Sittwe
is somehow a Buddhist outpost in Muslim
flood.
About 20 years
ago the relation was 15% Muslim, about 80%
Buddhist, the rest other like Christian. Now
in 2007 its 40% Muslim.
This is
because a high migration of Bangladeshi into
Myanmar. Bangladesh (like also
China)cant support their people anymore,
they are simply to many and they opened the
gate. In Sittwe and north of Bangladeshi
everywhere.
They undercut
even the already very low wages of the local
Myanmar and this makes lot of problems. It's
very similar to what happen with the Chinese
migration into Myanmar in the north-east of
Myanmar.
A pagoda
festival from time to time is a welcome
break from the daily routine.
There is only
one state-operated, television channel so
options for evening activities are limited.
Gaslights are up since there is no
electricity.
Officially,
gambling is forbidden but Myanmars like to
have fun and to make money so the activity
takes place everywhere including at the
pagoda festival. Home-made gear suits the
purpose. A goodly sum of money is
changing hands and the bank wins as
usual. The gambler who knows how to get
permission, not through official channels,
holds the bank and distributes some of the
profits in the right way to the right people
afterwards. |
