My dear Patriots,

Call it what you will ( negative view ). It is true Myanmar at the moment is under economic sanctions, embargoes, etc. etc. Myanmar is trying to become a modern developed nation. Myanmar is being help by some nations. There are many progress and developments which can be seen. But Myanmar can not maintain these progress and developments. The responsibilities have to be shared by the Government (SPDC ) and the people alike.

It is also true when Myanmar tried to become a modern developed nation in the 18th century during the last days of Konboung dynesty with the help of the French, British did not like the idea and enslaved Myanmars once and for all. Is there any difference today? I don’t think so. When economic sanctions is introduced nobody can help Myanmars. That is the idea, of the British and the US of American. Just because they can not make Myanmar their puppet, they not only want Myanmar nobody’s puppet, but to destroy it with the help of the maggots inside the country. That is their part.

What about the part of Myanmar. Myanmars used to travel in bullock carts on roads and in the river they used sampan ( small wooden boats) as well as they used Inkaw Hley Gyi ( large wooden boats ) for transporting goods from one place to another along the rivers of Myanmar. They even used these wooden boats as their naval vessels ( warships) in those days After a period of time, that’s after Myanmar was colonised by the British, Myanmar use cars and trucks, motor vessels and railways, air planes are use but they are not for freight. Today in Myanmar, Chinese made, Japanese made and those made in some other countries as well are in running order.

From the positive side, in Myanmar cars, buses trucks, motor vessels which were made 70 years ago are still running and being use, along with the so called very good second hands of today ( how many second hands actually, God alone knows). One thing to be proud of is that Myanmars can make the dead resurrect.

It is said that all these vehicles are inspected every year by the authorities and issue certificates as road worthy to run. But these vehicles of all kinds are in the eyes of international community, they are not road worthy, they are not insured, not even for the third party, fire and theft ( Myanmars never heard of it ). They are only fit to go to the scrap yard or steel mill to melt down for recirculation. Safety of anybody is almost non-existence in Myanmar on the road, in the river and in the air.

I have heard that modern railways, made in China are given as presents. But the lines in Myanmar are too narrow, they need to be widen. For one reason or the other, the railways authorities instead of widening the lines they changed the wheels to fit on the narrow lines which are already laid hundreds of years ago. So the trains wobbles when on the run.

Chinese made carriages are not that bad, but railways authorities and the passagers alike do not know how to look after them. Most of them are damaged, no repair, no replacement either. For a figure of speech, and it won’t be exaggerating if someone said, the cars and the trains are like motored bullock carts in Myanmar he won’t be wrong.
Yet the cheapest way to travel is by train in Myanmar.
Except poor dinning car.

Fares are high in many other way, due to cost of running, including fuel cost, K/ 4,000 a gallon, and toll charges at K/50 at least and above at each tolls gate. At the pump, you are to buy as you are allowed perhaps two gallons a day at a government price , but 10 feet away from the pumps you will get any amount of fuel , diesal or patrol with the price of K/ 4,000 a gallon. No sign of any control by the government. No let up of economic sanctions. People are free to do what they like. And they are paying their price for their freedom. Do they realised that or freedom at any cost? Business community wants nobody to control them, they want their free hands in the economy they will do what they like who lives or who dies. as long as they live.

If the Government ( SPDC ) can fix the fuel price at the petrol pump and gas pumps, why can they not fix the other prices after all the people are crying the prices are too high for them?

To get the real taste of travelling, how many authorities have travelled in the public transport, rail, coaches, even in the first class or upper class , forget the ordinary class or to know the real position of Myanmar and the difficulties Myanmars are facing, authorities concern should disguiss themselves as ordinary people and walk among the people, travel among the people and look around and study and do what needs to be done.

The good example of “ Phar Talon Goung Gyar “. The story of the King who travelled alone on the streets of his Kingdom to find out the truth about his people and his country should be taken into consideration by the Myanmar authorities as lesson, not just sitting down in their little office rooms like bureaucrats reading all the false reports, away from the realities. doing nothing.

Shweminthar