Friday, May 15, 2009
Our Lady of Perpetual Prisons
As if the world needed a more obvious example of the impact of tourism, the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times (actually most of the world's newspapers) reported that an American tourist had swum across a lake and entered the home of imprisoned democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The much-revered leader and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize has now been taken to the notorious Insein prison where she is being tried as a result of this man's actions. With "elections" just around the corner, the military junta is looking for any reason to discredit Suu Kyi and a prison sentence of five years is a major possibility.
My novel, The Tiger-Wolves Stop to Drink deals specifically with the impact of tourism on Burma and Thailand. The culprit, a morman man named John William Yettaw, was obviously more concerned about his own adventurous experience than he was about the political fate of so many Burmese who have patiently waited for Suu Kyi's release.
Like so many tourists, especially in South-East Asian countries, rules are flaunted in the faces of soldiers, politicians and diplomats. Too often, Westerners believe they are above the laws of the countries in which they travel. When they are caught smuggling drugs or fondling children, they are often shocked that they are held responsible to the laws of that country.
While this event could be a major catalyst for change after a relative lull since the 2007 protests, it is nonetheless a horrible blow to both the reputation of Western travelers and those Burmese who have gone over twenty years without their leader.
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