Educational Media Reviews Online

Inside Burma: Land of Fear, filmed in secret by John Pilger and David Munro, exposes human rights violations in the Union of Myanmar, better known in the US and England as Burma. This former British colony is among the most repressive governments in Asia, yet has not received the same widespread attention for its human rights abuses as other regimes in the region, in part due to the abolition of a free press there. This documentary brings attention to the violent practices of a dictatorship of which too few of us are aware.

Much of the video's running time is spent documenting the 1988 democratic uprising and subsequent government-sponsored terrorism in Rangoon - one of the bloodiest series of events in recent Asian history. In 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi, founder of the National League for Democracy, called for democratic reform and elections in Burma, a country that had been ruled by military dictatorship since 1963. Though the NLD won decisively in the subsequent election, the ruling party refused to turn over power, and Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest. Violence ensued, and thousands of protesters were tortured, killed, and even buried or cremated alive. To date, the election results have not been honored, and Suu Kyi remained under house arrest for six long years. (For more on the Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, check Barbara Victor's new biography, The Lady: Burma's Daw Aung Sau Suu Kyi. Faber, 1998. ISBN 0-571- 19944-5).

Inside Burma also documents the widespread practices of child labor, forced labor, and slavery with graphic footage of workers toiling in leg irons and chains. The forced relocation and genocide of ethnic groups living in Burma is also detailed. (For further information on human rights abuses in Myanmar, check out Amnesty International's Web page: http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/countries/indx316.htm). Inside Burma hits close to home, as the narrator underscores the increasing and often unsuspecting support other nations provide this oppressive government through the machinations of a global economy - particularly through foreign investment and tourism.

Much has happened in Asia since the filming of Inside Burma, two years ago. This video is essential viewing for understanding these recent and ongoing events, including - the murder and forced exile of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Karen from the Shan state in Burma*, Bill Clinton's 1997 economic sanctions banning new U.S. investment in Burma until its human rights record and drug trafficking problems are improved, and the recent economic crisis in Indonesia and other neighboring countries.

The technical quality of the video is uneven because much of it was filmed covertly, but overall it is quite good. The content, narration, and editing are all outstanding, earning the video multiple awards - including a Gold Award from Worldfest, a Bronze Plaque from the Columbus International Film Festival, a Gold Apple Award from NEMN, and an International Actual Award for Risk Journalism.

Inside Burma is appropriate for audiences from Grade 10 to adult, although there is graphic violence (photos and video footage). This documentary would enhance any video collection, and is unique among videos in its coverage of the recent political history of Burma. Highly Recommended. * the recent Bullfrog Films release The Heroin Wars is also relevant to this topic.