Problems of Myanmar:
The basic problems of Myanmar can be classified into three
areas: poverty, dictatorship, and illegal markets. First, the
economy is improvised and largely based on sustenance agriculture
where people are just trying to survive. In such poverty healthcare
and education are unaffordable. Myanmar is one of the poorest
nations in the world with a per capita income of under $500 per
year which is similar to Afghanistan's. Therefore, it is one of the
25 poorest nations in the world out of almost 200 nations. The
second, and most dire, problem is the tyrannous dictatorship now
ruling the nation. A small group of military leaders and their
family and friends use the nation's resources to benefit themselves
or increase the military in order to keep control. The military has
doubled from 400,000 over the last decade. All land is technically
owned by the government. Rich resources like oil, natural gas,
timber, gold, and gems are exploited for the benefit of the ruling
class. Hydroelectric dams are displacing thousands as well as
forced emigration of ethnic groups the regime doesn't like.
Agricultural chemicals are overused, or illegal chemicals, are used
to increase crop yields thus destroying the environment so as to
build a cash export rice crop. Malnutrition ravages the people of
Myanmar due to the best land being used for export markets. Even
the forests are being depleted for export. Third, illegal border
and trans-border markets are increasing illegal trade. Tiger and
leopard skins are sold to rich foreign souvenir hunters, live
turtles sold almost to extinction, Asian elephants killed for
ivory, and humans trafficked like animals of burden. Young boys and
girls are often sold by their family's in desperation due to lack
of food or opportunities. These children are sold as servants or
sex slaves mostly in Thailand but also to other Asian nations. I,
Thaddeus Andreski, have been a social studies teacher for seven
years now and stay abreast of conditions in Asia and the world.