archives: glimpse inside burma

For decades the nearly 50 million people of Burma have been living in complete isolation from the rest of the world.

Burma, also referred to as Myanmar, continues to be ruled by a repressive military junta, the State of Peace and Development Council.

They exercise brute force and gross human rights abuses to maintain their totalitarian government, despite international sanctions and condemnations.

Foreigners visiting Burma presents a contentious issue, with both sides strongly arguing valid reasons why people should or should not enter the military run country. Visitors are steered far away from

the reports of forced labour, forced military service, arbitrarydetention, ravaged villages, kidnappings and murders by the government, to the glistening golden pagodas in Yangon and the ancient temples in Bagan.

However, even without visiting the conflict zones it doesn't take much to see through the SPDC's white washed country and glimpse into the military juntas' brutal control over the nation. Though there are few places in Burma that foreigners are permitted to visit, it is hard to hide the evidence of forced labour, dire poverty and a sense of the nation's fear. This is just glimpse inside Burma.