This is the second in a three-part series of photographic essays, a submission I made to Panos Pictures a few weeks ago. For those that have been waiting for this second post, my apologies, I’ve had a busy week.

The first of the posts detailed some of the issues Garwhali women face in the rugged Himalayan region of India. This essay below is about the lead up to the Myanmar elections. The final essay, to be posted next, is about villages that went through an earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Myanmar epitomises much of the Asia of old and appears almost locked into an era you only dream about now in much of Asia.

Temples of Bagan, Myanmar.

Thanks to its isolation from the outside world due to political and economic difficulties, traditional life, dress, values and character have been well-preserved.

A farmer drives his cattle at sunset through the Bagan Temple plain, Myanmar.

This Asia of old features ancient trishaws, rutted pavements, old colonial buildings, local markets and a pre-modern
feel.

Lighting candles at Shwedagon pagoda,Yangon, Myanmar.

Genteel and welcoming the people are one of its key assets. They are devoutly Buddhist, dress in traditional longyi skirts and are remarkably polite and warm.

Monk near Shwedagon pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar.

However despite the romantic appearance, Myanmar’s outdated modes of transport and simple lifestyle also hint at the economic challenges people face.

Boat traffic in Yangon, Myanmar.

Trishaw and passenger at Inle Lake, Myanmar.

The 53 million inhabitants of Myanmar have an annual per capita gross national income of US $220, ranking it 132 out of 177 countries in the International Human Development Index in 2010.

Fisherman at Inle Lake using traditional leg paddle, Myanmar.

Unfavourable economic policies, natural disaster such as Cyclone Nargis in 2008, marginalized minority groups and limited agricultural development have also strained food sources.

Farmers with buffalo carts, near Kalaw, Myanmar. Ethnic

Ethnic woman in the market at Inle Lake, Myanmar.

In the months leading up to the first “democratic” elections in Myanmar in 20 years in November 2010, there were mixed feelings about what might happen. Most people were skeptical that anything would change in a country that has been ruled by a military regime for four decades.

Man in Inle market, Myanmar.

While others like the political satirists, the Moustache Brothers of Mandalay, said it was important to keep drawing the world’s attention to what is going on in Myanmar.

Lu Maw from the Moustache Brothers performing in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Older people said while they doubted their own future held much hope of change, they longed for change in the lifetime of their children and grandchildren and pleaded for tourists not to forget them.

Woman in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Students practising their lessons at a village school near Kalaw, Myanmar.

Their struggle for freedom, security and dignity continues, a struggle that Opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi said is completely overriding and “encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations”.

Bridge at sunset near Mandalay, Myanmar.

——–
Feel free to email Jo at [email protected] with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com