lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

304HISTORY POST-1990 MYANMARTHANSHWEThan Shwe: UnmaskingBurma’sTyrant by BenedictRogers isan unauthorisedbiography of thesecretive seniorgeneral who,many believe, stillcalls the shots inMyanmar.she is affectionately known) detained at a military roadblock. After spendingsix days in her car by the roadside, Suu Kyi was once again placedunder house arrest. Save for barely a year between 6 May 2002 and 30 May2003, she would spend the next decade shut away from the public.Than Shwe Takes OverIn the 1990s, after years of isolation from the rest of the world, the juntaactively tried to launch Myanmar as a tourist destination. But there wasa disappointing turnout for the official ‘Visit Myanmar Year 1996’ (partlydue to the tourism boycott launched by the NLD and others). Increasedsanctions from the West led the government to seek other sources ofincome: namely from trade with China, India and Thailand.Khin Nyunt, head of military intelligence and a protégé of Ne Win(who died, disgraced and living in obscurity, in 2002), became PrimeMinister in 2003. Khin Nyunt took the lead on the junta’s seven-step‘roadmap towards discipline-flourishing democracy’. But in 2004 hardlinerSenior General Than Shwe ousted Khin Nyunt and many of hisfellow intelligence officers; at a secret trial Khin Nyunt was sentenced to44 years in jail and is believed to currently be under house arrest.Than Shwe initially promised to continue the transition to democracy,but instead his activity showed a focus on negotiating multimilliondollartrade deals with China, India and Thailand, and importing weaponsand military know-how from Russia and North Korea.In 2005, an entirely new capital city was created in the arid fields nearPyinmana, a move widely viewed as enormously expensive and wasteful,including by China, a nation otherwise disinclined to comment on theactivities of its neighbour and trade partner. The junta named the cityin-the-makingNay Pyi Taw (Royal Capital), leaving little doubt that ThanShwe’s strategies and inspirations were aligned less with the modernworld than with Burmese kings of centuries past.The ‘Saffron Revolution’In mid-2007, natural gas prices rose by 500% (and petrol by 200%), leadingto price hikes for everything from local bus tickets to rice. In lateAugust a group of ‘1988 generation’ protestors were arrested for staginga march against the inflation. On 5 September, when monks denouncedthe price hikes in a demonstration in Pakokku, the protests escalated. Themilitary responded with gunfire and allegedly beat one monk to death.In response, the All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA) was formed, denouncingthe ruling government as an ‘evil military dictatorship’ andrefusing to give alms to military officials (a practice called pattam mikkujanakamma). By 17 September daily marches began, swelling in numbersacross major cities including Yangon, Mandalay, Meiktila and Sittwe.1990In May the NationalLeague for Democracy(NLD), led by Aung SanSuu Kyi, conclusivelywins the fi rstnationwide electionin three decades, butthe military refuses torelinquish power.1995Aung San Suu Kyireleased fromhouse arrest. Thegovernment usesforced labour to readysome sites for ‘VisitMyanmar Year’; NLDand other activistgroups launch atourism boycott.1997US and Canadaimpose investmentban on Myanmar.State Law & OrderRestoration Council(Slorc) changes nameto the State Peace &Development Council.Myanmar joins Asean.2000The EU intensifi es itseconomic sanctionsagainst Myanmar,citing continuedhuman rights abusesin the country. AungSan Suu Kyi againunder house arrestuntil May 2002.