Burma in transition (eBook)

Burma, or Myanmar as the country has officially been called since 1989, is gradually starting to throw off the shackles of military dictatorship. Since the elections in November 2010, General Thein Sein has governed as 'civilian' president. Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of national hero, Aung San, who won independence from the British after the Second World War, is seeking highest Office in 2015. Enormous changes at the legal, economic and financial level and in the infrastructure and modern technology are essential. Burmese constitute only two-thirds of the 60 million inhabitants. The country is populated by 135 recognised ethnic groups which are not all Buddhists and some of them have been fighting civil wars against the majority people. This unresolved legacy is a burden for the young 'democracy' which could fail at any time because of it. The book describes the current Situation, reports on underlying historical and religious factors and explores future perspectives. The author Ursula Hohmeyer has been travelling around this fascinating country since 1984 and has established make many contacts with its people.

Ursula Hohmeyer, née von Werlhof, was born in 1940 in Leipzig. She grew up in Bavaria and the Rhineland and worked for a newspaper after completing her school studies. Throughout her professional life, her contributions were in the area of economics, but with frequent excursions into literature, history and politics, and also culinary matters. In 1963 she married Dr Wolfgang Hohmeyer, a fellow economic journalist. In 1966 her husband became Middle East correspondent for a short period which was concluded the following year, due to disagreements with the newspaper over the Six-Day War. Then Cologne became their base again and both of them now worked as freelance journalists. In 1996 Wolfgang Hohmeyer went blind and died in 2004. The author received much support from her large circle of friends and continued her travels. After her husband's death she adopted a Chinese woman and gained through her a German son-in-law and two grandchildren. Her book 'Paradies mit Fehlern' ('Paradise with Faults') appeared in 2010. Ursula Hohmeyer, geb. von Werlhof, wurde 1940 in Leipzig geboren. Sie wuchs im Allgäu und im Rheinland auf und arbeitete nach dem Abitur bei einer Zeitung. Ihr ganzes Berufsleben lang schrieb sie für das Wirtschaftsressort, wenn sie nicht durch ihre vielen Reisen literarische Abstecher in historische, politische oder auch kulinarische Themen machte. 1963 heiratete sie den Wirtschaftskollegen Dr. Wolfgang Hohmeyer. 1966 folgte für den Ehemann ein kurzes Gastspiel als Nahost-Korrespondent, das im Jahr darauf durch Auseinandersetzungen mit der Zeitung um den Sechs-Tage-Krieg beendet wurde. Danach war Köln für beide, nun freiberuflich arbeitende Journalisten, wieder die Basis. 1996 erblindete Wolfgang Hohmeyer und starb 2004. Die Autorin stützte sich auf ihren großen Freundeskreis und reiste weiter. Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes adoptierte sie eine Chinesin und gewann mit ihr einen deutschen Schwiegersohn und zwei Enkelkinder. Von ihr erschien bereits das Buch "Paradies mit Fehlern. In der Welt zu Hause - 50 Jahre unterwegs" (2010).