Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2014)
W in t e r Ho l id a y S e c t ion Decembe r 15 , 2014 TH E A S IAN R EPOR T ER Page 9 E ven t s / G i f t s Geo f f rey H i l le r : L i f t ing the ve i l on Myanma r B y Ka t e Hubba rd T h e A s i a n R e p o r t e r H IGHL IGHT ING THE H IDDEN .Im a g e s t a k e n b y d o c um e n t a r y p h o t o g r a p h e r G e o f f r e y H i l l e r a n d i n c l u d e d i nD a y b r e a k i n M y a nm a r, a b o o k f e a t u r - i n g 1 7 0 c o l o r p h o t o g r a p h s o f M y a nm a r , a l s o k n ow n a s B u rm a , a r e o n v i ew d u r i n g t h e m o n t h o f D e c em b e r a t tw o v e n u e s i n P o r t l a n d . P i c t u r e d a t l e f t i s “R a l l y f o r A u n g S a n S u u K y i , P a t h e i n , 2 0 1 2 . ” ( P h o t o /G e o f f r e y H i l l e r ) M yanma r , a l so kn own a s Bu rma , i s one o f tho se ra r e p la c e s l e f t on th e p lane t : my s te r i ou s , s e c r e t iv e , and ra r e ly ta lked abou t . I t wa s i s o la t ed und e r m i l i ta ry d i c ta to r sh ip fo r ab ou t a ha l f c en tu ry , and i t i s s t i l l mak ing th e bumpy t ran s i t i on to demo c ra cy . Lu ck i ly f o r u s , P o r t land re s iden t and p r o f e s s i ona l ph o t o - g raph e r Geo f f rey H i l l e r ha s t rav e l l ed th e r e and taken pho to s s in c e 1987 . Du r ing th e up com ing ho l iday s ea s on , th e r e a r e tw o opp o r tun i t ie s in no r thw e s t P o r t land t o tak e a peek in s ide the h idd en r e c e s s e s o f th e c oun t ry . Up on f i r s t see ing H i l l e r ’ s ph o t o s , i t ’ s s t r ik ing how sombe r th e sub j e c t s s e em . Th e r e a re no t a lo t o f sm i l ing fa c e s , and i t ’ s c l ea r th e se a re peop le wh o w o rk v e ry ha rd t o su rv ive . Th e h i s to ry o f Myanma r in th e la s t c en tu ry ha s been rough . Th e c oun t ry ha s b e en ma rked by po l i t i ca l r ep r e s s i on and human - r igh t s v io la t ion s , and la rg e ly ign o r ed by mu ch o f the w o r ld . Un l ik e o th e r p la c e s tha t re ce ive mo r e p r e s s c ov e rag e and m oney a s we l l a s h igh -p r o f i l e v i s i t o r s and t ou r i s t s , i t i s a coun t ry tha t ’ s b e en tu ck ed away unno t i ced f o r qu i t e a l ong t im e . Myanma r i s on the b r ink o f p r o f ound t ran s f o rma t ion fo l low ing p o l i t i ca l chang e s , and i t i s n ow tak ing on t e chn o l og i ca l advan cem en t s and u t i l i z ing s o c ia l med ia . A S IM ca rd u s ed t o c o s t a th ou sand d o l la r s in th e c oun t ry , H i l l e r sa id , and n ow on e c o s t s on ly a f ew d o l la r s . Tha t m ean s m o r e p e op l e on th e s t r e e t hav e a c c e s s t o t e chn o l ogy and a chan c e t o b e c om e c onn e c t ed t o th e r e s t o f th e w o r ld . O ld Bu rma i s rap id ly d i sapp ea r ing ; H i l l e r ’ s ph o t o s cap tu r e a way o f l i f e tha t i s g o ing away a s w e l l — f o r b e t t e r o r w o r s e . I had a chan c e t o ta lk w i th M r . H i l l e r r e c en t ly by ph on e , and h i s l ov e f o r Myanma r can b e f e l t in h i s en thu s ia sm . H e d e s c r ib ed h i s v e ry f i r s t v i s i t and exp la in ed h ow h e f e l l in l ov e w i th th e i s o la t ed c oun t ry ev en th ough h e wa s on ly a l l ow ed t o s tay f o r on e w e ek . H e t rav e l l ed th e en t i r e t im e , tak ing ph o t o s a l l a l ong th e way . In th e y ea r s s in c e , H i l l e r ha s g on e ba ck t o v i s i t s ev e ra l t im e s , a lway s w i th cam e ra in hand . H e r e c en t ly pub l i sh ed a b o ok , Da yb r eak in M yanma r, wh i ch f ea tu r e s 170 o f h i s ph o t o s a s w e l l a s in t e rv i ew s w i th p r om in en t Bu rm e s e p e op l e . I t ’ s a fa s c ina t ing and in s igh t fu l l o ok a t th e c oun t ry . H i l l e r ’ s ph o t o s hav e a f e e l ing o f b e ing f r o z en in t im e . A l th ough many w e r e tak en m o r e r e c en t ly , n o t mu ch s e em s t o hav e chang ed ov e r th e d e cad e s . Th e r e a r e b i cy c l e s tha t app ea r t o b e f r om W o r ld Wa r I I , o ld t e l eph on e s , and s ob e r ing ev id en c e o f p ov e r ty and d e cay . Th e r e a r e a l o t o f s e r i ou s p e op l e wh o l o ok in t en t ly a t th e cam e ra , a s w e l l a s b r i l l ian t bu r s t s o f c o l o r and m om en t s o f c on t en tm en t . Th e r e a r e a l s o g o rg e ou s imag e s o f th e c oun t ry s id e . On e o f th e in t e rv i ew e e s f ea tu r ed in th e b o ok d e s c r ib ed th e Bu rm e s e p e op l e a s “ c on s tan t ly j ok ing and fu l l o f hum o r , ” ev en th ough tha t m igh t n o t b e ev id en t in th e ph o t o s . H i l l e r a l s o d e s c r ib e s th e Bu rm e s e in g l ow ing t e rm s , exp la in ing h ow w ond e r fu l and g ra c e fu l th ey a r e . H e sa id a l o t o f th e d i s c r epan cy i s du e t o th e i r d e s i r e t o s e em p l ea san t and n o t l o s e fa c e . In sp i t e o f th e i r s t rugg l e s , th e r e i s a w i sh t o ma in ta in d ign i ty , mu ch l ik e th e t i t l e o f H i l l e r ’ s 2000 w eb d o cum en ta ry ca l l ed Bu rma : G ra c e Und e r P r e s su r e. H i l l e r ’ s ph o t o s o f Myanma r w i l l s t i ck w i th y ou and mak e y ou th ink . Th ey a r e d e c ep t iv e ly s imp l e , y e t in c r ed ib ly p ow e r fu l . L o ok f o r th e imag e o f a ch i ld r id ing sh o tgun in a b i cy c l e s id e ca r , fa c e ad o rn ed w i th thanaka , a mak eup and b eau t i fy ing p owd e r . O r v i ew th e s id e p r o f i l e o f a man p e r ch ed in th e c r o s s t r e s s e s und e r a b r idg e , umb r e l la hang ing n ea r , n o t ev en l o ok ing a t th e muddy wa t e r f l ow ing b en ea th h im . H e s ta r e s o f f in t o th e C o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 1 0 S t a t e F a rm® P r o v i d i n g I n s u r a n c e a n d F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s H om e O f f i c e , B l o om i n g t o n , I l l i n o i s 6 1 7 1 0 W a y n e N i s h im u r a I n s . A g e n c y I n c . W a y n e N i s h im u r a , A g e n t 1 4 7 8 0 SW O s p r e y D r i v e , S u i t e 2 4 6 B e a v e r t o n , OR 9 7 0 0 7 - 8 4 2 4 B u s . : ( 5 0 3 ) 5 7 9 - 3 0 0 5 T o l l - f r e e : 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 5 5 - 6 8 0 2 w a y n e . n i s h im u r a . g y d 8@ s t a t e f a rm . c om 2 4 H o u r G o o d N e i g h b o r S e r v i c e ® 1 -800 -G IVE -L IFE He lpSa veAL i fe .o rg HA WTHORNE LOBSTER HOUSE 503 .23 1 .TA IL 2422 SE H aw tho rn e B l vd .Po r t l and OR . 9 72 14 B e t t e r h ea l th h e r e fo r you De l i ve r ing ph y s i ca l , beha vo r ia l hea l th and den ta l hea l th ca r e fo r o ve r 230 ,000 ch i ld r en , fam i l ie s and ind i v idua l s on the O r egon Hea l th P lan in the Po r t land T r i -Coun t y a r ea . To g e th e r w e a r e www .hea l thsha reo regon .o rg O lga Ka lama fon i Membe r Gu ide , Hea l th Sha re o f O regon