For example, some political prisoners
still remain behind bars, and their numbers
have been swollen by newly arrested
activists. In addition, while the government peace team has negotiated
cease-fires with most ethnic armed groups, violent conflict with the
Kachin Independence Army and several other ethnic armed groups
threatens peace talks. Furthermore, the hoped-for benefits of foreign
investments have not only failed to appear, but the investments seem
focused on a model of growth that has led to dispossession of land and
indebtedness for much of the country’s rural population. Foreign investments
are perceived to be controlled by so-called “cronies,” Myanmar’s
wealthy elites who often have strong ties to the military. Despite
the dramatic and genuine changes that have brought obvious new freedoms
in urban areas, the reforms have yet to significantly improve the
lives of the country’s vast rural population, who often exist in a world
far removed from the center, both geographically and psychologically.
These challenges translate into ongoing feelings of anxiety, cynicism,
and uncertainty for many living in rural areas.