By Rupak D Sharma
(Written On: Sept 25, 2007)
Like most of the journalists and well-wishers of Myanmar, I was also pretty engrossed in updating myself about the sweeping developments taking place in the country throughout last week. To keep myself well informed, I was following the news everywhere: on the television, newspapers and the Internet. In other words, I was virtually waking up with Myanmar and sleeping with Myanmar.
But of all the reports that I watched and read, one coverage that caught my attention was a CNN report on Myanmese General Than Shwe’s daughter’s wedding.
Although the footage of the extravagant ceremony had already sparked quite an ire soon after it was leaked on the Internet last year, it had a new significance this time. It fully explained to the world the reason behind the uprisings in the poverty-stricken country and people’s unwavering determination to fight until the end.
The video footage showed Thandar Shwe, daughter of General Than Shwe, wrapped up in diamonds, while standing alongside her newly wed husband, Major Zaw Phyo Win, in a sumptuous location which looked like a five-star hotel.
Everything–from her hairclip to necklace and bracelets–were covered with diamond and pearls and she was glittering. Reports said she received gifts worth US$51 million, including luxury cars, houses and jewellery.
Ever since authoritarian regime took over the country some 45 years ago, the top brass of army have been emptying the state coffers to maintain their lavish lifestyles, while general people continue to struggle to earn a fair square meal.
In order to escape the poverty, thousands of Myanmese have fled to neighbouring countries such as Thailand. And others have turned to prostitution in China. It is said that more than 150,000 Myanmese live in nine camps along the Thai-Burma border. Another 30,000 have taken refuge in two camps in Bangladesh and around 30,000 have entered Malaysia. There are countless of others who have seeped into neighbouring countries illegally through the porous borders.
Bestowed with abundant natural resources and vast fertile lands, Myanmar was once considered the rice bowl of Asia and has some of Asia’s biggest reserves of natural gas and oil. It has at least 90 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, the world’s 10th largest, and 3.2 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserves in 19 onshore and three major offshore fields, according to Reuters. It rakes in an annual revenue of US$2 billion from sales of these natural resources.
However, due to imprudent government policies and reckless public spending–from building the country’s new capital in Naypyitaw to expanding the size of army to 350,000–the country has now turned into one of the poorest in the region.
Today, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture. There are sectors, which if exploited could, generate huge revenue but due to the country’s inability to draw foreign investment they have been left unused.
It is an irony but Reuters reported that the oil-rich Myanmar has to import nearly all of its diesel as its domestic refining sector has been crippled by 50 years of non-investment. Even those who want to pour money into the country are chased away by inconsistent government policies, precluding chances of employment generation in the country. And all this is coming hard on people leaving them with very little options to make a living.
According to 2006 World Bank report, Myanmar falls under list of countries categorised as “low-income group”, meaning the annual income of people in the country is US$ 905 or less. Although this rounds up to about $2 a day, it is said almost 90 per cent of the population live on about $1 a day.
In sharp contrast to the income level, the government recently made heavy cuts on state subsidy on fuel and increased their prices by 100 to 500 per cent. Following this, the price of diesel elevated to 3,000 kyats ($2.23) from 1,500 kyats ($1.16) per gallon and the price of petrol went up to 2,500 kyats from 1,500 kyats per gallon. The price of natural gas also surged by as much as 500 per cent to 50 kyats ($12) per litre and prices of other essential commodities such as cooking oil and poultry swelled by an average of 35 per cent.
Although state subsidy in fuel is not considered the best option for economic development of a country, the Myanmese regime did so without considering on phases-wise increment of prices. It raised the prices overnight connoting it is unbothered about the burden it might induce on the people and adverse implications it might have on the economy, battered with high inflation, gauged at 40 per cent prior to the fuel price hike.
The callousness gives a glimpse of the totalitarian and repressive regime, which was never accountable to the people and will never have to be as it does not need people’s votes to rule the country.
This clearly justifies the Myanmese people’s decision to hit the streets and uproot the autocratic institution which has given nothing but poverty and destituteness to its people.
