VIA 2014-2015 IN-COUNTRY ORIENTATION: MYANMAR

VIA Presents:

A Rough Guide to Myanmar

[With a Strong Focus on Yangon]

!
!

Summer 2014

!1

YANGON ROUGH GUIDE

YANGON.

A city of heartbreak. A petty city that will never let you go. A city that loves you, that cares for you. So long as
you love and respect it.

!
Yangon has been the bane and fortune of many a VIA fellow. Some days you will hate the place (mid monsoon
when you have a cold and the entire city smells of hot, wet trash). Other days, you will absolutely love it
(walking through the busy streets on a full moon festival, trying every barbecued item that you can find while
you watch human powered ferris wheels spin round and round and round).

Here are a few tips and tricks that your fellow VIA fellows have come to know and recognize.

!
!
TABLE OF CONTENTS (not necessarily in order)

!
Cultural Crash Course Basic Dos, Donts, and What to Expect

!
Transportation -- How Do I Get Around?

!
Prices -- Will I Be A Prince(ss) or Pauper?

!
Food -- Where will I Eat?

!
Tea -- Its Important

!
History Basics

!
Language Basics Your First Days Words and Phrases

!2

JUST TO START
First of all, YOU ARE HERE:!

!
SHWEDAGON PEYA LAN neh YAW LAN taun!
!
!
!
!
!
the corner of Shwedagon Pagoda Rd and Yaw Min Gyi road.!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

We live in apartment 2F in the building nearest Yaw Min Gyi, the entrance facing Shwedagon
pagoda rd.!
Right above Dannys Cafe. And across the street from Paris Liquors.!

!3

CULTURAL CRASH COURSE

Congratulations on your fellowship and welcome to VIA!

Due to a fairly active and rigorous selection process, chances are good that you are not a terrible
person. And phew, what a relief. Because, as a VIA fellow in Myanmar, you will be a de facto
ambassador not only for VIA, but also for whatever country, creed, and identity that you stand for.
And given the nature of your post, you will be a lot more visible to the majority of Myanmar nationals
than most ocial diplomats ever can be. From the day that you land in Yangon, you and your
actions will forever be associated -- in the minds of many -- with VIA, with the United States, with
people who look like you, who talk like you, who eat what you eat, and shop where you shop, and
like what you like. (And the converse of all of those, as well.) So please, dont be a terrible person.
Because you spoil not only your own image, but the image of everyone around and after you as
well. And youre definitely not a terrible person. So thats good. But just in case Here are some
tips on how not to be a terrible person:

Do say Mingalarbar when meeting someone, use U in front of men names and Daw in
front of women names;

Do let the oldest be served first;

Do oer articles with both hands and keep both feet on the ground;

Do bend slightly in front of the elders;

Do dress and act decently, speak slowly and clearly;

Do ask permission before taking photographs;

Dont touch anybodys head; Dont touch women;

Dont point a finger straight in the face;

Dont step over any part of the person;

Dont go where you are advised not to go;

Dont trac, handle, or use narcotic drugs;

When entering pagodas or monasteries, wear decent clothes (no shorts, bare shoulders or
chests) and take o your shoes;

!4

Dont sit with your back towards Buddhas image;

Show respect to monks, novices and nuns, dont oer to shake hands, a woman should not
touch a monk, dont step on a monks shadow

Dont handle Buddha images or sacred objects with disrespect or keep them in
inappropriate places (on the floor for example)

The last few are important. Well, theyre all important. But please do show respect to monks. I know
that few of you will be Buddhist. And many fellows might not be religious. And there is a lot of
controversy right now, given the Buddhist / Muslim violence. But please realize that, at least for the
first few months, your place is as a guest. And good guests respect the customs, even if a few sick
individuals pervert and manipulate those customs as a means to their own twisted ends.

So religion.

Religion

At Buddhist religious places, remove footwear, but to remove headwear is not necessary.

Avoid shouting or laughing.

Avoid being a nuisance when taking photographs.

Tread Buddha images with respect.

Tuck away your feet. Dont point it toward the pagoda or a monk.

Dont play loud music in these areas. Note that Buddhist monks are not allowed to listen to
music.

Do not put Buddha statues or images on the floor or somewhere inappropriate.

Dont touch sacred objects with disrespect. Hold them in your right- hand, or with both
hands.

Leave a donation when possible.

Show respect to monks, nuns, and novices (even if they are children).

Dont oer your hand to shake hands with a monk.

!5

Sit lower than a monk and elders.

Dont oer food to a monk, nun, or a novice after noon time.

A woman should not touch a monk.

On Social Events

Visiting Homes
Before you visit a friend, you should learn their building address, their apartment number, the floor,
and which side of the stairwell the apartment is on. In Yangon, many apartment blocks keep their
stairwell gates locked. To remedy this, most apartments will run strings of rope from their balcony
down to the ground level. Most ropes have a basket or clip at the bottom end, and are attached to a
bell at the other. More often than not, you will have to stand outside the building, and find the
appropriate rope (either ask your friend what it looks like, prior to the meeting, or try to see which
floor its connected to), and pull on it, ringing the bell, and summoning the apartment residents to
the balcony. From their they will use the rope to drop down a key with which you can open (and
then relock) the buildings main entrance gate. A similar procedure will happen at the end of a visit,
this time with you sending the key up the rope.

Once you have reached the proper flat, you will likely see a bunch of shoes outside. Most Myanmar
nationals do not wear shows in their homes. Remove your shoes and leave them (along with wet
umbrellas) outside the door, unless told otherwise.

Dinner Parties
Congratulations! Youve been invited to dinner. This can go a few dierent ways. If your friend lives
alone, you might just eat together. If they live with their parents, or have a family of their own, you
might be served food -- either alone, or with the person who invited you -- and will be expected to
eat while everyone else stands around the table, watching you. They will periodically oer you more
helpings, and will generally keep your plate and glass full. They will not eat until you are finished, so
you might as well dig in and try to make the most of what tends to be a very awkward situation for
most foreigners.

Try to make conversation with those at the table. If you have the great honor and misfortune of
dining alone, conversation may or may not be an option. Some families will simply want you to eat,
and will only ask questions about the food, preferring to leave conversation until after dinner. Others
will stand and talk with you. It really depends on the person / setting. (Not to mention everyones
language skills.)

!
!

Weddings
Weddings are a big deal. While some weddings prefer a private ceremony and then a large
reception, most Myanmar weddings combine the two.

!6

You will get an invitation that lists a place and time. Most last for 3-4 hours, during which you can
simply drop by any time, and leave whenever you want. These are large venues, with ready made
meals. Simply show up, drop o your gift(!), take a seat, and dig in. However, depending on when
you come, the actual ceremony might be taking place. The two families will sit up on the stage, and
the ociator (really more of an announcer) will do the deed. The whole process only takes 10-20
minutes, so dont feel bad if you miss it. When you see the happy couple, they will be exhausted.
Its unlikely they themselves will have eaten all day. So walk by, congratulate them, and take a seat
and eat. Mingle with the guests, and leave whenever you like.

If you do prefer to wait out the ceremony and stay until after dinner, youre in for a(n entrepreneurial)
treat. As the couple makes to leave, you will notice that many guests line up to block the couples
path. Women with necklaces will remove them and undo the clasp, men will produce lines of string.
The goal is to block the couples path with some sort of rope or string. You are eectively keeping
them from going to bed. And they must pay the owners of the barrier in order to get past the
obstacle, and well on their way. Courageous teenagers can make alarming amounts of money
during wedding season using this technique.

Gifts
What is a suitable gift? There arent exactly registries in Myanmar. Gifts can vary depending on the
situation. So just give them something meaningful to you. If you dont know your new friends /
coworkers very well, anything will do. Kitchen and household appliances will do fine. Some people
simply give money. And you can always just give a nice longyi.

!
!
!

Funerals
Funerals generally happen in two segments. Part 1: Family and friends gather at the home of the
deceased. You sit with the family, and attempt to comfort and please them. People might play
cards. Food is prepared by the family. This is a very kind, spirited, and informal aair.

Part 2: Bringing the body to the cemetery is a big deal. Very formal. Everyone goes together in a car
caravan, or rents a bus.Wear formal clothes, but do not wear black on this day. Never wear black
to a Burmese funeral. Most men wear longyi, white shirts, and daipons. Women, as you like. On
this day you might bring flowers.

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

!7

TRANSPORTATION
Keep in mind for adventures

Yangon Mandalay: 8 -9hrs (north) by bus

Yangon Hpaan: 4-6 hours (south) by bus

Yangon City Bus Routes:

Take buses! Taxis make for good language practice, and they can often be faster,
especially if your bus route requires a transfer But you are here with VIA. Youre dierent
than other expats. And quite honestly, youre salary will likely not allow you to use taxis
regularly. So save your money, and travel like the other 90% of people in Yangon. None of
this new age imperialism 2.0 business!

Buses are a great way to see the city, to get to know the streets, and to get a better feel
for the general population of Yangon!

Price -- If youre only going 1 stop (say, if you got caught in the monsoon without an
umbrella) you need typically only pay 50 kyats. Note, this price is slowly but surely
fading as buses are getting upgrades.

Ride > 1 stop: regular price is 200 kyats. Unlikely that you will ever need to pay over that.

Note: these prices are only for local buses within Yangon proper. If you take a bus further
out, say, towards the airport, or to a village outside the city, prices will be dierent. A
typical price to the villages directly outside the city will vary from 500 kyats to 1k,
depending on your destination, and how lost you look.

There are four major local bus hubs, from which you can take a bus going just about
anywhere.

Most routes begin / end at Sule Pagoda.

A nice mid point junction on many routes is Myanigong. Right outside Dagon Center, its
the intersection where most of your daily transfers will happen, assuming you stay on the
downtown / Pyay Rd. corridor.

!8

Northwest of Myanigone is the large bus junction on Insein Rd, near Hledan township.

Again, this spot is a large aggregate for dierent routes, and you can find a route to take
you just about anywhere, right here. If youre going at all West of Pyay or Kabar Aye Peya
roads, then you will likely make a transfer here on Insein.

Tamway -- The last large spot for transfers / many dierent lines is in Tamwe. Closer to
downtown than you might expect, it will be a jumping o point for lines going East.

Hilux / Hiace (Light Trucks):

The Toyota Hilux is the Asian-market branding of the Toyota Forerunner. These old
pickups have been rigged up with bench seating, and some welded rails. They act as
Myanmar equivalents to the song thaew in Thailand. Essentially, they are cheap communal
taxis that generally have lines / routes, but have more flexibility to drop you where you
need to go. Many times they are cheaper than buses, and go faster, with a better ability to
weave through trac. They are terrifically dangerous, with 30+ people often packing onto
a single truck, usually with 10 or more men hanging o the back with a single whiteknuckled fist. Compared to these, city buses are luxurious. After countless Hilux deaths,
the city of Yangons local administration has begun phasing the traditional Hilux out of
service, replacing them with roomier (and slower) Toyota Hiaces.

Fare: depends on your destination. Anywhere from 50-400 kyats.

Taxi:
One of the faster and comfier ways to travel around Yangon. And waayyy more expensive.
The lowest fare you will ever pay is 1,000 kyats.

Di taung: 1k. This is for short trips, low trac, and really good bargaining skills. Yaw lan to
Bahan 2 lan. Or to Shin saw pu lan without any trac.

Taung nga ya: 1.5k Most trips under 15 minutes / three miles will be about 1.5k. Generally
from Yaw lan to Sanchaung or Myinigone in light trac conditions.

Hna taung: 2k. Two thousand is a common price that taxi drivers will oer, especially if
distance is

!9

short to medium, and/or the passenger does not know the exact location of the
destination. From Yaw lan to Tamwe, Bahan, Golden Valley, or anywhere on Pyay past the
big Dagon centre intersection.

Hna taung nga ya: 2.5k. A 20-30 minute ride without trac, ora shorter route in extreme
trac conditions. Or if youre caught in the rain without an umbrella and the driver is
mean. This would a reasonable price from Yaw lan to Insein, a good price from Yaw lan /
downtown to Thingangyun. A good price from Yaw lan to Parami.

Thone taung: 3k. 30 minute ride, or typical ride in very heavy trac. The price from Yaw
lan to Thingangyun or Parami. Do not pay more than this. Also, from Sanchaung to 8 mile
or 8.5 mile.

Thone taung nga ya: 3.5k. Longer ride. Maybe you want A/C. Downtown to 8 or 9 mile.
Downtown to Aung Mingalar bus station for a competetive price.

Lei taung: 4k. Downtown to Aung Mingalar bus station. Or a competetive price to YGN
Mingaladon airport.

Nga taung: 5k. Downtown to bus station or airport is on a sliding scale. Really depends on
time of day, and your bargaining skills. If youre trying to get a taxi to pick up or drop o
multiple people, then you might get above 5k. But generally never pay more than 4.5 or 5k
to get anywhere within the general city limits.

Nga taung nga ya: 5.5k.

Chou taung: 6k.

Chou taung nga ya: 6.5k.

Koni taung: 7k. The new set price from the airport to downtown.

!10

FOOD

Yangon is a city of chaos, dissonance, and diversity. And the citys food choices do
nothing but illustrate that point.

In Yangon, you can find just about anything that you could want, from burritos to burgers,
to biryani to glass noodles. City Marts high end supermarket chain Marketplace oers
well-to-do consumers just about anything they could want, no matter the cost. (Greens
imported from Chile, McCormick spices and Cambells soup from the US, cheeses from
France etc. can get quite expensive very quickly.) But one might point out that the VIA
salary -- if not the organizations foundational principles -- will discourage fellows from
shopping there too frequently.

The Yaw Min Gyi area oers an American burger joint / bistro in Fatmans (on Bo Yar Nun
lan, near the intersection with Nawaddy lan). Two pizza parlors, and a sushi restaurant are
also within a minutes walk of the intersection. And there is a small Mexican food place in
Golden Valley owned by a Shan family who lived (and learned to cook!) in Mexico for a
few years. They even oer real corn chips from time to time!

But lets get to the real deal.

Burmese food is amazing for a few reasons.

Burma sits at the crossroads of South Asia, East Asia, and SEA. Its cities boast an ethnolingo-religious diversity that few others in the world can fathom. It is this unique and
awesome cultural mixing that is reflected in the food.

Burmese food is, in its simplest, a blending of Indian and South Asian, Thai, Malay, and
East Asian cuisines. Add into that the dizzying array of various Myanmar minority
specialties, such as Shan and Kachin food, and we have one of the most diverse and
expansive menus you will have encountered.

!
!

Heres a few quick dishes to help you order on your first few days.

!11

At TEASHOPS / Food Centers:

Nan gyi thohk (nan-ji-dho) -- A specialty from Mandalay, this is great for breakfast, lunch, a
light dinner, and as a snack. Thick, round (typically hollow) rice noodles tossed with oil,
cream, onions, sliced hardboiled egg, chickpea flour, chilies, and crispy noodles. All with
bits of chicken (its technically a type of chicken curry), and sometimes fish cake to boot.
Season with a bit of lime.

Shan khauk swe (shan khao suay) -- Shan noodles. Thin rice noodles topped with bits of
chicken, chives, and spices. Traditionally cooked with curdled blood, but no longer!
Served with a small dish of pickled vegetables to add zest and sourness. Also comes with
a bowl of soup to help separate the sticky noodles. Add to your own bowl as many
pickles, and as much soup as youd like, stir, mix, and enjoy. Great for light meals, and
also on a cold, rainy day.

Ohn no khauk swe (oh no khao suay) -- Coconut milk noodles. Long egg noodles served
in warm, heavily spiced coconut milk.

Shwe daung khauk swe (shwe dau! khao suay) -- Golden mountain noodles. Flat egg (or
sometimes chickpea / rice flour) noodles in served in bowl of warm coconut milk and oil. A
little less spicy than ohn no khauk swe, depending on where you are eating.

Get your curries (hinh) thamin heh (tamin ney) with rice.

Curries are not like South Indian or Thai. No coconut milk to be had here Instead,

Setah hinh (say-tah hin) goat curry.

Kyettah hinh (jettah hin) chicken curry.

Amethah hinh (ah-may-tha hin) beef curry.

Watha hinh (wah- /weq-tha hin) pork curry.

Nga hinh (ngaa hin) fish curry.

Other dishes include fried chicken kyet kyaw (jet jaw); fried fish nga kyaw (ngaa jaw); and
fried tofu topu kyaw (toe-pu jaw). See the pattern here?

Just veggies: Tethalouq (teh-tah-lo!) vegetarian, please. [Note: you might still get meat
broth or sides Or shrimp. Or fish. Or sometimes chicken.]

Hungry and have a taste for spice? Most places fry up watercress with garlic and chiles.

Gahzinueq kyaw (ga-zin-you-eh! jaw) fried watercress.

!12

TEA
Burmese milk tea is all important and all consuming. Its the most widely had beverage in
the country (save the green tea available for free in every food place in the country, and
commonly referred to as hot water). Coee is a very distant second, as is traditional
black tea.

Burmese milk tea or lapeyi (la-pay-yay) i.e. tea+water or drinkable tea comes in dierent
levels of sweetness.

Most orders consist of two syllables, referring at dierent times to the tea-liquid level
(strength of the tea / caeine), the evaporated milk, the condensed milk, and the hot
water.

If youre interested, ask Michael for a full copy of his tea chart. But for now, here are some
basic orders

Bitter: Bokya (bo-cha), heavy on the tea, normal amount of water, no condensed milk (or
very little), some evaporated milk.

Strong but less bitter: Kyasein (cha-zane [but really more of a cha-zay, ending consonants
are not every voiced strongly]), a bit of condensed milk, normal tea, water, evaporated.

!
Normal: Boma (bo-mah), normal amounts of everything. Still pretty sweet though

!
Sweet: Chosein (cho-zane), more condensed milk, more evaporated milk.

!
!
!
!
!13

HISTORY BASICS

We are writing to you now from the city of Yangon, bustling economic capital and most
populous city in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Yangon (Rangoon) was made the
capital of British Burma, and also served as the the capital city for various postindependence governments until the military regime ocially moved the capital to
Naypyidaw in 2008. Mandalay, which some maintain to be the cultural capital, is the major
hub of central Burma / Myanmar. Mandalay housed the royal court of the last ruling
Burmese dynasty before British invasion. The bus ride from Yangon to Mandalay will take
about 8 hours.

!
An Unbearably Brief History of Modern Burma / Myanmar:
!

1852-3: Second Anglo-Burmese War -- British blockade port of Rangoon, occupy. Label
occupied region Rangoon to Pegu as Lower Burma.

1858: British Empire begins formal process of colonization in what is now India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Burma.

1885: Third Anglo-Burmese War -- After King Thibaw of the Konbaung court refuses
British demands, British invade Upper Burma, depose the king. British now control all of
Burma Proper, as well as the Frontier Areas, which house many ethnic minorities.

1918-1923: Move to diarchy rule -- the 1919 Government of India Act grants limited
autonomy to Indian provinces. In 1923, Burma is ocially designated as a province
separate and is awarded powers of limited self-government via the Burmese Legislative
Council. Shan State, Chin State, and Kachin State are included in the administrative
province of Burma, but are ruled separately by the British.

1920s: British adopt a policy of recruiting ethnic minorities such as Indian, Kachin, Chin,
and Karen into the military, limit the number of Burmans, dividing the population along
ethnic lines to keep power concentrated in British hands.

1928-1935: Reforms to diarchy system -- Late 1920s and early 1930s sees the Burmese
Legislative Council handed more power. In 1935, the Government of Burma Act fully and
legally separates Burma from India, granting the LC even more powers.

1930s -- Indo-Burmese riots break out after Burmese dock workers break Indian strike.
Dobama Asiayone is founded by Burmese nationalists.

!14

1942-45: Japanese Occupation -- Japan supports the formation of the British

Independence Army, headed by the Thirty Comrades (of which Bogyoke Aung San is
part). BIA drives out the British with Japanese help. Japan begins occupation instead of
granting independence.

1944-5: Anti-Fascist Revolution -- Anti-Fascist Organization (also headed by Bog. Aung

San) leads a revolt against the Japanese with the aid of the British.

1945-48: British re-occupy Burma. Britain sets timetable for Burmese independence by
1948. Grants limited authority to Executive Council controlled by AFPFL (led by Bog.
Aung San). Frontier Areas given choice to join Union of Burma, or remain under British
administration.

1946-7: Panglong Conferences: Feb 1946, AFPFL, Kachin, Shan, Chin, and Karen
people meet to form the Supreme Council of United Hill Peoples. SCOUHP discussed
uniting Burma Proper with Frontier Areas.

Feb 1947: Representatives of Kachins, Shans, Chins agree to join a federal union in
exchange for internal autonomy and the right to secede. Union Day (Feb 12)
commemorates the signing of the Panglong Agreement.

!
1946: Civil War breaks out after schisms in Anti-fascist party and ethnic groups.

1947: Assassination of 7 leaders (including Bog. Aung San), allegedly commissioned by

Aung Sans rival, U Saw.

1947: Nu-Attlee Agreement grants Burma full sovereignty after London is paid 5 million
pounds in debt settlement. British-Burma Defence Agreement allows British military
mission to stay in Burma for 3 years.

1947: The Burmese Constitution is written by a team of 12 men and is rushed through
the Constituent Assembly, as per the British timetable.

1948: Complete Independence -- AFPFL replaces British as the ruling government in

Burma, led by U Nu.

1948: Civil War develops as various ethnic minorities begin to make alliances. KNDO and
MNDO take over Mawlamyine (the first British capital) and, in 1949, Insein.

!15

1955: Burma attends Bandung Conference, joining the non-alignment movement,

rejecting the bipolar system of the Cold War. However, Chiang Kai-sheks KMT takes
refuge in Burma, drawing the country into the Cold War.

1958: AFPFL splits into two factions: the Clean Faction, and the Stable Faction.

1958-60: Caretaker Government -- U Nu allows a regime led by Ne Win and other army
ocers to assume the role of provisional government due to the AFPFLs instability and
ongoing civil war.

!
1960: U Nu and AFPFL resume government duties. Caretaker Government is disbanded.

!
2 March 1962: Coup -- General Ne Win seizes power in a coup after U Nu announces the
possibility of Shan federalism. Ne Win styles government as a Revolutionary Council.
Burma Socialist Programme Party is formed later that year. Widespread student protests
lead RC to blow up Rangoon Student Union.

!
1966: Mao begins Cultural Revolution in PRC.

1967: Anti-Chinese riots -- Maos eorts to promote the Cultural Revolution among
ethnic Chinese living in Burma, lead to widespread rioting in which hundreds of SinoBurmese are killed.

!
1974: New Constitution -- establishes a one-party socialist state led by the BSPP.

!
1980s: Refugee crisis -- occurs in border countries such as Thailand and Bangladesh.

1988: 8888 -- Widespread student demonstrations break out followed government

demonetization (and the loss of most peoples personal savings). Students demanding
democracy clash with police, escalates to massive uprising across the whole of Burma.
Thousands of protesters killed, imprisoned, or simply disappeared. General Ne Win
resigns, the BSPP is dissolved. Many student parties, along with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
(Bog. Aung Sans daughter) emerge as potential political leaders. Old guard politicians,
such as U Nu, resurface.

1988: SLORC -- Gen. Saw Maung launches coup, establishes the State Law and Order
Restoration Council amid the protests, in order to preserve the union. He opens the
economy to international trade.

!16

1990: Elections -- Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) wins
60% of the vote, but SLORC annuls election results, does not allow MPs to take oce.
SLORC retains control of the country, while many NLD leaders flee or face arrest.

1993: USDA -- Union Solidarity and Development Association formed by members of

SLORC, will become a model for the SPDC, and a precursor USDP.

1994: Ceasefires -- Several ethnic minority armies negotiate ceasefires with SLORC in
exchange for limited regional autonomy.

1997: SLORC rebrands itself as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC),
headed by Gen. Than Shwe.

1997: ASEAN accepts Burma as a member, despite global allegations of human rights
abuses.

2003: Seven Step Roadmap to Democracy -- Gen. Khin Nyunt outlines steps to
progress towards a multi-party democratic system, complete with elections and new
constitution.

2007: Saron Revolution -- Thousands of Buddhist monks lead public in protests in

Yangon and other major cities over economic hardships and the need for political change.
Undercover media agency DVB documents the SPDCs crackdown and exposes the
extreme force to the world.

2007: Refugee resettlement -- UN begins resettlement program for Burmese refugees

trapped in Thai and Malaysian border camps. Camps suer brain drain, leading
conditions to deteriorate even more for those remaining.

2008: Cyclone Nargis -- near 200,000 deaths by some counts. Millions more aected.
SPDC criticized for failing to provide warning to the public, and then misallocating
humanitarian aid.

2008: New Constitution -- begun in 1993, finally completed by a Convention boycotted

by the NLD and most other pro-democracy groups. SPDCs referendum yields 92%
approval ratings. Most NGOs maintain voting process was rigged.

2009: Border Guard Force -- SPDC proposed that armed opposition groups become
absorbed into a BGF under supervision of Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw).
!17

2010: General Election -- Union Solidarity and Development Party (formed specifically to
take part in this election) wins 80% majority vote. Thein Sein becomes President of the
Union. NLD boycotts election, with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest until after
the election. UN maintains widespread allegations of voter fraud.

2011: KIA Ceasefire Breaks Down -- Fighting breaks out, tens of thousands of refugees
from Kachin State flee into China. Government announces another ceasefire in 2013, but
fighting continue to the date of this pamphlets publication.

2012: Buddhist-Muslim conflicts -- New ethnic violence breaks out in Arakan State,
spreads to locations around the country. Rohingya Muslims people are specifically
targeted.

2013: EU ends economic sanction -- Diplomatic sanctions, weapons embargo held in

place. But resumed trade brings large injection of capital.

Source: information, format, and much wording liberally pulled from Mote Oo Educations
Histories of Burma: A Sourced-Based Approach to Burmas History (Yangon: 2013).

!
!

!
!
!

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!18

LANGUAGE BASICS
FIRST DAY WORDS AND PHRASES

!
!

Greetings:
Mingalabar (ming-ga-la-ba) formal greeting.

!
Women can follow this with shin, men with kombya. These two words are polite tags, i.e. make your
utterance more respectful.

!
But a more common greeting is simply neh koun la (nay-gown-la)? How are you lit. is life good?

!
Or even more simply sa bibi la (sah bee-bee la)? Have you eaten [yet/today]?

!
Men say jennoh, Women say Jemmah. Roughly translates to I but literally translates to this slave.

!
Addressing People: we add lei (lay) when calling someone to get their attention
Women:

Address girls younger than yourself as ngema(lei) (nyee-mah (lay)). Little sister.

!
Address boys younger than yourself as mounlei (moun-lay). Little brother.

!
Address women your own age as ama (ah-ma), or older sister (thereby elevating them, giving them
respect).

!
Address women noticeably older than you as aunty or daw daw if youre close, or adaw if youre to
be respectful. Aunty.

!
Address men noticeably older than yourself as uncle or ulei. Uncle.
!Men:

Same as above, but little brothers are ngelei (nyeelay), not mounlei.

!
What is Your Name?
Nameh beh lo caw lei, (kombya / shin)?

What? What did you say?

Kombya / shin?

My Name Is
Jennoh / Jemmah nameh [NAME] lo caw bah deh, kombya / shin.

Where is the bathroom? Please note here that bathroom translates to PLEASURE HOUSE!
Ein-tha bey hma lei?

Goodbye!
Thwa meh, naw? (Twa meh, no?) Lit. I going to leave, ok?

!19

!
!
!
!
!
!
!

!20