Introduction
Burma (Myanmar ) today is a land of striking contrasts. Still primarily an agrarian country, Burma remains one of the last holdouts of Old Asia, despite a recent push to modernize. This book documents the struggles between traditional Burma and the forces of the modern world. I call this struggle, and my project about it, People’s Desire.
Burma’s current socialist experiment is reminiscent of the chaotic days of China’s Cultural Revolution. Despite the difficulties of everyday life, however, there is among the people of Burma the unmistakable presence of strength and soul, a glowing light in the eyes that transcends their immediate problems.
Burma was ruled by native Theravada Buddhist kings until the mid-nineteenth century, when the Britain annexed much of the country to the Indian Empire. In 1885, Thibaw Min of Mandalay was deposed by the British, adding upper Burma to the realm. In 1962, Ne Win and the military seized control of Burma in a coup d’état. Ne Win immediately decreed that his country would pursue the “Burmese Road to Socialism,” which entailed an official policy of strict isolationism and self-reliance. Foreign investment was outlawed; travel by foreigners became all but impossible. As a result, Burma quickly became one of the poorest nations in the World.
A quarter of a century later (in 1988), the Burmese populace, fed up with the economically ruinous policies of the military, took to the streets in huge pro-democracy demonstrations. The military responded swiftly by massacring large numbers of unarmed protesters. After the unrest, the government was reconfigured as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), a junta of the military’s top generals, and the country was renamed The Union of Myanmar. Although the military continued to remain in power, some real changes did emerge from this period. A free market economy was adopted and foreign investment was actively sought for the first time since 1962. Tourism was encouraged and visa policies were liberalized.
Since the military take over of Burma, however, foreigners have been reluctant to invest or visit the country because of continued human rights abuses by SLORC (a.k.a. State Peace and Development Council). As a result, this a land of striking contrasts: new vs. old, rich vs. poor, powerful vs. weak. Yangon (Rangoon), the largest city and former capital, is the site of some of the fanciest new hotels in Asia, yet the majority of the populace still lives in the traditional bamboo and palm thatch huts. Burma is rich in jade, rubies, and gold, yet it is now one of the poorest countries in the world. The military, however, has acquired immense wealth, with many of the generals now millionaires. The generals send their children abroad to study, while a university education is currently unavailable to most Burmese: the military closed the country’s universities several years ago.
As one theme of contrast, I examine the wide gulf between the ideology of the military government vs. the true and authentic desires of the people, such as their yearning to participate in the modern world. The government’s mindset is everywhere displayed on public billboards, day and night, in Burmese and English. An iconic photograph shows a Westerner walking past a large sign that extols the people to distrust outside influences. It reads:
PEOPLE’S DESIRE
o Oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges, holding negative views.
o Oppose those trying to jeopardize stability of the State and progress of the nation.
o Oppose foreign nations interfering in internal affairs of the State.
o Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy.
Contrasts between traditional and modern life also are experienced in the striking disparity between country and urban life, and between the traditional Buddhist monkhood (sangha) and lay Burmese individuals who are increasingly interested in popular global culture. These are some of the themes around which People’s Desire is articulated.
As the photographer for one of the first Western biological research teams allowed into this highly restricted nation in recent times, I gained access to remote villages as well as the major cities of Burma.
My primary responsibility during all twelve of my visits (spring of 1999-fall of 2005) was to photograph snakes, most of them venomous and many of which live close to farms and villages. This effort required most of my time. However, the subject is of great interest to the people, and afforded me opportunities, as time allowed, to interact with local residents, photograph them, and make friends.
I began my photographic study of the Burmese people within a variety of settings, both rural and urban. In doing so, I have witnessed firsthand the social contrasts so prominent in Myanmar. The portfolio that is published here is based on that experience.
On many of my trips to Burma I partnered with American herpetologist Dr. Joe Slowinski, who died from snake bite near Hkakabo Razi, Kachin State, September 11, 2001. His teammates had kept him alive with artificial respiration for over 31 hours. This book is dedicated to him.
I like to think that being Chinese has helped me relate more directly to the people of Burma. Having been a photographer in Beijing during the Tiananmen uprising, I have strong empathy for those struggling with political oppression. I try to express my impressions through my camera. I hope to capture many of the ironies that mark an impoverished, agrarian nation ruled by a wealthy class of military generals. I seek to capture the contrasts between the rapidly modernizing major cities of Yangon and Mandalay vs. the rural areas seemingly stuck in the past. Above all, I hope to show the indomitable spirit of the Burmese people, and a vision of their true desires, which must one day prevail.
Dong Lin