Observations of a Japanese Travelle

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Observations of a Japanese Traveller

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Observations of a Japanese Traveller
by Fumiji Kawai

     This year is Visit Myanmar Year.  You should be aware that if
you buy something in Burma your money goes directly into SLORC's
pockets.    These thugs will buy arms using the money and aim them at
the people. It would be like the S.D.F (Japanese Self - Defense Forces)
aiming their weapons at us. 
     I arrived in Burma with mixed feelings.     The capital,
Rangoon, is similar to Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City,  but almost
immediately you feel the difference, the lack of animation.  Rangoon
looks like a quiet rural town.  This becomes clearer at night, when most
of the cars pass without their lights on,   driving by moonlight alone. 
Although there are not as many cars in Rangoon as in Bangkok and
they aren't as fast, we can't see them coming without their lights.
There are no streetlights, either, so the entire city is dark.     Sometimes
we happened  to see illuminated  houses,  which  turned out to be 
restaurants for foreigners.  At those restaurants we have to pay a 10%
tax for SLORC as well as the 10% service charge. 
     In Rangoon I wanted to visit the tomb of  the  father of 
Burmese  independence, General Aung San.  It's usually closed except
for special events, so we could't get inside the yard.  When we were
about to leave, after we had taken some pictures, a soldier with a gun
called out for us to stop.  He said "No photos!  There's a notice here!" It
was true, a small plate on the gate read "No Photos", but no one who
intended to take pictures of the tomb could possibly  have  seen it,  it
was so small.  "Give me your film, all of you,"  he demanded, glaring at
us.  After some argument we  gave him  US$5 and  apologized 
profusely, but he wouldn't accept it.  $10 more allowed us to go.  This
is the standard method of petty extortion.  The salaries of soldiers and
public employees are not high,so bribery and extortion are everyday
practices. 
     These  days  SLORC is into  the  acquisition  of foreign 
currency.   They have announced  "Visit  Myanmar  Year"  and  expect 
half a  million  tourists.   In preparation they made common people put
makeup on historic pagodas.     This is forced  labour  and  it  was 
widely  criticized.   The  people  were  forcibly transported and worked
without pay.   As  a  result  the  pagodas  have  become beautiful, but I
think these old buildings must feel sad. 
     There is a separate ticket window for foreigners at Rangoon
Station.  We were also not allowed to see Rangoon University because
we were foreigners. There are a lot of soldiers with guns around  the 
city  who stare  menacingly at us.
     Remembering the incident at Aung San's tomb, I think this
junta doesn't  really intend to welcome foreigners.    
     Burmese people suffered under British colonial policy for a
long time.   Next the Japanese military tried to rob Britain of Burma,
under the pretense of supporting their independence. I think the
Burmese must be fed up with foreigners.          
     All the junta wants from us is foreign currency.  Foreign
tourists therefore have to accept a forced exchange of currency, called
the FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificates) system. US$1 is 1 FEC.  One
FEC is worth 100 to 120 kyat; but officially US$1 is 6 kyat. 
Intermediate math will not solve this mystery. 
     In the latest election in 1990, SLORC's  party  got  only  ten out
of  485  seats.  Obviously  it is  illegal  for  them to stay in power. 
Japanese businesses shouldn't have  dealings  with  them  and  shouldn't 
be  helping SLORC to line their own pockets. I'm afraid people must be
inclined to doubt Japanese morals.

See You in Rangoon after SLORC!


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