At peace in Myanmar

Myanmar is a country I hold dear to my heart, where I make a trip every year, normally during Chinese New Year period. When asked why, I generally reply saying that the weather is good in Myanmar at this time, compared to monsoons in the region or the grim cold up north.

To be honest, that is just a vague refrain to fend off the questions from inquisitive friends, hardly enough to convince anyone, especially when they learn that this is my fifth time in this country.

Upon arriving in Yangon, I confide in a friend saying that “I feel at peace whenever i’m in Myanmar.” She asked me a few days later, what is that that makes you feel at peace?

The truth be told, I used the term “at peace” unconsciously, without giving it a second thought. When asked again, I tried to fend it off with reasons like unspoilt scenery and uncorrupted people, which is what most tourists would say about Myanmar anyway.

Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t convinced. The term “at peace” needed a stronger explanation.

And she was right.

When i gave it a second thought, I realised that the contrary of peace is conflict. A place where one feels at peace is generally home. Yet for me, the places I call a piece of home i.e. Singapore, China and France, all hold both good and bad memories which make it difficult for me to feel (completely) at peace with myself. It’s what I personally call a love and hate relationship.

Myanmar, where I have never lived before and therefore have not encountered any love and hate relationships, naturally holds no conflict of interest for me.

Having said that, one must also feel familiar with a place in order to feel at peace. The fact is, I grew up hearing about Myanmar where we have family friends. My father happened to work with Burmese engineers who not only speak excellent English but are also proficient in Japanese. Since young, I admit to never have quite registered the significance of this country. Yet I do remember my father saying that his colleagues were encouraged to retire from foreign service after having participated in the pro-democracy movement supporting Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi.

I started reading about Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi in my teens and I have since been admirative of her selfless pursuit for her country’s freedom. How can a woman give up her own liberty and her family for a life of home imprisonment? And to refuse the chance of being at her late husband’s death bed at the expense of not being able to return to Myanmar once again? She even gave up the possibility of being a mother to her two children in order to be the mother of all Myanmar people?

The above may sound dramatic to some and may not have as much impact on others. Yet I have always been intrigued by Myanmar partly because of Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi. I also came to hold great respect for the people of this country and their courage to stand up for democracy, when they rose up to vote for her party in masses during the last elections in 2015. No one in the world would have expected the National League of Democracy (NLD) to win, especially when the military junta already had the majority in hand due to the (warped) way the local electoral system was structured. This meant that some of the junta had also voted for the NLD, which was totally unexpected.

Having grown up in a democracy-in-name and paternalistic semi-autocratic country at heart, I will always be on the side of any nation on a quest for democracy and freedom. Which is why I fully support the same ideals as the people of Myanmar.

After admiration for the leader and utmost respect for the politically engaged people, comes the awe for the past glory and stature of this Nation. Back in the 1960s, Myanmar was one of the most advanced and developed countries in South East Asia. In fact, Singapore modelled herself after the city of Yangon. In those days, the region was sending teachers for training in Yangon while the Myanmar government was already sending local scholars to countries like Japan to study engineering. Even today, the literacy rate in this country is as high as 90% despite the poorly developed economy which has been hit badly over the years, to say the least. 

How can a country so advanced 50 years ago be relegated to the dire state of one of the poorest nations in the region today? I can only admit to be truly relieved that Myanmar is finally opening up to make full use of the rich natural resources that this country has been blessed with to (hopefully) improve the livelihood of her people.

Another element for my being at peace in Myanmar stems from the absolute safety I feel while travelling across the country. Welcomed as always by the most beautiful Burmese smile from the heart, I never feel the need to cross-check information from a passer-by in fear of being conned by a local trying to make some extra pocket money. I am always offered help at every corner, however discreetly (read my other Myanmar posts for more details) by the locals, even without asking for it.

Like all countries which have just emerged from dictatorship, the population is (still) “pure” at heart and uncorrupted by the lure of money that tourism brings. As many authors have written about Myanmar, the people remain undisturbed by the throngs of tourists and still go about their daily lives as life should be. I am not hounded (as much) by pedlars of postcards and souvenirs as I am in other countries in the region.

But this state of “tourists being left in peace” is disappearing fast. I felt more and more harassed in Bagan for instance last February when I was there.

At this revelation, I took a trip up memory lane in remembrance of Myanmar from the days of my first trip to my fifth trip today:

2005: Tourists were only allowed to travel with a tour agency accompanied by a tour guide, who was afraid to pronounce the name of Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi in front of the driver. Plain clothes policemen patrolled the tourist sites to make sure there was no interaction with the locals. There was no phone connection and no access to the world wide web.

2013: Private cars filled the streets in Yangon thanks to a recent law which allowed the purchase of foreign-make cars. Telephone connection was unstable while wifi access was present but virtually non-existent.

2016, February: Wifi was much more stable but was only sufficient for Whats App text messages without images and not strong enough for emails.

2016, October: Sim cards of up to 10GB were available for sale at the Yangon airport for data access. There was even a Yakun restaurant at the airport.

2017, February: The domestic terminal at Yangon Airport resembles Changi Airport. Well carpeted, Parisian bakeries and coffee houses line the terminal now equipped with TV screens announcing gate numbers for passengers to make their way for boarding. Three months ago, check-in was done with pencil and paper, passengers were given stickers to distinguish between the different flights and staff had to go around with a sign indicating flight numbers to “herd” the troops up the plane.

At this sight of modernity, I stopped to ask myself the question that all city-dweller intellectuals from developed countries will have – is this a good sign? To be honest, it is an absolutely ridiculous question! For the majority of the population still brightening their homes with candles, warming themselves with fire or drawing up pails of drinking water from wells, development will most definitely bring convenience and lighten the burdens of everyday life for the people. There is no doubt about that.

Does this mean I feel less at peace in Myanmar now that signs of economic development have appeared, signalling perhaps the arrival of materialism?

For now, I must admit to still feel at peace whenever I step afoot in this country, for it is currently in transition trying to find middle ground between upholding the ideals of democracy and quickening the steps of economic development for a population that has been held hostage…for way too long.