This book is a record of my first trip to Burma, in April 2015. I traveled with my friend Helen Hawthorne.
Everywhere we went there were cheerful smiles and children calling, "hello, where are you from?" But for most of the people life is clearly a struggle to make just $1700, the per capita GDP (Thailand is $9900). This is a land impoverished by the odious 50 year rule of military thugs and their cronies, namely Tay Za, Zaw Zaw, Aung Ko Win and Steven Law, who together own hotels, airlines, banks, logging companies, the gem trade, jade mines, rubber plantations, construction companies and heroin trafficking.
The murderous and thieving generals are now hiding from their own people in their mansions built in the hideous new capital Naypyitaw, complete with underground bomb shelters. Fortunately portraits of The Lady and her father are ubiquitous and the NLD has local headquarters in all villages and towns.
Despite widespread poverty there is little sign of begging and the people go about their back-breaking tasks with great dignity.
All photographs are by John G Wood using cameras by Canon Inc.