History

History of  **Joyner Horn** ** Anna Hundley** ** Claire Hess** ** 1st Period** **Burma Draft** Burma (also known as Myanmar) is a country with a disruptive past and present. It is located in Southeast Asia and is bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal between Bangladesh and Thailand. Burma is 678.500sq km and is slightly smaller than Texas. It is the second largest country in Southeast Asia. The capitol of Burma is Naypyidaw. Burma has a total population of 48.8 million people. In Burma, 89% of the population is Buddhist and the official language in Burma is Burmese with only a few other languages spoken here. Although Burma has an isolated market, their main export is rice. Following three Anglo Wars against Britian, Burma finally gained its independence from the UK on Jan 4, 1948. These wars which were fought over approximately 60 years, along with a series of corrupt rulers and a fierce military junta government, have left Burma the second poorest and one of the most broken countries in the world. Burma, which could be a paradise with its beautiful beaches and an abundance of natural resources, is deteriorating with 90% of the population under the poverty line.

The government of Burma is not a government for the people. Since the Junta Government of Burma took over about 45 years ago, there has been a steady decline in the stability of this country. Due to the vast corruption in this government and its leaders, all aspects of society and community are collapsing here. The extreme poverty, lack of health care, lack of education, and the complete disregard of human rights has left this country in disarray and one of the poorest countries in the world. Although the government claims that there will be elections in the year 2010, it is extremely unlikely that this will happen and this is just more deception from this self-centered government. Trying to improve the situation in Burma may seem hopeless, but there are a few activities people can do in an attempt to help. Letting people know about Burma is a great start. Because few local news papers ever have articles about Burma and the terrible situation there, it would be helpful to write a an article for or letter to the paper outlining the situation here. Also, writing to Senators and Congressmen about this situation and requesting aid from the US may help a well. There may be migrant communities of Burmese in or near our own community. Try to find one and ask what they need and for ways to help them. Also talk about Burma to everyone telling them about this beautiful country, its beautiful people, and the need to transform this country to the paradise it was meant to be.