By David Pilling and Gwen Robinson, Financial Times
The impact of the rapid shift to democracy is far-reaching but barriers remain
A short walk from Yangon’s notorious Insein prison, where Myanmar’s
military junta jailed and tortured political prisoners, lies the Eden
Centre for Disabled Children. Its little courtyard and few surrounding
buildings are among the only facilities in the country for young people
with physical and learning difficulties.
On improvised slalom courses made from cushions and wooden benches,
those with cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and muscular dystrophy are
taught to improve their motor skills. Teachers provide basic education
for those with learning difficulties. They also counsel parents worried
about what will happen when their children grow up, given Myanmar’s lack
of social security and scant job prospects for disabled people.
“I
am trying to learn more about advanced techniques,” says Lilian Gyi,
director of the school, whose training in Germany 35 years ago makes her
the country’s only expert in special education.
The Eden Centre is a small reminder of how deprived Myanmar’s people
have been left by years of military rule and poor economic management.
However, it also stands as a symbol of how the shift towards democracy
that began 18 months ago could have a profound impact in unexpected
areas of national life.
Since the junta led by Than Shwe ceded power to
an elected government
last March, the country has changed in remarkable and often
unanticipated ways. Initially dismissed as a continuation of military
government in disguise, the new administration led by President Thein
Sein has unleashed a barrage of changes. Political prisoners have been
released, press censorship abolished, free by-elections held and
progressive laws passed. The president is regularly compared to F. W. de
Klerk, the South African leader who helped to dismantle apartheid.
