---------- AND TIME STOOD STILL

One of the great advantages of living in Cambodia is that almost every where else in South East Asia is only about one or two hours away by plane.  Add to that the fact that airfares are reasonably cheap here, plus the added attractions that the airlines here are excellent and frequent, and you find yourself in a situation where it is possible to have a short "get-away" holiday fairly often.

My partner and i decided that it was time that we had a "get-away" holiday for a few days and decided we would head to Yangon in Myanmar.  We only had four or five days available, but as Myanmar Airlines International now fly into Phnom Penh from Yangon (formerly Rangoon) we decided that Yangon would be our destination.

People in the West - and indeed even in other parts of Asia, do not know too much about Myanmar except that it was ruled by a military dictatorship, was once called Burma, and the military "powers-that-be" kept the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for 20+ years.  People were probably also aware that serious sanctions were imposed on the country by most other countries except China which is its biggest trading partner.   This was also about all we knew of the country when we stepped on the Myanmar Airlines plane at Phnom Penh Airport.  I have to say at this point that time did not allow us to travel more than a few kilometers outside Yangon City, so any observations we make or have made, are only based on what we saw, heard and found within the city limits.

We had heard about Yangon being called "The Golden City" and indeed it was described as such in the one brochure available at the Myanmar Embassy here in Phnom Penh, but our initial reaction was that it was a far cry from reality to describe it as such.  Having said that - and not meaning it in a negative way I hastily add - when we thought about it and discussed the situation that has been there over the past almost 30 years we took a different view.  We had jumped to a conclusion hastily, which was wrong.

As you go around the city - which we did on foot until we were almost totally exhausted - we realized what a beautiful place it must have been some 30 years ago.  The buildings - office, governmental and apartment buildings are all beautiful colonial style.  However you get the impression that time has stood still and for the past almost 30-years totally nothing has been done to keep up the infrastructure.  As a result buildings have been and are decaying. The Government spent millions and millions of dollars it didn't have in building a brand new capital city further north and transferring all Government offices there, just abandoning the old buildings in Yangon and allowing them to go to ruins.  Roads and pavements are in a disastrous state and you have to watch your step carefully so as not to trip or fall into a hole - especially when walking at night in the dark.  Motor bikes don't seem to exist as we never saw one the whole time we were there, which is quite a change from here in Cambodia where the motor bike is the main means of transport.  Taxis are in abundance and cheap. 99% of them are Toyota's from the 1970's and 80's and when riding in them are bumping and thumping along, so you often wonder if the car will make it as far as your destination but somehow they do.  The many buses seem to be older even but somehow they too do their best and keep going and going and going like the Energizer Bunny.

All of the above is due to the sanctions slapped on the country over the years.  As the country now seems to be quickly moving towards what people call democracy, one has to wonder if sanctions are good and I am not voting here either in favour or against them.  This is the first time I have visited a country that has been so heavily hit with sanctions and travel restrictions. I have to believe that it is due to those sanctions and restrictions that the country is no longer actually ruled by the military, even though they still hold a lot of sway in things.  I have to believe that opening up the country to outsiders, reducing restrictions on granting visas, holding Parliamentary elections in April, allowing Aung San Suu Kyi to contest freely a seat in the elections and releasing unconditionally thousands of former political prisoners is all due to the pressures caused by the sanctions.

Having said all of the above there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the sanctions really hurt the ordinary people.  They don't have the access to outside help that is always a "must" in providing employment.  They cannot afford to buy many of the things that people in other countries regard as being just ordinary necessary items for living - even repairing and improving their homes.   The import of most goods - apart from things like clothes and such which were brought in from China - has been banned under the sanctions.  The ordinary people cannot afford to buy a car - something that other countries regard as both a must and the norm.  Food is mostly just what can be grown within the country.  Sanctions hit the ordinary people very hard, and it must be very difficult for those who make these decisions, to decide to slap on sanctions knowing that it is the innocent people who will suffer most - not those in power.  To illustrate that point, the military dictator there like all the army officers, took what they could for themselves, and he was able to spend $6-million on his daughter's wedding two years ago while the people had nothing. No comment necessary on that!

Now because of progress there in the last couple of months, sanctions are slowly being lifted. The United States is beginning talks to re-open full diplomatic relations.  The European Union has lifted the travel ban on the President of the country as well as that on Cabinet members and other Government members and officials, and the EU Commissioner for Development - Mr. Andreas Pielbaigs - said just a couple of days ago that the European Union will give a $200-million aid package to Myanmar for health, education and infrastructure improvement and more will follow.  This is very good news, but one has to realize that although this package and others similar have been announced, it could be a little while before they are actually delivered.

In the meantime, the people smile and like Cambodians are the friendliest one could meet.  There is a lot to be done before it once more becomes a tourist haven.  ATM machines do not exist. Foreign money such as dollars, pounds sterling or euro cannot be used and will not be changed into the local Kyat (pronounced "chiat") unless each note is squeaky clean without a wrinkle or crease in it.  Credit cards are being accepted in a few places but not many although we did not use them anywhere.  Some people who can scrape up a little money are giving their premises a coat of paint and here and there the odd modern coffee shop is opening.  Again it will take time, but as long as time is on their side and the sanctions are lifted, then all will be well. I just hope that the flocks of westerners who came to places like Cambodia to start up businesses and take advantage of the local people so they can get all for themselves and give nothing back to the country are prevented from doing that in Myanmar.

One cannot write anything about Myanmar without mentioning the magnificent Pagodas which are literally unbelievable - especially the wonderful Shwedagon Pagoda.  I have never see anything like it. We spent some three hours there looking at the gold Buddhas and the Pagoda itself that contains some 3,154 gold bells that tinkle when the breeze blows and 79,569 diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones at the top of the "umbrella" or "Hti".  Quite spectacular.

There were very few tourists there, but at the same time, due to the situation in which the country found itself, it has a long way to go to improve its tourist industry, but I really believe it will get there.  We are glad we went. It might not have been what we expected, but it was a most interesting trip and we learned a lot.    

One last word.  Many people who knew we were going there queried why we chose to fly on Myanmar Airlines rather than the better known airlines via Bangkok like Thai Airways or Bangkok Airways.  "No-one has ever heard of Myanmar Airlines" they would say.  Our reply to that is it is an excellent airline, the service is unbeatable like most Asian airlines and their planes are the latest Airbus 320.  Could not ask for better.

I wish all the people of Myanmar every success in their future as their country opens up, but it will take time for it all to happen.  As the saying goes - "Rome wasn't built in a day!"