This is the first book I've read about Burma/Myanmar, and it's most concerning the modern political history especially since 1988.
It's fine with the cards in the start of the book, one of witch shows the ethnolinguistic groups and their positions in the country. There are many both small and big groups and through out the book different problems with these groups are mentioned.
And therefore, after having finished reading the book, I can't stop speculating about if it one day in the future will end with that we will see the regime in Burma/Myanmar collapse and the country then being torn apart into smaller countries.
The reason for at the headline writing hidden in Burma/Myanmar is that I'm thinking about how little we since the Second World War have got of information about what's going on inside this country and especially since 1988 when the military made the last coup and increased the control concerning the news both receiving and leaving the country.
By reading this book I discovered different details, I did not know, or maybe have forgotten from the news years ago. An interesting one is it that by the election the 27th in May, 1990, for the 479 seats in the Parliament, at which ran for 93 parties and 87 independents. The NLD party then received 59.87 % of the votes and thereby got 392 of the seats, 82 %. And the military party which received as much as 25.12 % of the votes but thereby only received 10 seats! A strange way the distribution must have be made. But concerning which there unfortunately are no details. But in any case the military thought that they would win by the election after having allowed 252 parties, but as here seen, instead totally lost. But, as we know the military didn't release their power.
It's also strange to read that even though the country is so closed the state is not poor. In 2003 its international reserves was US$562 billions, but by 2008 it had increased to US$3.187, especially for selling gas and oil. But the people are poor, some of the poorest in the World, and the health has decreased since the Second World War.
It's also interesting reading about how the leaders are superstitious and therefore make arrangement on chosen dates. And how besides they are afraid of occupation by foreign countries, especially by USA. But to their defense it can be said that they saw how USA, among other, was in Vietnam.
After having finished this book I now think of buying a book telling about both history and culture for Burma/Myanmar in all the years until the Second World War finished. Among other reasons, also because I now live next to this country and, as it is written in the book, maybe 2 million persons from Burma are now working here in Thailand, so we se them every day. And it's always best to now about other cultures you are close to.
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