Don't visit Burma--Health

[NBH03114@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Errors-To:owner-burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx
FROM:NBH03114@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Burmese Relief Center--Japan
DATE:May 26, 1995
TIME: 9:51PM JST

Below is the text of an A4 flier produced by Burmese Relief
Center--Japan.  There are two graphics, with one being the
photo of the Burmese soldier found in "Burma's Revolution of
the Spirit".  Copies of the flier are available from BRC-J via
snail-mail (because we cannot upload graphics).  If any group
would like to print their own copies, we'll provide a master. 
(Donations for postage would be appreciated.) 


ATTENTION, TRAVELERS TO MYANMAR!

An Announcement from the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism:

Visiting Myanmar is not bad for your health! We give the
people all the shots they need!

SLORC wants to cure the Burmese people of a fever that
threatens the very life of the regime: DEMOCRACY.  By
infusing government coffers with hard currency, travelers
provide life support to the dictators and help send Burmese
civilians to the morgue.  Even if you're not worried about the
well-being of the Burmese people, consider your own health. 
Here's what you can expect in SLORC's Myanmar:

FEVER, CHILLS, AND OTHER THRILLS:  Malaria is
endemic throughout Burma. Mosquitoes also carry potentially
fatal dengue, or hemorrhagic fever.  Tourists must also watch
out for TB, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, and a host of
other tropical diseases.

DON'T PET THAT POOCH:  Remember--rabies vaccine is
unavailable in Burma!

AIDS, A DEADLY SOUVENIR: According to the World
Health Organization, 400,000 people, or 1% of Burma's
population, have contracted HIV, and Burma has one of the
fastest growing rates of infection in all of Asia.  Should you
need a transfusion, there is no safe supply of  blood, and you
can't count on any syringe being sterile.

NO DOCTORS IN THE HOUSE: There is only one doctor
for every 12,500 people.  Most Burmese doctors have gone
abroad.  The brain drain is so bad, in fact, that SLORC
recently decreed that new doctors must stay in the country for
three years after finishing medical school.
 
HOSPITALS IN NAME ONLY: Hospitals may have beds,
but they have no medicine and virtually no equipment.  You
can check into a Burmese hospital, but you might not check 
out.
 
BAD WATER, BAD MEDICINE: Tap water can be lethal,
and "bottled water" is often taken from the tap.  Medicine
smuggled from China or Thailand is usually purchased on the
black market.  Beware of fakes; watch out for expired drugs.
 
MYANMAR: YOU'RE SICK TO GO THERE, AND
YOU'LL BE SICKER WHEN YOU LEAVE.

For  more information contact: Burmese Relief Center--Japan,
266-27 Ozuku-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634, Japan / Tel (07442)