1
00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,320
I'm on a journey around beautiful
and troubled Burma -
2
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,040
one of the largest countries in
South East Asia.
3
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,560
On the first leg of my travels here,
4
00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,440
I witnessed how Burma's
all-powerful military
5
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,600
has turned on the Rohingya people.
6
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,040
This time, I discover
more of a country
7
00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,400
that was cut off for decades.
8
00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,640
I haven't seen a sight like this
anywhere in the world.
9
00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,480
I visit the glorious highlands of
Shan State.
10
00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,960
More? More?
11
00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:56,560
It's just completely, totally
fantastic.
12
00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,160
In the heart of the infamous
Golden Triangle,
13
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,880
I travelled secretly into
a conflict zone...
14
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:03,560
There's another checkpoint ahead,
15
00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,920
and we're not sure we can get
through it in the car,
16
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,080
and so we're going to have to try
sneaking around it on foot.
17
00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,960
..to discover the rebel force
waging a hidden war.
18
00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,360
Going off on patrol.
19
00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,320
It's supposed to be one nation -
a fledgling democracy.
20
00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:23,000
But Burma's still racked by ethnic
conflict.
21
00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:42,720
I'm next to the Irrawaddy River,
22
00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,000
and I'm just beginning the second
leg of my journey across Myanmar -
23
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:48,680
better known as Burma.
24
00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,720
No bouncing.
25
00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,240
Are we on the right boat?
26
00:01:58,240 --> 00:01:59,840
Towards Mandalay?
27
00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:01,320
This one.
28
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,240
The name of the country's important.
29
00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,400
It was called Burma
for decades, of course,
30
00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,000
and then the former military
dictatorship
31
00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,880
decided to rename it Myanmar.
32
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,160
In English, Burma is still often
used as the country's name.
33
00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,160
Many people here still use both.
34
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,400
I was heading out on a local ferry
boat along the Irrawaddy River,
35
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:31,800
towards the city of Mandalay.
36
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,640
The Irrawaddy flows more than
1,000 miles from north to south.
37
00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,120
I like this gentleman's technique.
38
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,000
So the foot means more power.
39
00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,920
What does the river mean to you
personally?
40
00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,520
It's now just a few years
since the country
41
00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,640
began the process of
transitioning from, er,
42
00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:10,640
to become a democracy.
43
00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:13,440
I'm just wondering - you do
a very special route
44
00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,520
through the country.
45
00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,000
Have you seen anything
starting to change
46
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,000
for people living
along the river bank?
47
00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:32,760
It will take time, hey?
48
00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,600
We're coming to some sort of
mooring point.
49
00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,200
The community here is very
disconnected from the outside world.
50
00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:01,800
The river is their lifeline.
51
00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,280
There's a track to this community
but no real road.
52
00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,080
Remember, independence from
the British,
53
00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,800
this was one of the wealthiest
countries in Asia.
54
00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:15,200
In the decades that followed,
55
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,280
it became a military dictatorship,
56
00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:21,360
and it became one of the poorest
countries in the world.
57
00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,240
The military dictatorship
lasted for nearly 50 years.
58
00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,320
Then in 2011, the military said
59
00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,000
they'd step aside
to let civilians rule.
60
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,160
Life has improved for some people
since then, but here
61
00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,640
it looked like they were still
living in a previous century.
62
00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:43,440
Most people in Myanmar,
in Burma, are farmers.
63
00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,040
They work the land.
64
00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,160
And they do it with ancient
equipment and kit.
65
00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:55,000
A wooden cart, for goodness' sake,
in the 21st-century.
66
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,520
Best to take the hint.
67
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,200
Under democracy, the leader of the
country is now supposed to be
68
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,200
the former human rights icon,
Aung San Suu Kyi.
69
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,280
She promised reform and change.
70
00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:18,000
There are incredible
natural resources here,
71
00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,720
incredible natural wealth.
72
00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,560
But the ownership of them,
the control of them,
73
00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,880
is in the hands of an elite few,
74
00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,160
many of them generals
or former generals.
75
00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,680
Not a lot of it trickles down to
communities like this.
76
00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,400
The military said they'd
relinquish control but, in fact,
77
00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:42,200
much of the money and the power here
is still in their hands.
78
00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:09,560
I'd arrived into Mandalay, the
second-largest city in the country.
79
00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,240
Famous for its magnificent palace,
it was once the royal capital.
80
00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:17,040
Fortunes have long been made here,
81
00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,400
trading Burma's spectacular natural
resources
82
00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,640
and today it's an economic hub,
83
00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,640
thanks in part
to strong links with China,
84
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,680
which is just a couple of hundred
miles to the east.
85
00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,080
I'm off to a market now where they
sell the so-called stone of heaven.
86
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,800
Prized for jewellery and ornaments,
the stone is jade.
87
00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,080
Most of the rarest and most valuable
jade in the world comes from Burma.
88
00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,480
Wow! Look at that!
89
00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,600
Every day, hundreds of sellers
make the trek
90
00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,640
from secretive jade mines in the
north of Myanmar,
91
00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:56,200
to this market,
laden with rough green slabs.
92
00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,000
Right, he's in the middle of a sale.
93
00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,560
It's enormous!
94
00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,360
How much are you hoping to get for
this stone today?
95
00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,800
That's a huge sum of money,
isn't it?
96
00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,400
Is that going to go to you?
97
00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:11,440
Will you get that?
98
00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,760
What will you do with the money?
99
00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:19,960
So you keep trading up?
100
00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,560
OK.
101
00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,680
Jade's been highly prized in China
for millennia
102
00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,400
by emperors and merchants,
103
00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,520
and now by the new Chinese
middle-class.
104
00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:31,640
Buyers come here from across China.
105
00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,160
When you are deciding,
what are you looking for?
106
00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,240
How do you look at it?
How do you assess it?
107
00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,200
So you want it to be
as transparent as possible?
108
00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,880
Are you going to make
an offer for this?
109
00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,480
Are you going to buy it?
110
00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:06,280
Sorry.
111
00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:11,760
Oh, this is beautiful.
112
00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,160
Will you pay 400 for this?
113
00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:21,160
So, there's a crack there.
114
00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,560
This is very clearly
a buyer's market.
115
00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,840
One of the many things that's really
incredible about this place is just
116
00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,800
how dependent it is on China.
117
00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,280
We're just a few hundred miles from
the Chinese border here
118
00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:46,000
and so many of the buyers, most of
the buyers here, are Chinese.
119
00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,320
China has long had power and
influence in Burma.
120
00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,760
From trading with the country,
of course,
121
00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,160
but also helping to prop up
the military dictatorship.
122
00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:55,920
This is what the jade becomes.
123
00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,760
Oh, yeah, there's a price. Let's
have a look. So that one is...
124
00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,360
4,000 dollars.
125
00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:04,760
So about £3,000.
126
00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,000
She's holding on to it.
127
00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,320
I'm teasing it away
from her fingers.
128
00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,960
So that's about £3,000.
129
00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:41,240
A little bit small for my wrist.
130
00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:42,280
Still...
131
00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,040
I can't fit...
132
00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,960
Ah, magic.
133
00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,320
You see. She knows what she's doing.
134
00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:55,360
I bet...
135
00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:58,760
Oh, like this. OK.
136
00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:00,640
It's not going to come off,
I tell you.
137
00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,320
There we go.
138
00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,840
Do men normally wear this?
139
00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,640
For anything. For anyone.
140
00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,000
I think I know what's happened here.
141
00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,600
Now I'm not going to be able
to get off, am I?
142
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,080
So I'm going to have to buy.
143
00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,040
A discount. Discount for you.
144
00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,800
I don't think I'm paid enough,
but it is very beautiful.
145
00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,840
The jade industry in Myanmar
is enormous,
146
00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,400
believed to be worth more than
£20 billion a year.
147
00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,000
But much is sold via
the black market.
148
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,320
This is about as close as I can get
to the source of jade.
149
00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,200
Almost all of it comes from
the far north of Myanmar,
150
00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,520
an area that's
completely closed to us.
151
00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,680
Conditions in the jade mines
are often horrendous.
152
00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:50,080
Many are run by people connected to
the Burmese military.
153
00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,280
As with so much else here,
army generals,
154
00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,680
or former army generals,
pull the strings,
155
00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:57,280
and they don't want outsiders
knowing what's going on.
156
00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,200
The international campaigning group
Global Witness
157
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,160
has suggested jade mining in Burma
158
00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,960
might be the biggest natural
resources heist in modern history.
159
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,280
It isn't just money from jade that's
not benefiting the people here.
160
00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,200
I left Mandalay and headed into
161
00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,920
one of Burma's main
oil-producing regions.
162
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,520
But first we needed
to get permission.
163
00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:37,080
We're now heading to an immigration
office where local officials
164
00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:38,560
apparently are going to decide
165
00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,440
whether or not we can
stay in the area.
166
00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:43,880
That does fill me with
a bit of dread.
167
00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,120
Here's my passport.
I should stay here?
168
00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,880
We should keep the windows...
169
00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:54,360
OK.
170
00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:55,400
All right.
171
00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,160
It became clear a surveillance unit
from the Burmese secret police
172
00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,200
had been keeping a close eye
on our travels and filming.
173
00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,280
We didn't know whether we'd be
allowed to stay in the area.
174
00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:13,920
But we had all our paperwork,
175
00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,480
and were supposed to be allowed to
travel and film freely here.
176
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:24,600
Good news. Excellent.
177
00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:25,640
All done.
178
00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,520
As Burma now opens to the world,
179
00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,320
foreign oil companies are investing
in the country,
180
00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,520
carving up drilling areas.
181
00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,000
But many ordinary folk are also keen
to get the riches underground.
182
00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:42,560
Bloody hell.
183
00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,360
Right. Let's go.
184
00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,080
This is one of the largest
unofficial oil-drilling areas
on the planet.
185
00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,080
I haven't seen a site like this
anywhere in the world.
186
00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,120
This looks as though this is a real,
187
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,280
almost little family patches,
it's bizarre.
188
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,400
Thousands of people have come here
from across Burma,
189
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,120
to dig and drill for the black gold,
190
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:18,760
using the most basic equipment.
191
00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:23,280
What are you doing?
192
00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,560
So you use the pipe as a bucket?
193
00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:34,440
The winch is really going down.
194
00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,600
How far down do you put the pipe?
195
00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,160
What an astonishing system this is!
196
00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:49,120
Here comes the pipe.
197
00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:55,400
He's unplugging it, letting out
water from the deep
198
00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:57,640
by the look of it.
199
00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:02,480
Then, when it starts to turn dark
yellow, that goes into the bucket.
200
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,160
I've never really seen
anything like this.
201
00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:18,480
It's thought there could be more
than 50,000 primitive oil wells
202
00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,200
throughout this region.
203
00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:23,720
Is this your well?
204
00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,360
Do you own the well
that you're drilling now?
205
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,000
What was life like for you before
you started working here.
206
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,040
What were you doing?
207
00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:34,960
You were a farmer!
208
00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:41,320
It's a bit of a shift, isn't it,
from working with the soil
209
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,040
to working with oil?
210
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:44,440
Which job do you prefer?
211
00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,160
Why don't you go back to farming?
212
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,280
My God! So, this is
the best alternative.
213
00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,960
It's dirty and dangerous work -
214
00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,040
completely unregulated.
215
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,880
Fires and explosions
are a constant hazard.
216
00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,560
And, of course, the oil is toxic.
217
00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:22,400
But poverty drives desperation.
218
00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,600
The vast majority of the millions
219
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,280
living below the poverty line in
Burma are in rural areas.
220
00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,600
23-year-old Yemen Byne took me
back to meet his family.
221
00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,160
So your husband is saying that...
222
00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:45,520
He quite misses being a farmer,
223
00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,600
but he needs to be here
to earn good money.
224
00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,040
Are you happy for you
as a family to be here?
225
00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,400
Poverty has actually been declining
in Myanmar, but the country lags
226
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,960
behind neighbours like
Thailand and Vietnam,
227
00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,200
which have seen huge increases
in living standards.
228
00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,240
But even here people
are starting to feel
229
00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,880
more connected to the outside
world - albeit virtually.
230
00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,600
This is the first time
seeing a foreigner.
231
00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,880
Have you never seen
a white person before?
232
00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,280
Have you heard anything
about our small country?
233
00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,680
What about Manchester United?
234
00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,560
The Queen of England?
235
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:55,720
David Beckham?
236
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:01,920
Isn't it an amazing thing?
237
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,000
You can access the world
through your smartphone.
238
00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,960
Most of the people I'd met on
the central plains of Myanmar were
239
00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,520
from the majority
Bamar ethnic group,
240
00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,400
who comprise almost
70% of the population.
241
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:35,080
Now I headed east into the country's
vast forested highlands -
242
00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,160
home to some of the dozens
of other ethnic minorities
243
00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:39,720
who make up this huge country.
244
00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,960
I was entering Shan State,
the biggest in Burma.
245
00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,040
It makes up a quarter
of the entire country.
246
00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,280
Nearly 3,000 feet
up in the Shan Hills
247
00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:57,960
is one of the wonders of Burma.
248
00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,640
HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
249
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:02,680
Hello.
250
00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:05,920
Hello.
251
00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,400
I'd arranged to meet local guide
Jau So.
252
00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,120
Here we are. We've just gone through
the entrance, if you like,
253
00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:25,320
and we're now on the magnificent,
extraordinary Inle Lake.
254
00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,760
This mountain lake is around
45 square miles in size.
255
00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,680
This huge lake is
absolutely stunning.
256
00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,600
It's been described as being like
the Galapagos of Asia,
257
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:41,520
because life here has been cut off
from the outside world
258
00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,680
for an absolute age,
and it's evolved in
259
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,240
special and spectacular ways.
260
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,360
Among the numerous
endemic species found
261
00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:51,160
in the lake is the unique Inle carp.
262
00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:55,640
Hard to see in this silty water but
it's long played an important
263
00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,880
role in the life of the 100,000
Intha people,
264
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,240
who live around and on the lake.
265
00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,680
The depth of the lake is just a
couple of metres so...
266
00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,040
whopping big poles into the ground.
267
00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,920
And then they put up the structures,
268
00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,520
to include
a whopping pagoda.
269
00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,040
In 2015,
270
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,400
the United Nations added the lake to
271
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,080
the world network of
biosphere reserves -
272
00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,640
the first in Myanmar.
273
00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,400
This is incredible. This is like
Burma's version of Venice.
274
00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,200
It's an upcoming tourist
destination,
275
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,480
but also a precious
ecosystem for the Intha people,
276
00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,440
who traditionally make
a living from fishing and farming.
277
00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,560
Looks as though we're heading
for a bang.
278
00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:06,720
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
279
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,280
Jau So took me to some rather
clogged side channels
280
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,120
to see just how to feed a family
281
00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:17,360
and make a living when you live on a
lake.
282
00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:24,880
Look what's ahead!
283
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:26,960
Tomatoes!
284
00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:34,360
It floats.
285
00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:38,920
And does it work well?
286
00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,120
The area covered by floating
farms
287
00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:14,400
increased by up to 500%
in recent decades.
288
00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,000
They produce hundreds of
tonnes of tomatoes a day.
289
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,760
Because farmers are using quantities
of fertilisers and pesticides,
290
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,360
the delicate ecosystem is
threatened,
291
00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:26,960
changing life here for the locals
and the fish.
292
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,240
So they fish in a quite
extraordinary way.
293
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,360
There's a gentleman here doing a
most incredible pose.
294
00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:39,240
This is one of the signature images
of Myanmar.
295
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:43,160
It's a very popular, famous image of
the country.
296
00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,440
He does seem to have caught a fish
in the side of that net.
297
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:50,280
It looks very dead.
298
00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,120
I wonder if it might be
a bit of a prop.
299
00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,520
To make a living from fishing.
300
00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,240
Can I just ask, do you make more
money doing this than fishing?
301
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:20,800
Fishing is dying out.
302
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:22,160
The lake is being poisoned,
303
00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,480
and another threat comes from the
surrounding hills.
304
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:26,880
Look at this!
305
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,080
So is this dredging?
306
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:31,640
Why is it dredging here?
307
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,640
Up in the hills, Burma's farmers
chop down trees to clear land for
308
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:09,320
cultivation, but tree roots
hold the soil together.
309
00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:10,840
Without them, silt floods down
310
00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:12,880
rivers during rains,
clogging the lake.
311
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,560
Experts fear beautiful Lake Inle
could one day disappear.
312
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,520
Forest cover in Myanmar has fallen
dramatically in just a generation.
313
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,680
What's left contains astonishing
biodiversity,
314
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,320
including some of the most
magnificent trees on the planet.
315
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:43,960
So we are just stopped by the side
of the road,
316
00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:48,240
because we saw this incredible
teak tree!
317
00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:51,360
This is a wonder tree.
318
00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:56,960
It grows most exceptionally here
in Burma, in Myanmar.
319
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,200
Fortunes have been made
from this tree.
320
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,080
Teak was one of the world's most
important natural resources.
321
00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:07,680
It was what first attracted the
British to Burma.
322
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,040
They felled countless great trees
for the Royal Navy.
323
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,680
Even after Burma secured its
independence from Britain,
324
00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,320
they kept chopping the trees down.
325
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,680
It was a massive source of revenue
for the military dictatorship.
326
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,280
Burmese teak is renowned
as the best in the world.
327
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,000
Part of what makes it so strong,
328
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,520
valuable and special is how long it
takes to grow.
329
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,560
An inch in diameter in 20 years by
one reckoning.
330
00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,160
There was often only one way of
extracting the valuable timber.
331
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:44,680
Oh, wow!
332
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:45,720
This is quite the scene.
333
00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:49,880
You know what, Myanmar
is a country...
334
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,120
Since the arrival of democracy,
335
00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:08,440
the Government here has tried to
reduce logging
336
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:09,720
to preserve the forests.
337
00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:15,120
But that's left 40% of working
elephants in Burma out of a job.
338
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:18,120
To support ellies,
339
00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:20,920
lucky travellers can visit
and get up close
340
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,440
at the Greenhill Elephant Sanctuary,
341
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,920
set up by Tin Win Maw
and her husband.
342
00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:35,760
What's her name?
She's called Hug Mo Yin.
343
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,120
We need to introduce who you are,
344
00:25:38,120 --> 00:25:42,160
so we will make you friendship with
our elephants and you.
345
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:44,560
Elephants are big eater.
346
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,160
They can eat all day long.
347
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,920
So as long as you don't get tired
of feeding,
348
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:50,800
they never get tired of eating.
349
00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,680
And later they will recognise you as
their new good friend.
350
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:56,520
I would like that very much.
351
00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:03,200
Oh, you want more. Your teeth are
actually quite big, aren't they?
352
00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,720
More? More?
353
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:06,880
You want a full mouthful?
354
00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:08,400
OK. How about that?
355
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,720
More? Goodness me.
356
00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:14,600
OK. This is the most
extraordinary sight.
357
00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,440
They say Asian elephants, I know,
358
00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:20,640
are smaller than African
elephants but, still,
359
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:26,360
when you are this close to an
Asian elly, it looks like a truck.
360
00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:27,920
OK, OK. I'll get more.
361
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:28,960
I'll get more.
362
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,880
I'm glad she's a herbivore.
363
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,000
They eat so much, don't they?
364
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,360
Unbelievable. It is true.
365
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:39,080
Elephants are eating like elephants.
366
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,480
They need to eat over hundreds and
hundreds of kilograms per day.
367
00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,560
Do you not want this? There we go.
368
00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:49,400
The forest is shrinking here,
369
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,360
and there's been a ban placed
on the export
370
00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:54,560
of some timber from Myanmar.
371
00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,520
So there's nothing really left.
372
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,160
There's not enough work left for
them to do,
373
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,240
which means there's not enough money
to be earned
374
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,640
for their owners and
carers to feed them.
375
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,720
Which means a lot of elephants are
not getting work,
376
00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:17,920
and they are going hungry.
377
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,760
That's it. No, that's it.
378
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:22,800
No more.
379
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:26,240
You're enormous...
380
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:29,080
And snotty.
381
00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,360
Each elephant here has its own
mahout, dedicated to its care.
382
00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,240
It was time for an essential part of
the day - bath time.
383
00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,240
She likes everywhere you washed her.
384
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:03,200
But be careful where you wash, you
know, near the ears area,
385
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:04,880
she gets a little bit itchy
sometimes.
386
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,800
So this is some sort of natural
skin care product for elephants -
387
00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:16,880
a bit of an acacia tree.
388
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:22,080
Deforestation is also a huge threat
to these ellies' wild cousins.
389
00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,200
Elephants are endangered
across Asia.
390
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,800
Here it's possible there's just over
1,000 left in the wild.
391
00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,360
So the sanctuary's embarked on an
ambitious project.
392
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,480
So this way... To rebuild some of
the elephants' habitat.
393
00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:36,760
OK. I met Tin Win's husband,
Tun Tun Win.
394
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,400
Oh, goodness.
So this is your nursery.
395
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:41,440
Nursery.
396
00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,720
Every visitor to Greenhill Valley
is invited
397
00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:47,920
to plant their very own teak tree.
398
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:52,800
So far an incredible
45,000 saplings
399
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,800
have been put into the ground.
400
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:58,480
Excellent work, Tin Tin.
401
00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:03,120
All right. Is that too deep?
402
00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:04,720
No. Is that acceptable?
403
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,840
Yes. Why don't we name one after
your son,
404
00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:09,440
and one after my son?
405
00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:10,480
Your son's ten.
406
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:13,320
Can. My son is six.
407
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:16,200
Jake. So this is Can.
408
00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:17,400
And your will be?
409
00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:18,880
My one's going to be called Jake.
410
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:21,760
Because, frankly,
411
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,760
this is about the next generation
412
00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,080
and how soon there's a risk there
won't be
413
00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,080
any elephants in the wild for them,
414
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:29,760
which is a horrific thought.
415
00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,480
Tiny deed done, I continued my
journey further into Shan State.
416
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:50,200
It's home of the largest of Burma's
ethnic minorities -
417
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,600
the Shan people, who make up around
one in ten
418
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:54,160
of the population of Burma.
419
00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:57,280
Ever since independence
420
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,880
they've complained of discrimination
and persecution
421
00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:02,760
at the hands of the military.
422
00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,960
Before democracy came their
language was even banned in schools.
423
00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,840
But they fiercely protected their
culture.
424
00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,480
And I've come to a Balloon Festival.
425
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,680
Traditionally it marks the end of
the rainy season,
426
00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,520
and it's also just a chance to have
a good time.
427
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,280
Each year, people from all
over Shan State come here,
428
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,080
to their capital, Taunggyi,
to celebrate.
429
00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:34,600
For a whole week, teams compete to
release the most spectacular and
430
00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,600
enormous balloons.
431
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,640
Now that is a balloon!
432
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,800
Entire communities
get behind their team.
433
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,720
There are huge amounts at stake...
ENERGETIC MUSIC PLAYS
434
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,240
..£4,000 for the winners.
435
00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,560
I'd arranged to meet the leader of
436
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:05,680
one of Shan State's
top balloon teams.
437
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,960
We are just very pleased, we're
very pleased to be here.
438
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,960
So you are the best balloon team in
all of Myanmar.
439
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:16,200
What's going to happen tonight?
440
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:27,720
Did you just say, "fireball?"
441
00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:30,920
LAUGHTER
442
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,040
CHANTING
443
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,360
The team has spent two months
preparing their balloon and a hefty
444
00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,760
payload of fireworks.
445
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:41,400
How many fireworks do you have?
446
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,920
70 kilos of home-made fireworks?!
447
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:56,800
They're readying.
448
00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,760
HE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
449
00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:01,440
They want everybody back.
450
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,400
A string is going up
to hold people back.
451
00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:06,640
Excellent.
452
00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:23,600
WHISTLES BLOW
453
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,040
It's just completely
and totally fantastic.
454
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,200
There's a tension and a stress
amongst the team because, of course,
455
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,040
this is when it can go
horribly wrong,
456
00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,880
because the balloon
is made of paper.
457
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,360
Paper!
458
00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,720
The burner goes in.
So that's the key, crucial burner,
459
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:10,400
so the explosives are now being
brought in.
460
00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:12,200
Bloody hell!
461
00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:20,800
Look at that!
462
00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:22,960
CHEERING
463
00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:31,160
Yes! Come on!
464
00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:35,680
Stage one complete.
465
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,920
The balloon's taken off without
exploding.
466
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,040
How far into the heavens
will it rise?
467
00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:58,120
40 minutes?! Yeah. Wow, that's quite
a challenge! OK.
468
00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,680
Not every launch
went completely to plan.
469
00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:21,560
CHEERING
470
00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,640
Bloody hell!
471
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,960
Wow! Shit!
472
00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,000
I took a minor hit.
473
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,080
I was just whacked by a firework.
474
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,560
It hit me like the
proverbial rocket.
475
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:51,560
Our BBC team - professional to the
end - had produced a fire blanket,
476
00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:53,560
which we can all shelter behind.
477
00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,800
We'll protect the camera and the
footage, and, of course, Jonathan.
478
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,560
THEY CHANT IN OWN LANGUAGE
479
00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,840
As I learned, even on
the first leg of my travels here,
480
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,280
Burma is a very troubled country.
481
00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,960
I headed deeper into Shan State,
where there are conflict zones that
482
00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:43,640
are sealed off by the Burmese army,
to prevent outsiders -
483
00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,120
especially TV crews - from entering.
484
00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:53,600
The area I'm heading into now is in
a state of long-term crisis.
485
00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:57,160
There has been conflict here
over decades,
486
00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,280
and right now,
it's starting to get worse.
487
00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:05,320
The world's now aware of the Burmese
military's long-term human rights
488
00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,960
abuses against Rohingya Muslims -
489
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,480
recently attacked and
driven out of Myanmar,
490
00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:12,960
in a campaign the UN has called
ethnic cleansing.
491
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:15,920
The Rohingya are not alone.
492
00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:18,240
Across Burma, there are numerous
conflict areas,
493
00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:21,560
where ethnic minority groups have
been fighting the Burmese state.
494
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,080
There's been war in the Shan area -
495
00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,600
near and along Burma's eastern
border, and my best chance to get
496
00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:33,120
into the conflict zone there was to
head to neighbouring Thailand.
497
00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:42,840
From Thailand I planned to double
back across the border into Burma.
498
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,280
But the Thai authorities aren't
always keen on outsiders crossing
499
00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:49,840
into restricted areas of Burma,
so I needed to keep a low profile.
500
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:55,000
We're in a sort of rural part.
501
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:56,880
Now I'm going to stick out
like a sore thumb,
502
00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,040
so we need to keep the windows up.
503
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,000
And I think this is where we're
going to do the transfer from one...
504
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,200
from our car to the others.
505
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:10,480
OK. There are Thai army checkpoints
all along the road towards Burma.
506
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,160
If they knew where we were going,
507
00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,480
we'd be stopped and
quite possibly arrested.
508
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,080
It was time to change vehicles.
509
00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:30,320
It's quite nerve-racking, actually,
510
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:36,400
because people are taking risks to
get us into the Shan area.
511
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,160
They're risks that they're saying
they're willing to take, they want
512
00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:44,240
to take, not for us but to show you
what's going on there.
513
00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:57,560
We've just gone through a checkpoint
514
00:37:57,560 --> 00:37:59,400
and, um, it was OK.
515
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:01,640
They seemed to know our guy.
516
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:03,400
We were pretty much waved through.
517
00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,760
HE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
518
00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:29,360
If the best thing to do is to walk
around, then we should walk.
519
00:38:31,720 --> 00:38:34,760
There's another checkpoint ahead and
we're not sure we can get through it
520
00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:39,040
in the car, so we're going to have
to try sneaking around it on foot.
521
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,600
We were just a stone's throw from
the border with Burma.
522
00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:49,320
So from here we've got to walk.
523
00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,760
I really don't like this. We've had
to abandon most of our kit in the
524
00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:58,800
vehicle that's gone ahead, and
525
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:01,800
apparently they're going to be able
to get that past the checkpoint as
526
00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:03,240
long as we're not in the cars,
527
00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:05,840
but we've been left
with basically nothing.
528
00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:07,760
We just had to bail out in a rush.
529
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,440
But we've got to be pretty quiet,
530
00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:20,240
because the army base
is just over there.
531
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:25,520
We can't use any lights, because
apparently they have cameras
532
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:28,480
watching for movement, and...
533
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,400
they find us,
they'll catch us, basically.
534
00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:36,840
There's a vehicle coming.
Get down, get down, get down!
535
00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:38,720
They're saying, "Get down."
536
00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:47,640
OK.
537
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:54,560
So just here, we're crossing from
Thailand into Burma, into Myanmar,
538
00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:56,200
and into Shan State.
539
00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:00,400
There's somebody here.
540
00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:03,680
There's somebody walking towards us.
541
00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:10,040
OK. So it's a friendly face who's
come to meet us.
542
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,480
After a short trek through the
forest, we finally joined up with
543
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,840
our vehicles on the Burmese side
of the border.
544
00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,760
So we've made it across
into Shan State...
545
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:27,800
..and I think...
546
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,680
Oh, God, I think we've actually
arrived.
547
00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:36,160
We've just come out of the darkness
into what looks like a
military camp.
548
00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:39,080
I'd arrived at a place called
Loi Taleng.
549
00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:41,520
Waiting for me was Charm Tong...
550
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:42,680
Hello, hello!
551
00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:47,160
..a teacher and Shan human rights
activist.
552
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,280
We are now in Shan State.
Yes, you are.
553
00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:52,000
Phew!
554
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,560
She was there to welcome me to the
headquarters of a rebel army.
555
00:41:08,240 --> 00:41:11,920
When Burma won independence from
Britain in 1948,
556
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:14,920
some ethnic minorities had been
promised a degree of independence,
557
00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:16,960
but the promises weren't kept.
558
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,480
Ethnic groups took up arms.
559
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:27,360
Then, in 1962, the Burmese military
seized power in a coup.
560
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:34,120
They occupied or invaded many ethnic
areas, to keep tight control over
the country.
561
00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:38,680
And the world's longest-running
civil war really began.
562
00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:44,640
There's at least six different
ethnic armed organisations fighting
563
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,960
with the Burmese military
in Shan State.
564
00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,920
We are with the
Shan State Army South.
565
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:55,920
Oh, bloody hell.
566
00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:01,720
This is a guerrilla group
567
00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:06,560
that operates in the mountains and
jungles of eastern Burma.
568
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,760
It's a guerrilla group,
but it's an army.
569
00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:14,200
Lieutenant General Yawd Serk
commands roughly 8,000 troops.
570
00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:44,520
These guys are completely hard-core.
571
00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,600
They've been fighting now
for decades.
572
00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,480
COMMANDS GIVEN IN OWN LANGUAGE
573
00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:40,120
MILITARY CADENCE
574
00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:46,760
Running an army costs a fortune.
575
00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:51,280
The Shan area is rich in timber,
gold, and gemstones - like rubies.
576
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,400
But this is also the
infamous Golden Triangle,
577
00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:56,760
where a quarter of the
world's opium is grown.
578
00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:59,280
MILITARY CADENCE
579
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,280
Both the Burmese army and resistance
movements have been accused of
580
00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,600
involvement in drug trafficking -
581
00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:09,440
a charge the Shan State Army South
denies.
582
00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:20,960
That's how you do it.
HE LAUGHS
583
00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,160
WHISTLE BLOWS
584
00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:40,160
What are they doing now?
585
00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:13,560
HE BLOWS WHISTLE
586
00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:25,920
More than 12 million people in Burma
live in areas affected by conflict
587
00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:29,480
or tensions between the government
and ethnic armed groups.
588
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:35,400
Because of fierce fighting,
there are nearly 500,000 displaced
589
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:38,000
people along the Chinese
and Thai borders.
590
00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:44,160
Here, the Shan State Army South
protects thousands of Shan civilians
591
00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:45,680
who fled, seeking safety.
592
00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:51,440
My guide, Charm Tong, took me
to the local school,
593
00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:55,920
which is educating around 700
children in their own Shan language.
594
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,040
THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN SHAN
595
00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:48,440
Many children here have had to leave
their families to escape fighting.
596
00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:51,800
Some are orphans.
When Charm Tong was just six,
597
00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:54,360
her parents sent her out
of the war zone.
598
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:56,880
She grew up in an orphanage,
in shelters like this.
599
00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:00,440
How do you come to be here?
600
00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:51,600
How many times have you heard
stories like this?
601
00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:56,800
Every time. Still like this.
SHE SOBS
602
00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:00,560
It's just gone on too long,
hasn't it?
603
00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:05,000
The depth of the suffering here
604
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:06,920
and how endless it's been.
605
00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:12,520
Do you feel like
quite a traumatised people?
606
00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:19,040
Yeah, I think
it's just impunity that the...
607
00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:24,040
..you know, there's all kinds of
atrocities that's been committed.
608
00:48:24,040 --> 00:48:26,120
It's too long. Mm-hmm.
609
00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:27,920
And there's been no justice. Yeah.
610
00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:34,680
Is that what...? And that's why we
want to change the situation.
611
00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:37,880
We have to work harder, so that we
can change this kind of situation.
612
00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:46,400
For decades international human
rights organisations have documented
613
00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:48,560
horrific abuses against Burma's
614
00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:51,200
ethnic minorities,
including the Shan.
615
00:48:52,240 --> 00:48:57,680
Forced relocation, forced labour,
mass rape, torture, looting,
616
00:48:57,680 --> 00:48:59,080
and arbitrary killings.
617
00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:03,000
With the ethnic cleansing of the
Rohingya people,
618
00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:06,800
the world is now waking up to the
crimes of Burma's military leaders.
619
00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:10,880
But shockingly, since the
transition to democracy
620
00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:14,520
and arrival of Aung San Suu Kyi
as the national leader,
621
00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:18,760
the military has actually ramped up
attacks on ethnic areas.
622
00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:21,960
Burma is opening up to the
international community for
623
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:25,600
investment, and the local peoples
don't have any right to own any
624
00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:28,800
ownership of the land and rivers
and natural resources,
625
00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:32,960
and the Burma military just put more
control, you know, make the
626
00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:36,920
shelling, attacks, offensive, so
that they can have more control.
627
00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:43,320
Shan State is incredibly rich in
natural resources.
628
00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:46,480
With Burma now free to trade
with the outside world,
629
00:49:46,480 --> 00:49:51,280
there's even more incentive to take
control of the Shan people's land,
630
00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:52,680
and there are regular clashes
631
00:49:52,680 --> 00:49:55,000
between the rebels
and the Burmese military.
632
00:49:56,240 --> 00:49:57,920
OK. Flipping heck.
633
00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:00,800
Going off on patrol.
634
00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:10,320
Soldiers are waiting. A unit of 60
Shan soldiers were setting out,
635
00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:12,680
led by Colonel Jai Hong Can.
636
00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:15,440
When your soldiers go on patrol,
637
00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:17,920
presumably they always have to be
aware there's a risk of...
638
00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:21,720
Of course. ..of conflict
with the Burmese military.
639
00:50:21,720 --> 00:50:25,720
Sure. Sometimes, we admit, the
fighting can take place.
640
00:50:25,720 --> 00:50:28,400
So we have to be very careful
all the time.
641
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:30,400
So there's always a risk?
642
00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:32,400
Always.
643
00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:34,360
When you're holding the guns,
644
00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:37,040
you have be sure that you have the
enemy in front of you.
645
00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:44,640
What inspired you or prompted you
to join the fight, initially?
646
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:46,760
Human rights abuses.
647
00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:50,600
You cannot just stand back
and watch what is going on.
648
00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:54,480
You, as a, as a man...
649
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:58,880
you have to find a
kind of dignity of your...
650
00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:01,560
of your...how do you
say, of your people.
651
00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:04,160
So that is why. We are fighting
for our dignity,
652
00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:06,080
we are fighting for our cultures.
653
00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:08,640
If you don't fight, you are a dog.
654
00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:10,880
A dog? We are human!
655
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:12,880
They are bullying us,
they abusing us.
656
00:51:12,880 --> 00:51:15,440
As a human being, what will you do?
657
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:19,720
Fight back, man. But still
you have to be careful.
658
00:51:19,720 --> 00:51:22,480
We do not know when the enemy will
be coming to attack us.
659
00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:33,600
The soldiers marched on,
combat-ready, hour after hour.
660
00:52:01,240 --> 00:52:04,600
This is quite
a good position, isn't it?
661
00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:07,120
You have an incredible
view all around.
662
00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:11,280
OK. We're making camp here tonight.
663
00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:15,840
The toilet is there.
You look at the sign there.
664
00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:18,800
And it goes down a little bit and
you see the toilet.
665
00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:21,320
It's an open toilet, sorry.
THEY LAUGH
666
00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:23,120
We understand, don't worry.
667
00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:25,800
It's in the jungle.
We're in the jungle.
668
00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:33,560
There are hundreds
of local militias
669
00:52:33,560 --> 00:52:36,960
and around 20 ethnic
armed groups in Burma.
670
00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:39,920
The largest has perhaps
30,000 troops.
671
00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:42,520
Oh, man!
672
00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:45,520
Some are not just fighting the
Burmese army, but each other.
673
00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:49,520
It's made the conflict
even more deadly.
674
00:52:53,720 --> 00:52:58,120
So noodles and bean paste? Yeah.
This is the leaves from the trees.
675
00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:02,920
Just eat them with the food? Yeah,
we eat them with the bean paste.
676
00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:06,280
These fighters told me about a clash
with a rival rebel army.
677
00:53:28,120 --> 00:53:30,600
Despite infighting
between the rebel groups,
678
00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:33,600
the Burmese army remains
the common enemy.
679
00:53:33,600 --> 00:53:40,200
We try our best, we are trying to
stay as a Shan, as a human.
680
00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:43,400
We are not here to be a slave. Hmm.
681
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:46,640
As long as there is no political...
682
00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:50,800
Settlement between the
Burmese and the Shan,
683
00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:55,600
as long as they still
oppress us, bully us,
684
00:53:55,600 --> 00:53:58,280
the fight will continue.
685
00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:02,560
Maybe I will die in the future,
on the battle. I don't know.
686
00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:04,640
My children will come up again.
687
00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:06,880
This is how we are going to fight.
688
00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:09,440
It's an idea worth dying for?
Mm-hmm.
689
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:12,880
Certainly worth fighting for. Yes.
690
00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:17,040
I think most people
could understand that. Yeah.
691
00:54:17,040 --> 00:54:20,520
I think so. Yeah.
HE CHUCKLES
692
00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:30,040
This is pretty extraordinary,
actually.
693
00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:36,040
We are inside the
infamous Golden Triangle,
694
00:54:36,040 --> 00:54:42,440
we've been out on patrol and are now
staying overnight with a guerrilla
army in Shan State.
695
00:54:45,400 --> 00:54:47,320
It's been a long day.
696
00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:50,720
I'm looking forward to a comfortable
night's sleep in the hammock.
697
00:54:50,720 --> 00:54:54,560
It's a slight contradiction in
terms, but I think it'll be
all right.
698
00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:22,520
The Burmese leader, Aung San Suu
Kyi, has said ending the country's
699
00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:24,800
civil conflicts is her
top priority.
700
00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:28,640
The rebel armies are no angels,
701
00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:31,400
but this one and others have signed
a ceasefire agreement.
702
00:55:33,120 --> 00:55:37,000
The Burmese military, however,
have continued their attacks.
703
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,800
Aung San Suu Kyi can't or won't
stop the military
704
00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:42,360
who still control parts
of the government.
705
00:55:44,680 --> 00:55:47,360
I was coming to the end
of my journey.
706
00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:50,400
I went to meet the rebel leader on
the edge of his territory.
707
00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:52,760
So we are now heading up to the
front line.
708
00:56:10,440 --> 00:56:13,440
Oh, my God! Look. This is a trench!
709
00:56:17,240 --> 00:56:19,160
Flipping heck.
710
00:56:40,720 --> 00:56:45,320
So there are dozens, then, of
Burmese army bases deeper inside
711
00:56:45,320 --> 00:56:48,360
Shan State, out there,
across the hills.
712
00:56:49,880 --> 00:56:52,600
Does it feel like they're an enemy
occupying your land?
713
00:57:09,760 --> 00:57:11,960
And what happens if the peace
negotiations fail?
714
00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:23,720
Looking at the number of guards and
soldiers that have to be here when
715
00:57:23,720 --> 00:57:27,760
you're here, because there is
presumably, there is always the risk
of an attack.
716
00:57:32,160 --> 00:57:34,000
Talking to the Shan people,
717
00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:37,480
it was clear the tactics used to
drive out hundreds of thousands of
718
00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:40,480
Rohingya have also been used
against other ethnic groups.
719
00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:44,960
As a result this country has been
more deeply affected by civil war
720
00:57:44,960 --> 00:57:46,600
than any other in Southeast Asia.
721
00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:51,880
The outlook for Burma is worrying.
722
00:57:51,880 --> 00:57:55,960
Aung San Suu Kyi has failed to speak
out against, let alone tackle
723
00:57:55,960 --> 00:58:00,280
the root cause of so many of the
problems facing this beautiful land.
724
00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:05,240
The country may have had democratic
elections, but clearly there is
725
00:58:05,240 --> 00:58:10,320
still conflict here.
Peace has not come to Myanmar yet.
726
00:58:11,680 --> 00:58:14,480
I think what I've learned here has
come as a real shock to me,
727
00:58:14,480 --> 00:58:19,560
actually. Is really obvious to me
that the biggest problem facing this
728
00:58:19,560 --> 00:58:23,400
country, I think,
is the Burmese military.
729
00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:27,200
They are the biggest issue here, but
they're also a huge problem for
730
00:58:27,200 --> 00:58:29,120
people in the rest
of the country as well,
731
00:58:29,120 --> 00:58:33,280
who have to deal with their power,
their corruption, their abuse.
732
00:58:34,640 --> 00:58:40,800
Until the Burmese military are
reformed and transformed,
733
00:58:40,800 --> 00:58:44,440
I don't think Burma
can ever really truly change.