A flying visit to Yangon
Royal barge
At first sight, not much has changed. The golden Shwe Dagon Pagoda, the busy colourful markets, the calm waters of Inya Lake - they are still all the same. Yet, something has changed since I visited the country some six years ago.
Ah yes, the country opened up - after the enormous destruction and loss of life following Cyclone Nargis in 2008. As a direct consequence, a new constitution was drawn up (promulgated in 2011) and a new president elected.
All of a sudden, all censorship is abolished, people are talking openly with one another, and traffic jams in downtown Yangon are now the norm. Nearly all hotels are booked, months in advance, by tourist operators and businesses alike; and aid organisations are scrambled into small office spaces in four star hotels. With the great, the not so great followed - namely an initially unexpected onslaught of demand for basically everything: food, accommodation, transportation, and all types of services.
Ah yes, the country opened up - after the enormous destruction and loss of life following Cyclone Nargis in 2008. As a direct consequence, a new constitution was drawn up (promulgated in 2011) and a new president elected.
All of a sudden, all censorship is abolished, people are talking openly with one another, and traffic jams in downtown Yangon are now the norm. Nearly all hotels are booked, months in advance, by tourist operators and businesses alike; and aid organisations are scrambled into small office spaces in four star hotels. With the great, the not so great followed - namely an initially unexpected onslaught of demand for basically everything: food, accommodation, transportation, and all types of services.
Street restaurant
New laws are hurriedly being drawn up, revisions of decrees and regulations effected to enable large foreign investments in the resource-rich country. The city is busy planning and building new accommodation and office premises. Everyone, locals and foreigners alike, are keen to pick up a slice of the pie - be it by participating in the construction boom, the planning exercises, or the following implementation of projects and improvements - propelling Myanmar into the 21st century.
Quick and vast amounts of money are flowing in from China and India, converted into new roads, dams and gas pipelines. International donors are genuine in their approach of laying the foundation for more sustainable development, proven in their quest to include local populations in ongoing and new development, and at the same time, duly considering quality and the environment. Let us hope their policies will prevail in the medium and long term - to the benefit of the local people.
Quick and vast amounts of money are flowing in from China and India, converted into new roads, dams and gas pipelines. International donors are genuine in their approach of laying the foundation for more sustainable development, proven in their quest to include local populations in ongoing and new development, and at the same time, duly considering quality and the environment. Let us hope their policies will prevail in the medium and long term - to the benefit of the local people.
Shwe Dagon Pagoda
It is evident that Myanmar is at the crossroads, just like many other countries in Asia and the Pacific in terms of which way to go to implement development. The lifting of sanctions and the abolition of the censorship are certainly first steps into the right direction. Ensuring that the current development activities become sustainable would be the next step to be desired.
Melbourne, March 2013
Melbourne, March 2013