Despite the vast devastation and deaths by the countless thousands Myanmar continued to hold a rare election on May 10 to approve a new draft constitution prepared by the army, ignoring appeals from the outside world to postpone the vote.

More than seven days after "Nargis" aid was barely dribbling to more than 1.5M increasingly desperate Burmese according to Reuters (MB, May 11, p. 26).

The health experts warned against a second "disaster" looming from diseases like malaria and diarrhea, with UN still not confident that food, water and tents flown in will reach the needy.

Until the summer of 1989, Myanmar was known as Burma and its capital Yangon was formerly Rangoon. Since gaining independence from Britain on Jan. 4, 1948, the other important date is 1962, when the democratic civilian government was seized in a military coup.

Gen. Ne Win dominated politics from1962 to 1988, first as military ruler. His regime drove Indians from the Civil Service and Chinese from commerce. Its economy turned to fast socialization as advanced by soldiers. Isolation from its neighbors and the civilized world was enforced.

In 1987 the UN granted less-developed (or poorer than Tarzan) status to Burma, once the exporter of rice and the richest nation in Southeast Asia. Ne Win was forced out of office in 1988 by anti-government riots. The military under Gen. Saw Maung in Sept.1989 seized power and Burma became Myanmar.

For comparison Myanmar’s land area of 262,000 sq m is more than two and one-fourth times bigger than RP’s 115,000 sq m. Its population of close to 49 M is just right for the country’s surplus in rice production. The famous Burmese hard wood – teak – continues to win praises from Asia’s furniture makers.

In mid-June 2001 I stayed three days in Yangon. My visa was hastily prepared in Bangkok. It was raining hard when I left Manila and the monsoon rain lashed Bangkok and Yangon.

From the air the sea of rich land around Yangon was all green with rain forest and rice paddies clearly visible to all passengers on Thai Airways. It was rice planting period in RP, Thailand, and Myanmar.

It was terribly boring in my hotel by a beautiful lake. But impressive and shiny were the teak furniture, floor, wall and balcony.

There were no soldiers with automatic rifles moving around. (In Metro Manila more soldiers and PNP officers were visible at strategic locations when the government "felt" it was under siege.)

I asked about Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy, won a decisive victory in the general elections held on May 27, 1990, the first multiparty free elections in 30 years. But the election results were nullified by SLORC – for State Law and Order Restoration Council. The leaders of the elected government were placed under house arrest.

In Rangoon the world-famous Burmese Nobel Prize awardee was referred to as "that woman" by pro-government bureaucrats. But the silent majority spoke of her glowingly.

The car hire was fairly cheap at US per hour. The driver was unstoppable in his criticism and attack on the "majors, colonels and generals." I asked if my hotel was owned by a rich businessman. He cupped his hand and whispered: "Col. so-and-so is the silent partner without paying the cost of one board foot of teak."

All over Rangoon I saw the Burmese, boys and girls, without new shirts and dresses. My driver’s faded shirt and pants hid their true color.

I have a better memory of US Army Lt. Errol Flynn and his ragtag boys who routed the Japanese soldiers three times their number in "Objective Burma," Frank Sinatra and Gina Lollobrigida seeping wine in Rangoon in "Never So Few" and Alec Guinness building "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (that won the Oscar for Guinness as best actor in 1957). (Comments are welcome at roming@pefianco.com)