Irrawaddy book review of Sean Turnell's Best Laid Plans--

https://www.irrawaddy.com/culture/books/an-inside-look-at-the-nld-governments-economic-reform-efforts.html

Dr. Turnell was responsible for "The whole Burmese economy" (Lowy Inst. interview) during this so-called Transition period which ended with M A H's coup, and he said in this book--"China lent the most support" to the reforms.

My view is like Furnivall and Walinsky (advisors to U Nu) did before him, he did a good job--but the end of the Korean War and the crashing of rice export prices derailed Burma's Five Year (Pyidawrtha Plan)

and the Ne Win and subsequent coups and especially the latest sabotaged all liberal reforms.

Enough said for now.

My taxi driver from Syria told me c. 2015--

"It's all rubble now,"

and I used to ask him about his parents still in Damascus

but I stopped. Last I saw him was in 2019.

I lost touch during Covid crisis when his phone was disconnected.

In the 1990s I interviewed a taxi driver from Rwanda while going to a demonstration organized at the traffic circle where Pinochet had a car bomb detonated, asking him to drive once more around the Circle--

but shit hole jerk Burmese boss, didn't allow me to air my piece.

One Kidney later was fired for asking his "key question" "If we ask you to speak ill of Daw ASSK, will you do so?"

I saw the USD 300,000 Radio Free Asia fine amount on DC Superior Court website--I don't know if it was actually paid to the complainant who said he was not hired (as a temp worker) and instead a woman was hired "due to her female voice."

You might have heard rumors of it, but it is all true.

An RFA employee in 2007 during the Saffron Revolution also told me how U Gambira was trapped--junta used his cell phone # when RFA called him to get his co-ordinates.

I tell you those "Air S H"s need to be thoroughly checked. k 12-23-2024