Burma (Myanmar)

My 23rd country visited and first military dictatorship. (And hopefully, the last.) What a proud day.

Burma's history is long and complicated, and I'm not yet ready to write anything that will do it justice. The military regime, the SDLC controls the media, courts, legislature, everything. There are no civil liberties whatsoever. Anyone who protests, even peacefully, may be shot. And only the military has money -- even a higher ranking civil servant makes about $25 a month, not enough to live on.

The military junta changed the country's name to Myanmar after coming to power, to underscore the difference between the troubled past and the bright future. But most still refer to it as Burma.



I made a legal border crossing into the town of Myawadi. You go through Thailand customs, then walk across the Friendship Bridge (left), and gaze at the gorgeous Burmese mountains. Then you go through Myanmar customs, pay 500 baht ($12) for a 24-hour visa, and leave your passport as you walk around the town.

The poverty is clear the moment you enter the country. Thailand isn't "rich," but most of its people maintain a decent standard of living. Or give the appearance of doing so. There is no such pretense in Burma. The buildings are more run-down, there are strikingly fewer cars/motorbikes and more bicycles, the number of beggars on the street is higher, and there's a sense of desperation in the air.

I don't think I've ever felt more disoriented while travelling. I had no map, and I couldn't find anywhere to even change money to the Burmese currency, the cyat. Hundreds of bicycle taxi drivers offered to show me around, but I had no money to pay them. So I walked around for about an hour, then practically ran back into Thailand.

But they're a very friendy people. I was the only Westerner I saw, and people kept shouting, "Hey you!" and "Hello!" and smiling and waving at me. I smiled and waved back, and said hello in Burmese.

Thailand allows people from Burma to enter for 24 hours on a temporary visa. If you want to stay longer, you need a permit or lots of money to bribe the border guards. You can just not return after 24 hours, but you run the risk of being arrested, jailed and deported (and all sorts of awful things will happen when you return). There are refugees in Mae Sot living in medical clinics for this reason; the police are waiting outside to arrest them.

One can also find some unguarded spot and sneak across the border, then bribe guards to get back in, as the people are doing in the picture on the right. But this is extremely risky as well.

Mae Sot, where I live, is right on the border and is home to thousands of refugees. They live in awful poverty, completely helpless, often alone because they have left their families in Burma. They have almost no choice but to work as migrant workers for a pittance, but they are thrilled to be here and not in Burma.