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    By now you probably heard of the catastrophe that has befallen Myanmar (formerly Burma), a country just west of Thailand. Cyclone Nargis hit this destitute nation and as of now, the death toll is over 22,000 and will probably go higher. This sad country has been under the brutal rule of a xenophobic military junta for the last twenty years. Myanmar was in the news about eight months ago when about 2000 Buddhist monks demonstrated against the lack of freedom and the Army crushed their protest movement. I was in Burma four years ago. It was a thoroughly amazing country, but extraordinarily creepy to visit. It was almost like the feeling of what it must have been like to live in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the Bad Old Days of the Cold War. Everyone watches everyone. Everyone is suspect. The government takes people away based on rumor that someone may have JOKED about the government. The military leadership is paranoid and, for my money, completely bonkers. They moved the capital of Myanmar from the ancient city of Yangon (Rangoon) to the jungles near Pyinmanato a year ago because of some astrologers warning. Had to hire a driver in Burma because foreigners are not allowed to rent cars. It is all state-run television, internet and newspapers. You have to stay on prescribed routes and most of the country is off-limits to tourists. Because of their financial mismanagement, Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in the world. Everywhere you go you see gentle people trying to eek out a living (the highest denomination of currency there is worth $1.07!). Teachers are paid about $15 a month. The government will not allow foreign journalists into the country. Now with this cyclone, the country is at a major crossroads. The Burmese government failed to warn the residences in the low-lying coastal areas of the impending storm. Thousands upon thousands are dead and missing. Disease and price gouging are becoming rampant. Because getting into Myanmar is so difficult, outside accounting is virtually impossible. Will the government let aid groups in? What will happen after the storm? Will there possibly be a revolution? Or will the Army clamp down even harder on their sorrowful citizens? It is also the place where Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, is kept in prison. She remains on house arrest for not promising to give up her democracy movement. The world demands her release but the junta will not budge. She is truly one of the modern heroes of our day. One day, maybe some of you will visit this country that is home to the jaw-dropping Shwedagon Golden Pagoda and the 9th Century city Pagan, whose temple complexes rival Angkor Wat’s in their awe, scope and drama. A truly truly truly phenomenal place that will blow you away.   Wherever in the world you see government oppression it should make you furious. The major protests of this year of course will be centered in Beijing during the Olympics. Watch what length people will go to for democracy. And also watch what lengths governments will go to stop it. On a lighter note… Because I plan to do some more traveling, I had to go to the American Embassy here in Phnom Penh to get extra pages added to my passport (second time too!). While waiting, I got to watch something pretty funny and a welcome diversion from all those horrible pictures of George Bush, Dick Cheney and Condeleeza Rice. A Cambodian-American man was up at a window trying to get a passport for the woman he had recently married here in Phnom Penh. These are the questions he had to answer from the woman official doing the interrogation. Everyone in the waiting room could hear. You met this woman a month ago?: Yes. How old are you?: 53 How old is she?: 21 How did you two meet?: I saw a photo of her from my auntie. She introduced us. Where is your ex-wife: She lives in Long Beach. How many children do you have?: Four. How old is the youngest child?: 24 How do your children feel about you marrying someone younger than them?: They support me. They want me to be happy. Where do you sleep?: (He gives an address) No, no. I mean do you sleep in the same bed as her?: Yes. Have you been “intimate” with her?” Yes. Last night. Twice! Jeeeez. I then thought the inquisitor was going to ask him for proof! In the end, I think the poor dude got his wife a passport, but yeeeeeeeesh. Well, I guess it’s good for the wife that at 53 she had it twice. Let’s see what happens to that marriage when he’s 63! Anyway, I sure hope my children will be as supportive of me and want me to be happy! She didn’t ask me nothing but where’d you get that hat? I was kinda disappointed! But I do know now that when I go back there to get Mrs. Panan Sopheaon Leibner her U.S. passport, the magic number to be an American is “Twice!” Post a comment in response: |
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