It was once the richest state in south east Asia, the world’s no.1 rice exporter. Now the people cannot afford food, or the ticket for their bus journey to work. Eccentricity is rationed. But the military junta grows increasingly wealthy.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – More than 25% of the 56 million people who live in Myanmar live on less then a dollar a day and the increase in fuel prices (+500% in one month) has sparked protests.  And yet the country has natural gas reserves amounting to an estimated 600 million barrels, coveted by China, Russia, India and other states.

There is a shortage of electricity even in small-scale cities where often supplies run for only a few hours a day.  Since the military junta took power it has moved to the new capital  Naypyidaw (built in the midst of the jungle by slaves), and now Yangon is often left in the dark.  There is little running water: Ko Myint Oo, from Dala on the outskirts of Yangon, tells that “you have to queue for hours just to gather two buckets of drinking water from the lake”.

In the last year prices across the board have risen sharply.  One viss of chicken (circa 1.7kilogrammes) went from 3 thousand to 5,500  kyat; the cost of palm oil went up by 85%.  In a country that was once the world’s no.1 rice exporter, infant malnutrition now plagues its cities.  The average wage is 200 dollars a year, but that includes the princely sums taken by the military chiefs.

Frank Smithuis, who has worked there for Doctors without borders, observes that “people have been reduced from three meals a day to two, then one.  One meal a day is not enough”.

The health systems assists only those who can pay; tuberculosis, malaria and Aids are widespread. The school system is virtually inexistent in most areas: in villages such as Leat Pan Gyunt, south of Sittwe, the school is one single room for all eight classes, primary and junior high and the teachers desk is a wooden plank on bricks.  In order to avoid and control student protests the military junta moved the university from Yangon to an area outside the city limits.

Sean Turnell, professor at Australia's Macquarie University explains “Middle-class Burmese are selling their possessions literally to survive. People can't go to work because they can't afford the bus fares”. “For a while, we've been hearing stories about people on the margins of survival. Now in Yangon, the fuel price rises have pushed people to that margin where their survival is at stake”.

Local sources tell that an average monthly salary is 20-30mila kyat and that a daily bus ticket costs 200 kyat. More than a fifth of their salary goes on transport costs.  That is if they do not choose to walk.  The marches of the monks which sparked the protests are a symbol of  the populations campaign against transport costs. Analysts recall the 1988 protests (bloodily repressed with over 3000 deaths) were also provoked by economic problems, rather than a desire for democracy.

And yet November last, Than Shwe, head of the junta, celebrated the marriage of his favourite daughter Thandar in a sumptuous manner: in a video she is seen wearing a necklace of 6 rows of diamonds and her hair is also dressed in precious jams.  Moving the government to the new capital is estimated to have cost over 300 million dollars and the junta maintains an army of over 357 thousands men.  In order to earn more money the military junta has increased export taxes along the border and this has had a devastating effect on small and medium size businesses. (PB)

 

• MYANMAR
• POVERTY
• PROTESTS
• MILITARY
• JUNTA