07.03.2007
…Continued from previous week
Burma Travel Documentary part 2
(Based on the 10days, 1,900 plus pictures and about 7 hours of video footage)
_ By Sarsu Yin
October 16, 2006
Our one night hotel, the Mandalay Swan is directly across from the south eastern edge corner of the palace wall. Many years before, shackled slave labor repaired the mosquito laden moat and other areas around the palace grounds. The palace walls are about one mile on each side. The moat surrounds that perimeter on all sides. And it appears to be 100 feet across and 15 feet or so deep. It is now full of water and fountains to keep the water moving and free of the pests that require standing or stagnant water for their eggs.
At the top of Mandalay Hill there is a new college towards the north-west next to what appears to be a prison. We ask questions to the other visitors about the large semi-circle. It is half that of the one in Rangoon. But they point out the new college seemingly to avoid speaking about the point. It is obvious that this is prison because of the double walls and guard towers. Someone later admits that this is the notorious Mandalay prison. And later, we learned that one of the many political prisoners had died in custody that same night.
Mandalay Prison from a distance
While wondering around toward the north side, chanting or singing, such as you would hear at a military training camp, could be heard far below. The east side of Mandalay was mostly open field. Farther around the building, there were propaganda photos of ‘King’ Than Shwe and his servants… I mean his fellow generals and commanders. My reason to say that it is King Than Shwe is because he is seated in a raised sedan chair with a large umbrella shading his head.
King Than Shwe
We headed to Mandalay palace were ninety-nine percent of the palace had been destroy during or because of World War II. The wall is all original.
When we try to enter the palace grounds at the south gateway, we see the military-political propaganda and military men next to another sign stating that “Foreigners can not enter at this gate”. I was the only foreigner in the car. We are redirected and can only enter at the east gateway. Before entering, I must get out, show my passport to 2 men at a small table. This is a sign-in and sign-out sheet with the names and passport numbers of the visitors. Then I am escorted over to a small open building where I must pay $10.00 U.S. for a thirty-six hour pass to enter the palace and other locations. Only the central road and the central palace areas are unrestricted to foreigners. But no photographs are allowed until reaching the central area.
Mandalay Palace & moat (Satellite view) click photos to larger versions
Why? They have some military operations of an unknown type in there including a village with fields and a restaurant-tea house. Seemingly a closed, secure community with most of what they need within the compound to support their needs and housing. They have allowed the interior area grow into a jungle. Not much can be seen from the road. But there are secrets here.
We are able to circle around the outside of the main-central palace area. And old amusement park still exists with a small gauge rail tracks circling the area. One of the apparent kids play site was an old aircraft probably from World War II.
We stopped at (name of restaurant in Burmese) the Pearl Restaurant, a traditionally open air style serving Chinese food. This place is busy with the locals chattering during dinner. Even a family with small children are eating here. It is almost the only place in this small town or village with electricity. While eating, I am accompanies by a small, ragged looking, handicapped black hen. She nervously hopped around the restaurant on the one existing leg. I felt bad for the hen, but there aren’t bread and crackers in a Chinese restaurant in the middle of Asia.
Going to the toilet room was almost an adventure. I must weave my way through and past the edge of the kitchen and into a dark open air corridor in an outer rear area. While passing another part of the kitchen, I could hear a roost of chicken in this back room near the toilet. It was unlit and may have led to a living space behind the restaurant.
Outside the cities and sometimes within them, most seem to live near or at their worksite. This is obvious at the MPPE fuel station. There are nice potted flowers, sometimes a garden for food, and an office and sleeping corridors.
Moving On
Its after 10:45 pm, plus or minus 10 minutes. Why do dogs sleep in the center of the street? … even at night? In the towns, they are worse than the mess of pot-holes. You must slow down often and swerve so you don’t kill anything or everything in the road. The youngest of the animals are those who are most often hit because the either do not move or their direction off the road is unpredictable.
I see now why the collected road tolls are barely used for the roads. Part of the money goes to running the generator for the lights at night while collecting tolls for late night travelers. The other part pays those who are employed at the toll booths. Many of these tolls are probably not official toll collection points in the first place.
Moving south, the roads worsen and are pocked with holes and bumps. Slough and corruption is evident at one toll plaza near Pyu. Our side claims that he did not have change. He yells 30 feet over to the other. He remained in a slumped, lazy position and said he did not have change either. They take the whole bill without providing change. One of many scams along the road.
Two Wonders
Why are many motorbike helmets here with the WWII German style and some with clear swastikas?
Myanmar Beer Co. Owned by the son of the Head of Myanmar Ministry of ______. Not exactly a privately owned business. The money is kept within the family of high level military leaders. The ads are everywhere. On road signs, on buildings and it has been in every hotel so far. Occasionally Tiger Beer is included next to it.
Poverty has always been a part of Burma. But since World War 2, the stupidity and selfishness by the leaders has jumped into the works. Like China, Burma never wants to be occupied and manipulated by foreign powers or groups again. Many areas of Asia became militarized, like militancy against foreign control. Eventually, as in Nazi Germany, the educated and those whose ideas are against them became the enemy. During the past 50 plus years, students raised their words and clenched fists against them en masse at least four times. The most recent and most brutally suppressed occurred just before the Tianamen Square student protests in Beijing, China.
Now many universities and schools are closed by the order of the military government. Rangoon University is central to many past protests. It is now occupied by the military personnel for currently unknown reasons. Many free office space?
Because of this, the national level of education has plummeted more and more.
October 17, 2006
We had traveled straight through the night to get back to Yangon. It was a long, bumpy 16 hours down from Mandalay. Entering Yangon at about 4:30 am, I note “Myanmar Daewoo International” is here on route 1, north side.
Later this day, we went to try to locate the White Bridge by Inya Lake. A.K.A. the Red Bridge as named by the surviving students from the 1988 massacres because this stairway was covered red in blood. It seems that they are trying to make the ’88 history just vanish and fade away. The whole bridge area is actually and earthen dam. The appearance is that of a bridge from high above. The central stairway that is deemed the name, Red Bridge was difficult to determine its location. It was not apparent where it is…or was. There is one old stairway, which is across from the entry road to our hotel. There is one other possible place, by the usual large red propaganda sign about national unity is now standing.
We drive down the road that is directly in front of this Inya lake dam and head south. This leads us directly passed and between the National Convention Center and the Swedegon Pagoda.
October 18, 2006
A quick tour of other parts of downtown Yangon, past city hall where I am told Bogyoke Aung San was assassinated. His assassination was likely committed by rival comrade Ne Win. Across the street I must pay to enter a park containing a large white obelisk with Bogyoke Aung San’s speech. My guide has not been here for many years and believed that this was Bogyoke Aung San park. After departing this park, I realize that the restricted zone on the south side of the park is the American Embassy. Even here they believe they could be a target of extremists. To the north-east is the Sule Pagoda.
Rangoon (Yangon) City Hall & Sule Pagoda (as seen from Satellite)
Driving back to the north we pass some of the registered and controlled Christian government controlled groups: Myanma Institute of Christian Theology and Kayin Baptist Institute of Theology. The former RIT or Yangon Institute of Technology is farther up the street.
The people I visit quietly mention to me that it is Ming Ko Naing’s birthday. They also know that he a 4 others were rearrested for unknown reasons. There was a report via the BBC, as reported to me, that MKN had died 4 days ago. I later learn that this was mistaken for another activist/political prisoner in Mandalay.
While passing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house again, I looked more closely. It is clear and evident that the condition of the house and grounds are not in good condition. The house is very evident because of the red peacock flags on the fence.
Myanma Gems Emporium
On this or another day I am able to visit the Myanma Gems Emporium and Museum. The amount of wealth in gems and materials is disgusting. Knowing that most if not all the mines for these were forcefully taken from the owners and users in Shan state and many others places. Massive gems, deposits of minerals…all on display about how wealthy the country is. But also knowing that none of this money has gotten to the local peoples and the trade of the local people were taken away. The site and knowledge of this angered me greatly.
Later I am able to meet the minister of an underground church. Many years before, they were unregistered and declared an illegal gathering. They were notified about this one Sunday morning during a service when Police and military broke in to break up the service. Getting registered is a difficult process.
I had noticed that many people seem very materialistic. One reason is simply greed. Another is that the junta withdrew is gold reserve from the World Bank. Average citizens collect materials in the forms of gold and gems and jewelry. They know that their money is nearly worthless internationally.
NOTES ----
- There is a Ministry of Religious Affairs. This is where a group must register their church or mosque or such.
- Five Russian men had a one man military escort through the airport when leaving Burma at the airport on 18 October, 2006. The army insignia was two crossed cannons. They departed on Thai Airways.
- Nutrition: Oil & MSG are extensively used in cooking. Vitamins A & C seem limited in their diets. Only from the fruits and maybe a scant amount from the fried or boiled vegetables. Noodles and rice are the main staple here.
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