The Road to Mandalay. Assessing the Myanmar Reforms

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Burma, also known as Myanmar, has long been closed to the scrutiny of journalists and camera crews, and its only real ally and investor has been neighboring China. But, following the dubious elections of 2010, things began to change. The government released dissenter Aung San Suu Kyi, suspended a dam project with China, freed thousands of prisoners, and signed peace pacts with a number of warring ethnic groups. This report on the country was produced with a previously unheard-of travel visa and a relatively liberal ability to film and interview without interference. Locations include the old colonial capital of Rangoon (now Yangon), the bizarre new North Korean-style capital Naypyidaw, the ancient temple town of Bagan, and the bustling commercial hub of Mandalay. Speaking with reporters, a presidential advisor sheds light on past turmoil and insists that Burma is now heading in the right direction-an assertion whose validity remains to be seen.