of rice, while the =
vagaries of the weather have brought severe flooding and washed away the =
fertile topsoil. About 40% of the people living nearby own their own =
land and are OK, but for the rest who work as day laborers, life is =
difficult. "It has become worse" over the past 10 years, he says.=20

This year, with government approval, I traveled thousands of kilometers =
around the land still widely known as Burma, by aircraft, helicopter, =
boat and four-wheel-drive vehicle, mostly unaccompanied by officials. =
The forays confirmed my earlier impression of a country strikingly =
beautiful in parts, with the vast majority of people desperately poor =
and merely trying to survive.=20

What they think about the standoff between the ruling State Peace and =
Development Council and Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for =
Democracy, which won an election in 1990 but wasn't allowed to take =
office, often remains unstated. But the impasse between the military and =
its democratic opponents distorts domestic policies, denies Myanmar most =
international assistance and prolongs the suffering.=20

David Steinberg of Georgetown University observes that Myanmar =
celebrates Martyrs' Day, the anniversary of the assassination of =
national hero Aung San and his colleagues in 1947, and Ms. Aung San Suu =
Kyi, his daughter, has been described as a martyr to the cause of =
democracy. "Yet it is the people who are the real martyrs," he says. =
"They have no say in their future while their economic, social, =
educational and health standards have deteriorated, as spending and =
talent are focused on the military, rather than servicing the =
population."=20

The landscape is littered with everyday martyrs, from village =
processions walking kilometers each day to get water, to young women =
standing patiently on the roads to collect temple contributions, to the =
legions of kids unable to afford the luxury of primary school. But it =
should be noted that the situation varies, with oases of relative =
prosperity in a desert of deprivation.=20

In Pwehla township in southern Shan state, a group of longyi-clad =
farmers explain through an interpreter why they welcome self-help =
livestock and poultry projects organized by the United Nations =
Development Program. "For example, I'm retired," chimes in Saw Nyunt =
Aung, 70, grinning broadly at the chance to use his rusty English. "I =
have taken 100 chickens and have a side income of 4,000 kyat a month." =
(The current free-market exchange rate is 324 kyat to the dollar.)=20

He was a teacher and later a member of parliament in Yangon, as Rangoon =
is now called, during the socialist period that ended in 1988. It's =
impossible to live on his 600-kyat pension? "Very impossible," he =
retorts. "Not enough even for rice."=20

As it is, by growing wheat, maize and cabbages, as well as taking care =
of the chickens, he and his wife have a combined income of 7,000 kyat a =
month. "I can save 1,000 kyat," he says. The elderly couple get by on =
the equivalent of $18 a month.=20

Within sight of the unmarked Chinese border across picturesque paddy =
fields and bamboo patches, the 100,000 people of Namkhan would appear to =
have few worries. Their district hospital is the hilltop stone complex =
built in the 1920s by Dr. Gordon Seagrave, an American who stayed for =
more than 40 years and passed into Western history as the "Burma =
surgeon." Although the roof leaks occasionally and some of the original =
steps are rotting, the 10 doctors and 60 nurses have adequate stocks of =
medicine and equipment.=20

But it turns out that alcoholism is a problem, with about one in 100 =
locals addicted to a home brew made from coconuts and consumed in =
copious quantities in cold weather. "It's one of the customs. They've =
been doing it for years," says Dr. Myint Oo.=20

Another illness is hypertension. Surely not from stress? "Not here," he =
laughs. "It's the diet. Some of the food is fatty and salty."=20

At a border post in eastern Shan state, half way down a long receiving =
line, a sad-faced man is almost overlooked in the festive welcome for =
Lt.-Gen. Khin Nyunt, Secretary 1 of the SPDC and chief of military =
intelligence. Lo Hsing-han has been invited to the celebrations in Mong =
La because he helped persuade factions of the Burmese Communist Party to =
revolt against their leadership 10 years ago and end the insurgency.=20

The presence of the former drug king from the early 1970s, who spent =
time in prison and now heads the diversified Asia World Group, is all =
the proof that some foreign critics need to accuse the government of =
involvement in the narcotics trade. They say Mr. Lo, 66, is still in =
heroin, behind a legitimate business cover.=20

As far as Yangon is concerned, Mr. Lo is a normal citizen who has been =
going straight since his release. "I gave up drugs" when I was arrested =
in the 1970s, he tells me. "I welcome anybody to come to Myanmar to look =
for themselves."=20

Closer to the capital, the politics swirl and the rumors fly, aggravated =
by Yangon's tight control of information. The buzz is that a recently =
issued 1,000-kyat bill has been withdrawn, after the authorities noticed =
that it contained a stylized khamauk, the straw hat worn by farmers that =
also happens to be the electoral symbol of the opposition National =
League for Democracy.=20

Nonsense, says government spokesman Lt.-Col. Hla Min, explaining that =
the bill was issued in only limited numbers. He attributes gossip about =
the khamauk to rumormongers. "No one even thinks it resembles one," he =
says.=20

A visit to the home of Tin Oo, vice chairman of the National League for =
Democracy, provides a depressing glimpse of the political stalemate. =
Teams of plain-clothed security personnel stake out his house around the =
clock, trailing him when he ventures out, openly following him into =
hotels and photographing his visitors. They have been at it so long that =
they are on polite terms.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Friday, December 24</B> 8:05 AM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>AWSJ: Column: Daily Struggle In =
Myanmar</FONT></H2>HONG KONG=20
(Dow Jones)--In the Golden Monastery in Myanmar's Mon state, head monk =
Ku Thala=20
greets visitors on the cool, concrete floor, flanked by Buddha images, =
some of=20
them life-size, and tells of the slow, relentless decline in living =
conditions=20
in his corner of the world. The evidence is on display in the =
dilapidated facade=20
of the once magnificent wooden building, more than 100 years old, which =
is=20
maintained by local donations.=20
<P>Ku Thala, age 52, who supervises the education of a dozen young =
novices where=20
he himself entered the monkhood as a teenager, speaks quietly, in =
keeping with=20
the tranquility of the surrounding countryside, where security has =
improved=20
since Karen rebels were forced to retreat toward the Thai border. The =
serenity=20
contrasts sharply with the daily struggle he describes.=20
<P>He says farming costs have outstripped the price of rice, while the =
vagaries=20
of the weather have brought severe flooding and washed away the fertile =
topsoil.=20
About 40% of the people living nearby own their own land and are OK, but =
for the=20
rest who work as day laborers, life is difficult. "It has become worse" =
over the=20
past 10 years, he says.=20
<P>This year, with government approval, I traveled thousands of =
kilometers=20
around the land still widely known as Burma, by aircraft, helicopter, =
boat and=20
four-wheel-drive vehicle, mostly unaccompanied by officials. The forays=20
confirmed my earlier impression of a country strikingly beautiful in =
parts, with=20
the vast majority of people desperately poor and merely trying to =
survive.=20
<P>What they think about the standoff between the ruling State Peace and =

Development Council and Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for =
Democracy, which=20
won an election in 1990 but wasn't allowed to take office, often remains =

unstated. But the impasse between the military and its democratic =
opponents=20
distorts domestic policies, denies Myanmar most international assistance =
and=20
prolongs the suffering.=20
<P>David Steinberg of Georgetown University observes that Myanmar =
celebrates=20
Martyrs' Day, the anniversary of the assassination of national hero Aung =
San and=20
his colleagues in 1947, and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, his daughter, has been =

described as a martyr to the cause of democracy. "Yet it is the people =
who are=20
the real martyrs," he says. "They have no say in their future while =
their=20
economic, social, educational and health standards have deteriorated, as =

spending and talent are focused on the military, rather than servicing =
the=20
population."=20
<P>The landscape is littered with everyday martyrs, from village =
processions=20
walking kilometers each day to get water, to young women standing =
patiently on=20
the roads to collect temple contributions, to the legions of kids unable =
to=20
afford the luxury of primary school. But it should be noted that the =
situation=20
varies, with oases of relative prosperity in a desert of deprivation.=20
<P>In Pwehla township in southern Shan state, a group of longyi-clad =
farmers=20
explain through an interpreter why they welcome self-help livestock and =
poultry=20
projects organized by the United Nations Development Program. "For =
example, I'm=20
retired," chimes in Saw Nyunt Aung, 70, grinning broadly at the chance =
to use=20
his rusty English. "I have taken 100 chickens and have a side income of =
4,000=20
kyat a month." (The current free-market exchange rate is 324 kyat to the =

dollar.)=20
<P>He was a teacher and later a member of parliament in Yangon, as =
Rangoon is=20
now called, during the socialist period that ended in 1988. It's =
impossible to=20
live on his 600-kyat pension? "Very impossible," he retorts. "Not enough =
even=20
for rice."=20
<P>As it is, by growing wheat, maize and cabbages, as well as taking =
care of the=20
chickens, he and his wife have a combined income of 7,000 kyat a month. =
"I can=20
save 1,000 kyat," he says. The elderly couple get by on the equivalent =
of $18 a=20
month.=20
<P>Within sight of the unmarked Chinese border across picturesque paddy =
fields=20
and bamboo patches, the 100,000 people of Namkhan would appear to have =
few=20
worries. Their district hospital is the hilltop stone complex built in =
the 1920s=20
by Dr. Gordon Seagrave, an American who stayed for more than 40 years =
and passed=20
into Western history as the "Burma surgeon." Although the roof leaks=20
occasionally and some of the original steps are rotting, the 10 doctors =
and 60=20
nurses have adequate stocks of medicine and equipment.=20
<P>But it turns out that alcoholism is a problem, with about one in 100 =
locals=20
addicted to a home brew made from coconuts and consumed in copious =
quantities in=20
cold weather. "It's one of the customs. They've been doing it for =
years," says=20
Dr. Myint Oo.=20
<P>Another illness is hypertension. Surely not from stress? "Not here," =
he=20
laughs. "It's the diet. Some of the food is fatty and salty."=20
<P>At a border post in eastern Shan state, half way down a long =
receiving line,=20
a sad-faced man is almost overlooked in the festive welcome for Lt.-Gen. =
Khin=20
Nyunt, Secretary 1 of the SPDC and chief of military intelligence. Lo =
Hsing-han=20
has been invited to the celebrations in Mong La because he helped =
persuade=20
factions of the Burmese Communist Party to revolt against their =
leadership 10=20
years ago and end the insurgency.=20
<P>The presence of the former drug king from the early 1970s, who spent =
time in=20
prison and now heads the diversified Asia World Group, is all the proof =
that=20
some foreign critics need to accuse the government of involvement in the =

narcotics trade. They say Mr. Lo, 66, is still in heroin, behind a =
legitimate=20
business cover.=20
<P>As far as Yangon is concerned, Mr. Lo is a normal citizen who has =
been going=20
straight since his release. "I gave up drugs" when I was arrested in the =
1970s,=20
he tells me. "I welcome anybody to come to Myanmar to look for =
themselves."=20
<P>Closer to the capital, the politics swirl and the rumors fly, =
aggravated by=20
Yangon's tight control of information. The buzz is that a recently =
issued=20
1,000-kyat bill has been withdrawn, after the authorities noticed that =
it=20
contained a stylized khamauk, the straw hat worn by farmers that also =
happens to=20
be the electoral symbol of the opposition National League for Democracy. =

<P>Nonsense, says government spokesman Lt.-Col. Hla Min, explaining that =
the=20
bill was issued in only limited numbers. He attributes gossip about the =
khamauk=20
to rumormongers. "No one even thinks it resembles one," he says.=20
<P>A visit to the home of Tin Oo, vice chairman of the National League =
for=20
Democracy, provides a depressing glimpse of the political stalemate. =
Teams of=20
plain-clothed security personnel stake out his house around the clock, =
trailing=20
him when he ventures out, openly following him into hotels and =
photographing his=20
visitors. They have been at it so long that they are on polite terms.=20
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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