Nancy Hudson-Rodd PhD, human geographer, former director of the Centre for Development Studies, honorary research fellow, Edith Cowan University, has conducted research in Burma for the past decade on the confiscation of farmers’ land by the military regime.
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| Clinton and Aung San Suu Kyi pledge to work together for Burma |
When images such as this and other celebratory news reports extolling the new "democracy" in Myanmar kept appearing last December on my TV, I wondered what was really going on.
Although I really didn't engage in a thorough search, I found little in my daily surfing of the internet about what was really happening there. Until now.
Guess what has been going on there? Yes, you're right! You are so smart! Yes, it was all just a propaganda piece issued by the Ministry of Truth (joke--sort of) to all mainstream media outlets after the military dictators there put a new "democratic" face on their regime which included opening up their country to foreign investors.
Myanmar is being advertised as the last emerging "golden land of opportunity" for global business. Current and former military officers still in government together with their business partners are rushing to become rich making deals. Military-owned or connected companies and associates that dominate the country's economy are hurrying to force citizens off land that they can use to attract foreign investors.The author's article uses the metaphor of a stage play to explain was has really happened. This piece is loaded with sarcasm, cynicism, and irony. If that is not your style, you may prefer this piece by her published in February entitled "Trouble brews as Burma turns to world markets".
