Burma is transitioning from dictatorship to democracy. In Mandalay i was asked, “…we will have democracy…what is it?”. I did my best to explain. During WWII, Japan occupied Burma until it was liberated by Britain in 1945. Independence led to caretaker governments and party rivalries. A military coup in 1962 abolished the federal system, formed a single-party state and banned independent newspapers. In 1988 thousands of Burmese were killed in anti-government riots. In 1990, the opposition national league for democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in elections, but the results were ignored by the military dictatorship. Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to peaceful change, but the military did not permit her to travel to accept her award. In 2012 private newspapers were allowed to be published. When i was in there in 2012, my camera was constantly around my neck and in use. No one bothered me at all. Since the election results in November 2015, there is hope that the people of Burma may indeed be free one day.
