AP-Y2K a Mystery in Southeast Asia

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Wednesday, December 29 2:05 PM SGT=20
Y2K a Mystery in Southeast Asia
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON Associated Press Writer=20

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Boonsri Harttalay runs a beach bungalow resort =
on Ko Ngai island, one hour's boat ride off the coast of southern =
Thailand. She won't be answering the telephone over the New Year.=20

She's afraid of catching Y2K.=20

Like many people in remote parts of Thailand and its poorer neighbors, =
Cambodia and Myanmar, she's still in the dark about the millennium bug =
and what it really means if computer chaos strikes Saturday at the start =
of 2000.=20

``My sister warned me not to pick up the phone on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 =
because I can catch germs traveling through the line,'' said Boonsri, =
who is prepared to lose a little tourist business as a result.=20

``Better to be on the safe side. I've also heard we might not see the =
sun or the moon on those two days.''=20

Y2K causes as much concern in poor parts of the world as it does in =
richer countries - where doomsayers foresee airplanes plummeting from =
the skies if old computer programs misread 2000 for 1900 and =
malfunction.=20

In parts of developing Southeast Asia, where there are fewer computers, =
many are being misled as high-tech anxieties get translated through the =
rumor mill into more traditional tales of terror.=20

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankiri, chairman of the National =
Y2K Command Center, said Monday that rural Thais have asked whether the =
computer glitch is a disease. Some fear a seven-day electricity =
blackout, he said.=20

Really low-tech countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, however, are less =
afraid.=20

``The world will jump to 2000 years, even if the date on the computer =
will not,'' reasoned Iem Sarom, 44, a school teacher in Phnom Penh, =
after he was told about the risk of computers mistaking years. ``Most =
Cambodians are poor and they don't care about what will happen to =
computers.''=20

Those that have started to grasp the information age in the Cambodian =
capital, like freelance photographer Keo Saroeun, 36, appeared little =
wiser about the bug.=20

``What? A bug in a computer? How can this happen? How can it get in =
there?'' he asked.=20

In Yangon, Myanmar, where power outages are an everyday occurrence, the =
risk of crumbling utilities suffering from a computer crash is not =
keeping citizens awake at night.=20

``I've heard about Y2K,'' said Htay Htay, a gems seller in Yangon's =
Bogyoke market. ``But it's really the concern of developed countries. My =
life is very simple, and I don't have to worry at all.''=20

However, it has struck a chord among the upwardly mobile, among whom Y2K =
is a trendy marketing catchword used to sell everything from drinking =
water to thanakha, the traditional face makeup worn by virtually every =
Myanmar woman.=20

``It's the most popular theme of the year,'' said Aung, who was so taken =
with the Y2K idea he named his cosmetics shop after it.=20

Thais are less enthusiastic. The country's more developed economy and =
the use of computers in just about every walk of life - especially in =
the Bangkok metropolis - leaves people more vulnerable to Y2K.=20

Bangkok housewife Chanjira Piyatassri has withdrawn all her savings. She =
figures that since Thai banks proved incapable of dealing with the Asian =
economic crisis, they can't be trusted with computer glitches.=20

``I don't know what will happen,'' Chanjira said. ``But I don't want to =
risk losing my money I've saved up for years.''=20

Thailand's government has been vigorous in preparations and opened a =
national Y2K emergency center today, but it is urging citizens to stock =
up on water and candles just in case.=20

Secretive Myanmar, run by the military since 1962 and one of Asia's =
poorest nations, says it has taken necessary ``preventive measures'' but =
offered few details. Cambodia never got around to setting up a national =
Y2K committee, judging itself too low-tech to worry.=20

Nervous computerheads across the world have something to learn from many =
poor Asians, who are more worried about getting enough to eat than about =
Y2K.=20

Perhaps the best cure-all for the millennium bug blues comes from =
Myanmar, courtesy of local pop singer Sithu Lwin, whose latest album is =
titled ``Y2K.''=20

``While the rest of the world is searching for solutions to the Y2K =
problem, me and my lover have found the answer - love,'' he sings.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday, December 29</B> 2:05 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Y2K a Mystery in Southeast Asia</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT size=3D-1><I>By MATTHEW PENNINGTON Associated Press Writer =
</I></FONT>
<P>BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Boonsri Harttalay runs a beach bungalow =
resort on Ko=20
Ngai island, one hour's boat ride off the coast of southern Thailand. =
She won't=20
be answering the telephone over the New Year.=20
<P>She's afraid of catching Y2K.=20
<P>Like many people in remote parts of Thailand and its poorer =
neighbors,=20
Cambodia and Myanmar, she's still in the dark about the millennium bug =
and what=20
it really means if computer chaos strikes Saturday at the start of 2000. =

<P>``My sister warned me not to pick up the phone on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 =
because=20
I can catch germs traveling through the line,'' said Boonsri, who is =
prepared to=20
lose a little tourist business as a result.=20
<P>``Better to be on the safe side. I've also heard we might not see the =
sun or=20
the moon on those two days.''=20
<P>Y2K causes as much concern in poor parts of the world as it does in =
richer=20
countries - where doomsayers foresee airplanes plummeting from the skies =
if old=20
computer programs misread 2000 for 1900 and malfunction.=20
<P>In parts of developing Southeast Asia, where there are fewer =
computers, many=20
are being misled as high-tech anxieties get translated through the rumor =
mill=20
into more traditional tales of terror.=20
<P>Thai Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankiri, chairman of the =
National Y2K=20
Command Center, said Monday that rural Thais have asked whether the =
computer=20
glitch is a disease. Some fear a seven-day electricity blackout, he =
said.=20
<P>Really low-tech countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, however, are =
less=20
afraid.=20
<P>``The world will jump to 2000 years, even if the date on the computer =
will=20
not,'' reasoned Iem Sarom, 44, a school teacher in Phnom Penh, after he =
was told=20
about the risk of computers mistaking years. ``Most Cambodians are poor =
and they=20
don't care about what will happen to computers.''=20
<P>Those that have started to grasp the information age in the Cambodian =

capital, like freelance photographer Keo Saroeun, 36, appeared little =
wiser=20
about the bug.=20
<P>``What? A bug in a computer? How can this happen? How can it get in =
there?''=20
he asked.=20
<P>In Yangon, Myanmar, where power outages are an everyday occurrence, =
the risk=20
of crumbling utilities suffering from a computer crash is not keeping =
citizens=20
awake at night.=20
<P>``I've heard about Y2K,'' said Htay Htay, a gems seller in Yangon's =
Bogyoke=20
market. ``But it's really the concern of developed countries. My life is =
very=20
simple, and I don't have to worry at all.''=20
<P>However, it has struck a chord among the upwardly mobile, among whom =
Y2K is a=20
trendy marketing catchword used to sell everything from drinking water =
to=20
thanakha, the traditional face makeup worn by virtually every Myanmar =
woman.=20
<P>``It's the most popular theme of the year,'' said Aung, who was so =
taken with=20
the Y2K idea he named his cosmetics shop after it.=20
<P>Thais are less enthusiastic. The country's more developed economy and =
the use=20
of computers in just about every walk of life - especially in the =
Bangkok=20
metropolis - leaves people more vulnerable to Y2K.=20
<P>Bangkok housewife Chanjira Piyatassri has withdrawn all her savings. =
She=20
figures that since Thai banks proved incapable of dealing with the Asian =

economic crisis, they can't be trusted with computer glitches.=20
<P>``I don't know what will happen,'' Chanjira said. ``But I don't want =
to risk=20
losing my money I've saved up for years.''=20
<P>Thailand's government has been vigorous in preparations and opened a =
national=20
Y2K emergency center today, but it is urging citizens to stock up on =
water and=20
candles just in case.=20
<P>Secretive Myanmar, run by the military since 1962 and one of Asia's =
poorest=20
nations, says it has taken necessary ``preventive measures'' but offered =
few=20
details. Cambodia never got around to setting up a national Y2K =
committee,=20
judging itself too low-tech to worry.=20
<P>Nervous computerheads across the world have something to learn from =
many poor=20
Asians, who are more worried about getting enough to eat than about Y2K. =

<P>Perhaps the best cure-all for the millennium bug blues comes from =
Myanmar,=20
courtesy of local pop singer Sithu Lwin, whose latest album is titled =
``Y2K.''=20
<P>``While the rest of the world is searching for solutions to the Y2K =
problem,=20
me and my lover have found the answer - love,'' he sings.=20
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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