SPDC: Prisoner in Dollar

[Tanpyan@xxxxxxx]

SPDC: The Prisoner of Dollar
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by Lu Libra(25-8-99)

   Minister for Hotels and Tourism Maj-Gen Saw Lwin and Deputy Minister
Brig-Gen Aye Myint Kyu organised the 10th ASEAN National Tourism
Organisations Meeting held from 24 to 26 August at Traders Hotel in
Rangoon, owned by notorious heroin-smuggler Lo Hsing-han. Saw Lwin and
military intelligence chief Lt-General Khin Nyunt have recently blamed
NLD and foreign radio stations for a sorry state in their tourist
industry. Khin Nyunt recently said "National traitor destructive
elements [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmese democrats] are spreading
fabricated news on Myanmar in collaboration with some foreign
broadcasting stations [DVB, RFA, VOA] and so tourism has not developed
as it should be due to their plot to belittle the dignity of the
state.'' The junta has made tourism one of its priorities as the economy
crumbles amid corruption, mismanagement, the repercussions of the Asian
financial crisis and sanctions from USA and EU.

   The junta has set a target of 500,000 tourist arrivals for the new
season(1999--2000) although only 150,000 arrived last year (1989-March
1999). The generals are unhappy, but unable to see the real culprit. So
they keep on exploiting those who have ventured into a hoity-toity world
of Burmese military. The junta, hungry for foreign currency, has been
forcing every visitor to exchange $300 for its unique brand of bogus
currency known as foreign exchange certificates (FEC) or dummy dollar
which are worthless outside Burma. So it is natural that neither the
foreign tourists nor the country's local merchants have not placed any
trust in the SPDC's dummy dollar. But all tourists are obliged to swap
their coveted hard currency for FECs as soon as they sashay into the
Mingladon airport.  But the military government, considered a political
and economic pariah in the West because of its human rights record, can
ill afford to leave tourists feeling cheated.  The SPDC is desperate for
dollar and dignity.

   In order to attract tourist interest the junta needs new policy and
new measure.  Since every country has its salient features, the SPDC
must review its country's renowned characteristics. Burma has three well
known features. The first is its historical and cultural heritage; the
second its beautiful natural environment and the third is its museum of
horror (or) torture, a slammer system invented by the military
intelligence service (MIS). The last is the recently acquired salient
feature. If the MIS release all political prisoners and turn their most
notorious jails into museums of horror they will make a lot of money. If
tourists can have an a glimpse of life behind bar in Burma such as
Insein dungeon they will pay entrance fee in hard currency.

   To make a lot of capital out of their notoriety seems to be the only
way for SPDC to lure more tourists into Burma. Since they are not alone
in this business they can just tread on other people's heels. For
instance, Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, USA, has become a regular
tourist attraction since 1973. It was reportedly the most feared place
of incarceration for criminals too dangerous to be held in conventional
jails. Alcatraz charges $10 for adult and $5 dollar for children.  In
Russia St.Petersburg's infamous Kresty jail, the largest and the most
overcrowded prison in the world has charged a $9 admission fee for
foreign tourist and $2 for Russian. Visitors are shown cells designed in
Tsarist days for one person are now accommodating eleven men. In South
Africa, a place called Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was
incarcerated for 18 years has recently been turned into tourist
attraction. Robben Island was first used as a jail in 1488 and became a
maximum security prison in 1961, housing inmates deemed to be a threat
to the apartheid government. It was turned into a museum in 1991 and has
become the latest tourist attraction since then. Entrance fee is $15
each.

   SPDC's prison system can be the latest slammer to join the clamour of
tourism. If they can make it the Burmese generals will have a field day.
Because when it comes to evilness, nastiness, atrociousness,
egregiousness, vileness, and dreadfulness Burmese prisons are sure to
tower above Alcatrez, Kresty and Robben Island. Let the facts speak for
themselves. You'll never know; tourists may be willing to pay an
entrance fee of $30 per visit. From the money point of view it would be
well worth your while to release all political prisoners. It is like
killing two birds with one stone. SPDC can get a good name as well as
hard currency.  

(by Lu Libra, 25 August 1999)