Bagan Different Perspectives Newsletter July 16, 2008

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Dear Patrons:

Welcome to our news letter. The Staff at Different Perspectives try to bring a clearer picture of current events effecting China and Asia . Although we believe the international media driven primarily by western world's interests, is bringing the public events as they happen, we at Different Perspectives are independent and non biased without an agenda for prestige or monetary profit. We simply feel the western world may be somewhat isolated from news that is local to our office here in Beijing, China .


Thank you
Different Perspectives Staff
Edward


Recently I have returned from a 9 week tour of South East Asia and reporting on my perspective and personal experience. Currently our newsletter is focusing on my 24 day trip through the country of Myanmar .
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Sunday July 13, 2008 Eden Guest House
Bagan, Myanmar
2:00 pm

Earlier in the morning I asked Mang Soe if the Military had a significant presence in Bagan. He mentioned that most of the military activities were around the airport, but near where I was headed along the open ocean like beach of the Irrawaddy River was a retreat that Myanmar Military Officers frequented for periodic meetings and retreats. My m.o. I headed on my bike straight for area south of the Temple Region. After checking around at a very fancy waterfront hotel I was directed to a road adjacent to where I was. More than once I had shown the the picture
of "The General" on my digital camera that I took at the border, to explain what I was looking for. It worked. Moments later I was approaching
gated road with an armed guard standing next to his post on the other side of the gate. Practicing my best innocence act, I tried to convince him to let me through so I could check out the military's "vacation digs. In a moment another officer quickly approached the area at which point I decided it best to turn my bike around and get some distance between me and the gate. After hastily exiting and snapping a couple pictures I rode off into the Bagan Desert processing my thoughts about my first encounter with the Myanmar Military.

The sun setting quickly I decided to head back to Nyang U ( the village of North Bagan). Noticing some activity beyond at a temple I peddled in to the dusty dirt covered parking area and enjoyed the Sunset from 60 meters high a top a temple with 3 other westerners. It was nice a panoramic view of Bagan, as I was use to seeing on postcards and travel brochures. Hundreds of Buddhist structures dotting the flat barren landscape for as far as I could see. Many incredible friendly children desperately and relentlessly trying to sell postcards. It hurt to see this.
I couldn't help but give away a few knats ($).

Now light by moon and star shine only I rolled down the flat desert road 10 km back to my guest house An ere feeling, alone and quiet as can be, dark in the Center of the Buddhist World.

Reaching my guest house I paused for a breath before walking across the seemingly desolate street on Nyang U to have a bit to eat. Sitting down with a few locals and served by the family owned restaurant, I gazed out into the road reflecting on my experiences through the day. From time to time conversing intermittently with the locals as they lounged outside in various types of seating attempting to escape from the
heat for a few moments. Interupted from my gazing i was served pork curry, Burmese style. A half dozen small dishes with vegetables, hot peppers, and rice surrounding the main dish of pork/gravy and rice. Careful not to ingest any "hot" peppers or spices hidden in the already
unfamiliar dishes, I enjoyed another layed back peaceful dinner with wonderful Myanmar people, service and a genuine smile.

Earlier in the morning I had met a Chinese woman on a 1 year sabbatical who was also staying at the Eden Guest House. Her along with my friend Issac who I had met in Hsi Pau a week before, we had coffee on beautiful teak furnished veranda of the Eden as we shared travel stories. Issac was headed out in the morning for Inlay Lake since he had limited time before needing to be back in Dakar, Bangladesh, where he teaches math and physics. Da Da the Chinese woman was here in Baga for the duration of a week, as I was before she leaves for Mandalay
to try to obtain visa to travel to India.

With authentic homemade Bagan pork curry satisfying my hunger I took my standard liter bottle of ice water and strolled across the sleepy
street to my guest house room to journal and the end my second day in Bagan.

Tuesday July 15th, 2008 Eden Guest House Veranda
Bagan, Myanmar
10:00 am

My stay in Bagan has been very relaxing. Yesterday I saw many, temples, pagoda's and stupor's. This morning I found it necessary to take a day off and reflect. So i decided to sit on the veranda, drink coffee and basically do nothing save jot a bit in my journal. Da Da had coffee
with me this morning along with woman from Shanghai who spoke Japanese. Her name was Grace. on a suggestion by Da Da we made plans to meet tomorrow afternoon and get a shared taxi to the Mount Popa located southeast of Bagan about 60 km. It was nice to meet Da Da since Chinese was my cultural comfort zone and I was able to practice my Chinese language a little.

Yesterday I stopped by to see my Bagan friend, Popa. She and I coincidentally had more in common than we thought, so an hour at midday
chatting with made me feel like I was setting a root of some meaning for me here in Bagan, in terms of my relationship with the Myanmar people.

From there I made my way toward Old Bagan, south across the flat plains of the central "dry zone". Stopping at the market on the way I chatted
with a number of locals that were more than willing to share their displeasure with the current Myanmar government. The market similar to the Mandalay market I experienced, much of the food was pre-packaged, although there was a fair amount of vegetables, fish, meat and fruit much of the food was less than my idea of fresh. It is apparent that even in the most popular tourist destination in the country, right here in Bagan
the food supply is somewhat sub-standard. Although the climate here is very arid and hard you grow food, I would learn later that some area's
of Myanmar are flourishing with fresh food and prosperous agriculture. Many locals the market and around town people mentioned that the lack of tourism was devastating the local Bagan economy. "When all the news about Typhoon Nargis and American Sanctions are over people will want to come back again, you'll see" Words that echoed through the market air. It was difficult to see the anguish in their eyes but I tried to encourage them that things will change soon, always being careful not to implicate them.

As I peddled my way through the Bagan dry zone I came to the Bagan City Golf Resort and decided to pedal my way down the road along the through the fruit orchards to see what I could find. Approaching the upscale resort and club house I went inside to seek out some my much needed liter of cold purified bottled water, which gratefully was available at most places in Myanmar. I asked my requisite political questions,
to the two staff that were there. Otherwise the place was pretty much deserted. Nervously the staff informed me that the military had played
golf here frequently and in fact they were playing a round today. I had a hunch that if I were to have another encounter with the military a golf
course might be a good place to check out. I was right, upon approaching the resort I saw off in the distance a small army jeep, and As I left
another vehicle with military markings was approaching. Immediately after my words with the staff I poked my head outside to see an older gentlemen sitting waiting for the rest of his foursome I presumed dressed in a golf shirt and golf shoes. In broken English after I prompted him and he introduced himself as a Myamar Army Officer. "Oh yes we play golf here, as a matter of fact here comes my golfing partner and a Major General now." With a mission in this foot steps the General quickly made his way toward the clubhouse. I didn't hesitate but took a couple of pictures and video, pocketed my camera, jumped on my bike and peddled out the circular driveway to the relative safety of the street without looking back. Out near the street I documented with another short video, and cranked my bike legs into high gear.

Somewhat relaxed again I peddled further south toward Old Bagan across the flat plains. I came to a small village built up around a temple of the same name. Similar to what you would see in the west, a village centered around a church. Not much different. Faith as important here as anywhere in the world. I remember being not far from the Tianamen Square in Beijing recently and coming upon one of the many Christian Churches in City.

Coffee was on my agenda as I made my way through this Myanmar village. Passing a horse draw wagon filled with farmers wares, I curiously
turned my bike down a side street toward a cafe that looked like it might be able to accommodate me. Coffee served I chatted with the locals
and showed them video off my digital camera of a festival in Kunming, China. This was generally a great way to introduce myself and offer
something that is hard to come by, that being a digital camera with video capability. It was one way I opened the door to be able to interact
with the locals. Usually they loved it, and in this particular case I'm sure I was one of very few westerners to step into town in many moons, which I always later hoped that it was as inspiring for them as it was for me. Along with video to show, I gave them a conduit to voice their
opinions about the state of the country, and their frustrations, in struggling for a better life.

Back to the Eden Guest a one hour ride (with a tailwind). Reflection ran through my head as I cruised effortlessly through the Bagan evening
virtually alone save for a local or 2 traveling in the opposite direction. Alone amidst a spiritual landscape I was left with my thoughts to process
as nature sees fit.


Written by Edward Mangan c2008
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Again Welcome to our news letter. As is common with our objective the following articles are of interest in upholding the purpose of our newsletter to offer a different perspective.
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(italics text by Different Perspectives)

This type of article has to be read all the way though to understand all the facts. Also it has been widely reported by the western media (including the UN's own UNICEF office) in numerous articles that the Myanmar Government was outstanding in it's handling of the relief efforts during and after the Tropical Cyclone Nargis disaster.


Myanmar's Failure to Talk With Suu Kyi Frustrates UN, Ban Says
By Michael Heath
Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The failure of Myanmar's junta to hold talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and move toward democracy is frustrating, United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon said.
''Meaningful steps have yet to be taken by the Myanmar authorities in response to the concerns and expectations'' of the international community, Ban said in a report on talks between the world body and the military regime during the past year.
The report covers the period from last October, when the junta faced global condemnation for its crackdown on the biggest opposition protests in almost 20 years, through to September. UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari failed to meet with Suu Kyi or win concessions from the regime when he visited Myanmar in August.
Myanmar's military, which has ruled the Southeast Asian nation since 1962, maintains it is making progress toward democracy. The junta staged a referendum on a new constitution in May, which it says was approved by 92 percent of voters, and plans to hold elections in 2010. The vote would be the first since a 1990 ballot won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, a result rejected by the military.
The U.S. and European Union condemned the May referendum as a ''sham'' and said the proposed elections lack credibility because Suu Kyi is barred from running. The 63-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner is unable to stand for election because she was married to a U.K. national. Her husband, British scholar Michael Aris, died in 1999.
Failed to Respond
The junta in the country formerly known as Burma has failed to respond to UN proposals ''to improve the credibility and inclusiveness of the political process,'' Ban said in his report.
The UN's key proposals are for the junta to free political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, and start talks with her. Suu Kyi has spent 12 of the past 18 years under house arrest and the junta extended her current period of detention by one year on May 27.
''Expectations are high that the government of Myanmar will start taking substantive action on the proposals'' from the UN, Ban said, adding the regime must ''genuinely demonstrate its stated commitment to cooperating with the United Nations.''
Liaison Officer
Myanmar appointed a liaison officer for Suu Kyi last October and the minister met with her five times between November and January. The talks, the first since 2003, then abruptly stopped.
Suu Kyi declined to meet with Gambari during his August visit. Some NLD members said she was sending a message that she was unhappy with the UN's efforts to push the junta toward democratic change.
Gambari said in March that Myanmar's military is considering returning the nation to civilian rule under a model similar to the government of late Indonesian President Suharto, who guaranteed the army seats in parliament.
Ban called on all countries aiming for a solution in Myanmar to ''work constructively together'' in support of the UN's efforts.
The Bush administration has led international criticism of the junta since last September's protests that left at least 31 people dead. It also criticized the regime after it obstructed global relief operations to help survivors of Tropical Cyclone Nargis. The storm swept through Myanmar's southern Irrawaddy River Delta in May, leaving 138,000 people dead or missing.
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South Korea: Nothing unusual in North Korea despite rumors

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, left, and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee hold a joint news conference following their meetings at the Pentagon, Friday, Oct. 17, 2008.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer Jae-soon Chang, Associated Press Writer - Mon Oct 20,

SEOUL, South Korea - There was no unusual activity in North Korea on Monday, South Korean officials said, despite reports that Pyongyang was poised to make an announcement amid speculation about the health of its leader, Kim Jong Il.
The autocratic North Korean leader has been the focus of intense speculation since he disappeared from public view in mid August. U.S. and South Korean officials suspect he suffered a stroke and had brain surgery. North Korea has flatly denied there is anything wrong with its 66-year-old leader.
Japanese newspapers reported over the weekend that the communist nation had ordered its diplomats abroad to be on standby and planned to ban foreigners from entering the country ahead of an "important announcement."
Tokyo's Sankei newspaper reported the North planned to make an announcement Monday and it could be about Kim's death or a government change induced by a coup.
"There were some media reports about (the North) banning foreigners," said Kim Ho-nyeon, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry in charge of monitoring North Korea. "But there are no unusual signs regarding civilian exchanges between the South and the North. They are going on as scheduled."
The spokesman added, "All of North Korea's internal broadcasting as well as international and domestic events are proceeding normally."
In a dispatch Sunday from the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, South Korea's Yonhap news agency also quoted an unnamed source in Beijing as saying some North Korean Embassy officials who left on business trips have not returned.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Noel Clay said he could not comment on what the reported announcement might be.
About one week ago, North Korea released photos showing Kim inspecting a military unit and appearing healthy. However, it did not say when the pictures were taken, sparking speculation the photos might have been taken earlier because the lush green foliage appeared not to match the Korean peninsula's current autumn season.
On Sunday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency published typical propaganda dispatches praising Kim's regime and criticizing the South Korean government. There were no articles indicating any imminent government announcement.
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Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo contributed to this report.


These are the facts regarding entry into DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic Of Korea) for foreigner's as of October 21, 2008 5pm. This information is from my source in Beijing that has been directly involved in processing visa's for tourists entering DPRK.

Last month foreigners as well as Americans were allowed to enter the DPRK on a tourist visa to view the Mass Games. Prior to that only Foreigners other than Americans were allowed a tourist visa. What's the difference between a foreigner and an American in the eyes of the DPRK? Good question, but one is unlikely to get a clear answer
other than the DPRK is on the list of other countries in the world hostile to America.

I was offered a visa to visit the Mass Games in late September. It was no problem, I visited the DPRK embassy here in Beijing and was welcomed as a tourist. All I had to do was follow
a few simple guidelines. pay for visa, go with specific travel group etc. I decided not to pursue since I had just come back from 9 weeks in SE Asia.

At the time of this writing foreigners (except Americans) are granted tourist visa's to the DPRK.

Between Dec. 15th and Jan 15 the DPRK doesn't grant any tourist visa.

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Next time on Different Perspectives we'll travel outside Bagan to Mount Popa which is considered the abode of Myanmar's most powerfull Nat's and as such is a most important Nat worship center. We will also continue our travels through the dry zone of Myanmar visiting the people, and temples in the heart of the worlds Buddhist culture Bagan ,Myanmar.

We hope you will join us. Until then

"Those who accept that we all die someday settle their quarrels"
Dhammapada
Peace

Edward
Different Perspectives


Pictures, Text and Journal copyright 2008 Different Perspectives

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