Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Myanmar (Burma) Today
Following political and economic reforms, sanctions have been dropped
and the world is now eager to engage with Myanmar, which for nearly 50
years has borne international isolation. Some changes have been moment-
ous but they cannot mask the toxic problems still plaguing the country, in-
cluding ethnic and religious conflicts, human rights abuses and a flawed
constitution that, if it remains unamended, diminishes the chances of a
democratic result in the 2015 general election.
Best in Print
Golde
n Parasool (Wendy Law-Yone; 2013) Yone's fascinating memoir provides an
insider's view on key events in modern Myanmar's history; her father, Ed Law-
Yone, an influential newspaper editor, was exiled from the country in the 1960s.
Buurma/My
olden P
o Know (David I Steinberg; 2013) Make
sure you get the updated second edition of this essential primer on Myanmar.
a/Myanmar: Wh
: What E
t Everyone Ne
e Needs t
ds to K
Best in Film
Kayan B
n Beauutiies (2013;
www.kayanbeauties.com
)
Thriller about four Kayan girls
who travel from their village to Taunggyi, where one of them gets kidnapped by
human traffickers.
Youth o
f Yangon (2013;
http://vimeo.com/ondemand/youthofyangon
) Beautifully
shot 12-minute documentary about Yangon's tiny skateboarding community and
the struggles they face pursuing their passion.
Yangon C
uth of Y
alling (2013;
www.yangoncalling.com
)
Documentary about Myanmar's
punk rock scene directed by Berlin-based filmmakers Alexander Dluzak and
Carsten Piefke.
n Callin
Asean Chair 2014
'Now is Myanmar's time in the sun,' went the narration for a promotional film screened in
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital, in October 2013, as President Thein Sein accepted
his nation's role as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). When the
chance last came around in 2006 to lead the regional power bloc, Myanmar was skipped
