How can the Burmese people attain a level of economic and political development?
The European Union boycott and American prohibitions are not seriously handicapping Burma. The ASEAN countries have invested in tourism, hotels, etc., but the Burmese have implemented policies that have aborted the process of development. They changed their policies after the fall of Suharto in Indonesia. They fear that opening up might lead to the same sort of problems. These wrong policies have risen out of a fear of losing political control. How to put it right? Only when they realize that cutting off the flow of trade, investment and tourism will make it worse, that non-development with an increasing population will mean increasing discontent due to little development with few job opportunities and a poorer life compared with their neighbors. That will force them to open up again. Is that the case with Vietnam too? Yes, when they fear that they are about to lose social control, they hold back and reverse policies which they have agreed with investors. This undermines confidence. Th
