Home » Burma (Myanmar) » Burma Three: Lingering a little longer with the lotus-eaters

Pulling up his longyi, Naung Naung proudly shows us the tattoo of a rabbit on his right thigh, surrounded by a faded swirl of Pali inscriptions. "This one makes me jump higher", he explains, his face deadly serious, before pulling open his tattered shirt to reveal a tiger on his chest. "And this one gives me courage!" This goes on for a few minutes, as he shows us a succession of significant tattoos - each located on a specific part of the body - and tells us the blessing each one bestows. I'd read a little about this custom before, (sometimes precious stones and amulets were inserted just beneath the skin to complement the inks and enhance the mystical significance), but hadn't realised it was still practised. I'd read that in times of war, many Burmese soldiers asked for tattoos over their hearts, as this was believed to render the wearer impervious to bullets. Another man told me that some monks are allowed even more powerful tattoos, such as one which can make them invisible when they wish it.

Burma Three: Lingering a little longer with the lotus-eaters

Michael Meadows
2007-03-08 16:37:11

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/>we pulled up for a quick toilet-stop, he stumbled amongst the passengers in sandals & socks, waving his walking stick as he loudly sought out English conversation. When a sly French traveller fobbed him off by telling him there was a compatriot of his on the bus, his search became frantic. "Is there another Australian here?!" he cried loudly in a wavering voice, shaking random hands with great enthusiasm and peering myopically at the confused faces flowing by him. He was a good bloke though and I enjoyed chatting with him - if anyone's ever wondered what it'd be like to live in a place you loved as a traveller, look Percy up next time you're in Kalaw, (just ask any local for "the crazy Australian", as Percy suggested).

Of course, part of what makes Burma such a unique place - namely its sense of being a decade or two behind its neighbours, and of being untouched (or at least, more gently handled) by the outside world - has come at a terrible price, and I felt guilty even as I enjoyed it. The State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), an oppressive military regime, took power in 1962, immediately sealed the country off from the rest of the world and have ruled with an iron fist since then. Many, including Aung San Suu Kyi, (leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma; she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle against the military dictatorship), have requested that tourists stay away, thus depriving the military government of both tourism dollars and a form of international legitimacy. However, literally all of the Burmese people I spoke to, (very discreetly!), about this thanked me for coming to see the country for myself, begged me to tell everyone back home how much I had loved it, and finally to encourage all of them to visit as well... For those who do choose to go, you can minimise your financial support of the regime by avoiding (wherever possible) all government modes of transport and accommodation, and trying to support the small local options instead. Needless to say, it is a tough decision and one each traveller has to make for themselves. But maybe by visiting, and really talking (although carefully) to people, travellers can gradually bring an awareness of the outside world, of different forms of government & ways of thinking, and - perhaps most importantly - an assurance that the Burmese people & their plight haven't yet been totally forgotten.

Some Final Words from the SPDC

He that is not open to conviction, is not qualified for discussion.

Learning without thinking is labour lost.

If you bite my cheek, I'll bite your ears.