Myanmar: The Golden Land No More

Pinnacle to Periphery: The Tragic Tale of Burma’s Rise and Fall

Burma, or Myanmar, was once a shimmering jewel of the Southeast Asian crown.

A nation once shone brighter than the tropical afternoon sun; basking in the glory of regional prominence. A nation so far ahead and at the pinnacle of progress, brimming with breakthroughs, until it began to teeter dangerously on the periphery of global relevance.

Picture this!

A veritable lighthouse of education, prosperity, and connectivity, Burma’s trajectory was filled with promise, the Asian dream of its times. Yet, like all great stories of empires undone, the narrative shifted, painfully, from enlightenment to slow, excruciating decline.

The cruel twist in the plot?

It wasn’t external forces that brought Burma to its knees.

*True, some might argue that the assassination of the visionary Aung San, influenced and enabled by foreign powers, was a crucial moment in the country’s undoing; for now, let's table this for another day!

At the end, it was Burma’s own leaders who truly twisted the knife.

A misguided detritus military junta transformed a flourishing nation into a cautionary tale of squandered potential, where dreams of greatness were replaced by nightmares of decay.

And so, here we are.

Let’s unpack Burma’s remarkable rise and heart-wrenching fall; there are lessons worth contemplating, with a dash of wit and wisdom for good measure.

But make no mistake, it’s a tale as old as time, one we know all too well.

So, pull up a chair, make sure your battery’s charged, grab a cuppa, and join me as we unravel this dramatic descent; peppered with humour, hard lessons, and a heavy dose of hindsight.

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Burma’s Golden Era: A Beacon of Progress

Picture this!

it’s post-World War II Southeast Asia, early 20th century. While its neighbours were struggling to catch up, Burma was already leagues ahead, akin to the kid who always had their homework done while everyone else was still looking for a pencil.

Burma wasn’t just keeping pace with the region. It was leading, setting standards and lapping the competition.

Renowned for its intellectual prowess and economic might, Burma boasted modern infrastructure, bustling ports, international connectivity and cultural vibrancy. It rubbed elbows with nations that today are much wealthier, but at the time, Burma stood taller and proudly.

The future sparkled with promise.

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A Journey Back in Time

So, where do we start? Let's start at one of the most critical pieces of progress and nation building, Education, shall we?

Education: A Region’s Brightest Mind

While some nations were still grappling with the concept of universities, Burma had already opened the crème de la crème of Southeast Asian higher education; the University of Yangon, established in 1920.

It was an intellectual powerhouse that attracted the brightest minds from Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia; long before UK and US universities became the go-to destinations.

If you were a top and an affluent student of the era, your parents would likely be packing your bags for Yangon, hoping you’d return a doctor or engineer.

Graduates from Yangon University were the gold standard, and the institution’s prestige was unmatched.

In fact, today’s Ivy League students would have gladly traded their designer sweaters for a humble Yangon University scarf then.

You weren’t truly “educated” until you’d walked the hallowed halls of this intellectual sanctuary.

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Air Travel & Connectivity: The Heathrow of the East

Burma was not just a beacon of education, but also a symbol of global connectivity.

Yangon International Airport was once the Heathrow of the East; a major hub connecting Asia to the world.

No need for endless layovers or multi-stop routes. People flocked to Yangon to catch flights that would take them anywhere they needed to go.

And if that wasn’t enough, Burma even boasted one of the earliest metro train systems in the world, with an expansive interstate rail network that connected the country efficiently.

Burma wasn’t just about intellectual connectivity; it mastered the physical kind as well.

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Housing Schemes: A Pioneering Vision

When it came to forward-thinking policies, Burma wasn’t resting on its laurels.

It pioneered a civil servant housing scheme that was the envy of Southeast Asia.

Long before glass towers dotted the skies, Burma was offering its government employees well designed housing, with operations that ran like clockwork.

A missed patent opportunity, surely, but one can imagine the humour in that. Even then, they were ahead of their time.

Singapore, today an unrivalled model of state-run housing, took inspiration from Burma’s early efforts.

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Maritime Supremacy: Masters of the Sea

Burma’s prowess didn’t stop on land. It extended into the seas.

Asia’s first maritime school was located here, producing seafarers of legendary competency. If you believed the stories, these sailors could navigate the high seas blindfolded without a sextant.

Burma’s shipping industry, led by its Five Star Shipping Line, was the envy of the world.

Ships carrying goods between East and West passed through Burma’s ports; particularly Yangon, a critical node in global trade long before Singapore had figured out its own dominance.

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Agricultural and Energy Powerhouse

And, of course the story doesn end there, for there was rice, and lots of it too. Burma wasn’t just feeding itself; it was feeding the world.

Burma was affectionately Known as the “rice bowl of the world,” exporting enough rice to feed millions globally.

You needed rice? You called Burma.

But then, it wasn’t just agriculture. Oil and gas flowed beneath the surface, positioning Burma as a potential energy giant.

The country also had the first Oil & Gas industry in Asia, and neighbouring countries salivated at the wealth locked within its borders.

In the 1950s and following decades, Burma was poised to be a leader; Economically, Intellectually, and Agriculturally.

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Sports

Sports too was dominated by Burma; particularly in football and boxing.

The Burmese national football team was the team to be reckoned with boasting five consecutive Southeast Asian Games gold medals between 1965 and 1973.

Their crowning achievement came in 1966 and 1970 when they won the AFC Asian Cup, establishing themselves as one of Asia’s top teams.

Boxing also brought Burma international acclaim, with fighters like Maung Gyi becoming legends.?

While the late great Kyi Hla Han put Asian golf on the global map in the later decades.

Burma’s athletes embodied strength, discipline, and resilience, often surpassing their regional rivals and bringing home numerous medals from international tournaments.

This era marked the golden age of Burmese as a whole , with the nation frequently seen as a leader in regional competitions and its athletes representing symbols of national pride.?

So, where did it all go wrong?

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The Unravelling: Enter the Military Junta

Here comes the twist; the dark turn in the plot, for no tale of downfall is complete without a heavy-handed government with misguided ideologies.

And Burma of course was no exception.

Enter the military junta, masters of turning gold into turd with an economic sense as solid as a week-old rice cracker.

Their formula for disaster i hear you ask??

A twisted cocktail of socialism, communism, and good old-fashioned tyranny.

They didn’t just drop the ball, they deflated it, cut it in half, and threw it into the Ayeyarwady River.

The junta didn’t just run an alternative playbook to prosperity. They seemed to have authoured the anti-playbook, and it might have these words as Prologue.

“If it’s broken, don’t fix it. If it isn’t broken, break it!” could have been their motto.

And so, Burma, once a shining symbol of potential became a tragic reminder of what could have been.

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The Junta’s Greatest Hits of Mismanagement

Defunding Education

Burma’s gleaming academic beacon? Neglected to the point of collapse. Students and faculty fled, turning premier universities into glorified high schools. Brain drain? More like a brain hurricane.

Neglected Infrastructure

The once robust rail network rusted, roads crumbled, and even Yangon International Airport became a shadow of its former self. Connectivity faltered, and Burma slowly rotted from within.

Corrupt Economic Practices

Despite sitting on a treasure trove of resources; oil, gas, rice, teak; Burma’s economy imploded.

Mismanaged industries collapsed, and agriculture was mismanaged to the point where even affording a grain of rice became impossible.

Isolationism

The junta locked the country away from the world.

Trade, investment, and cultural exchanges dried up, leaving Burma to stew in self-imposed purgatory.

They withdrew from the Commonwealth and effectively declared economic and intellectual isolation, cutting ties with prosperity.

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The Orwellian Nightmare

At this point, one can't continue without reflecting the words of one Eric Arthur Blair; George Orwell to the world, as follows;

Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” – George Orwell, 1984

This quote from Orwell reflects Burma’s tragic demise under military rule. The junta's oppressive grip systematically dismantled the country’s identity and potential, reshaping it according to its own rigid and destructive vision. Once a thriving nation, Burma's downfall mirrored Orwell’s dystopian warnings, where authoritarian control suffocates freedom, progress, and the spirit of the people, leaving behind only a shattered society under the weight of tyranny.

This tragedy is compounded by the betrayal and assassination of Aung San, the father of modern Burma. His vision of independence was crushed under the weight of the regime he had fought to free his country from.

His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, despite her own controversies, fought for democracy with the tenacity of the Burmese people who refused to be silenced.?

The dystopian regime, marked by surveillance, propaganda, and absolute control, wasn’t fiction. It indeed was a living nightmare.

Orwell himself would’ve written another book had he seen modern Burma; a land where the junta wielded power without accountability, breeding widespread corruption and abuse.

So, What Have We Learnt?

Lesson 1: Bureaucracy and Blunders

Military might does not translate into economic competence. The junta’s blunder was in believing their military strength could lead them to economic prosperity. Spoiler: it didn’t.

Lesson 2: Isolation Stifles Progress

Burma’s self-imposed isolation is a masterclass in how not to run a country. No nation can thrive in isolation; not even one blessed with such natural beauty and resources. Collaboration is essential.?

Lesson 3: Education is Everything

Once the intellectual heart of Southeast Asia, Burma’s universities were reduced to rubble by short-sighted leadership. Investing in education is investing in the future. Without it, a nation slides backward.

Roadmap to Redemption: The Possible Way Forward

Though dismal, there is always a chance for redemption. Burma may have missed its first opportunity, but the door isn’t fully closed.?

Here’s what needs to happen:

Geographical Leverage

Burma’s long coastline featuring natural deep water ports; and location between India and China is a massive economic opportunity waiting to be tapped.?

Sustainable Resource Management

Proper governance of its oil, gas, and agriculture industries could lift the nation from poverty. But this requires transparency; something the junta has sorely lacked.

Renewal of Infrastructure

The decaying physical and digital infrastructure needed to be rebuilt for intellectual and economic inclusivity and connectivity.?

Revitalising Education

Restore universities, attract international students, and create a culture of intellectual growth once again.

Reintegrate with the World

Isolation isn’t a strategy; it’s an inevitable slow and painful death!

Good Governance

Civilian governance, free from military interference, is the only path to long-term prosperity.

Final Thought: A Future Yet to Be Written

Burma’s story is a tragic reminder of how quickly a nation’s fortune can collapse under poor governance.

Whilst its past is filled with glorious achievements, it is with despaired present!

Its future? It is still unwritten, or being re-written.

With the right reforms, a brighter future is within reach.

Here’s hoping Burma’s comeback story is one for the ages; and that this time, they don’t bungle it.

Cheers.

Minn Tun

September 2024